arstechnica.com
Curiosity Stream, a science-focused streaming service, is pioneering a unique revenue strategy beyond subscriptions and ads. Founded in 2015 by Discovery Channel’s John Hendricks, Curiosity Stream reached 23 million subscribers by March 2023. While smaller than giants like Netflix, it’s experiencing revenue growth, notably a 41% year-over-year increase in Q3 2025. This growth is primarily driven by licensing original programming to train large language models (LLMs). By September 2025, AI licensing generated $23.4 million, surpassing half of 2024’s subscription revenue. Curiosity Stream anticipates that AI licensing deals will exceed subscription revenue by 2027, possibly sooner, marking a significant shift in its business model.
