NEW YORK CITY — Fallen Media, a New York City–based short-form video studio cofounded by Rowan Winch when he was 15, reported seven-figure revenue and 43 percent year-over-year revenue growth in 2025. Winch, now 21, serves as the company's cofounder and chief social officer.

Fallen Media launched in 2020 after Sol Betesh, now the company's cofounder and CEO, contacted Winch in 2019 to discuss starting a company while Winch was still in high school. Betesh learned about Winch after journalist Taylor Lorenz profiled him in The New York Times. The venture initially focused on creating memes before evolving into producing short-form video content with the rise of TikTok. Betesh oversees Fallen Media's advertising and business partnerships.

The company now employs 20 full-time staffers in New York, including multiple salaried showrunners who lead its catalog of digital series, and is continuing to grow its headcount. Most of its revenue comes from brand partnerships, according to Winch, with platform monetization programs also accounting for a portion. Among those programs, YouTube's AdSense generates the most revenue, followed by Facebook's video monetization tools, which bring in more than Instagram and TikTok monetization.

Winch's role includes brainstorming social media strategies, booking talent for shows, and filming on location in New York City with creators about twice a week. He tries to attend many shoots, although he is not at every one. On set, he keeps production in order, moves equipment, and takes photos of the crew. "I try not to get too involved," Winch said. "Even if I'm not directly filming it, I can see how this is going to work. I'm here just as a resource."

Fallen Media's shows are filmed at various locations across New York City, particularly Washington Square Park. Its flagship TikTok show, "What's Poppin? With Davis!" — hosted by content creator Davis Burleson, who interviews people on the street — has 2.1 million TikTok followers. Another show, "Street Hearts," hosted by Tiff Baira, features blind dates and has 500,000 TikTok followers. A newer series, "15 Second Film," casts random passersby to spontaneously direct a short film. Some episodes have featured celebrities such as director Kevin Smith.

Social-media native shows produced by studios including Fallen Media, Gymnasium, and Mad Realities have become a regular stop on celebrity press tours. Gymnasium produces the TikTok show "Keep the Meter Running," hosted by comedian Kareem Rahma, while Mad Realities produces shows such as "Shop Cats" and "Hollywood IQ."

"I don't have college experience or even traditional career experience. I was just kind of thrown into my role," Winch said. "I grew up with a lot of followers, and I kind of knew the responsibility I had. I can't take advantage of that. I can't act like a kid."

Fallen Media plans to submit its shows to traditional film festivals, including the Tribeca Film Festival's Tribeca X programming. "Facebook and long-form YouTube content are our two biggest goals for the future, along with launching new shows," Winch said. He added: "One of my personal big goals for the company is for people to start seeing Fallen Media as a studio."