13 May 2026
DLA Piper advises Fixated on acquisition of Studio71
DLA Piper advised Fixated, a full-stack creator economy company, on its acquisition of creator media company Studio71, creating a combined global network of more than 1,000 creators across YouTube, TikTok, Snap, Twitch, and other channels.
Studio71 brings a sizable podcast network and two decades of brand and advertiser relationships that combine with Fixated’s talent representation, production, and distribution services.
“The creator economy is increasingly shaped by platforms that can support creators across every stage of content development and audience engagement,” said Ken Funahashi, the DLA Piper Partner who led the deal team. “We were grateful to leverage our experience and advise Fixated on this transformative deal.”
In addition to Funahashi (Los Angeles/Palo Alto), the deal team included Partners Neil Balmert (San Diego), Keith Ranta (Washington, DC/Boston), Morgan McDonald (Vancouver), Of Counsel Matthew Flug (New York) and Andrew Sacks (Seattle), Managing Attorney Jake Abrahams (Austin), and Associates Samantha Saltzman (Los Angeles) and James Duchesne (Washington, DC).
With more than 1,000 corporate lawyers globally, DLA Piper helps clients execute complex transactions seamlessly while supporting clients across all stages of development. The firm has been rated number one in global M&A volume for 16 consecutive years by Mergermarket and ranked number one in VC, PE, and M&A in combined global deal volume by PitchBook.
Studio71 brings a sizable podcast network and two decades of brand and advertiser relationships that combine with Fixated’s talent representation, production, and distribution services.
“The creator economy is increasingly shaped by platforms that can support creators across every stage of content development and audience engagement,” said Ken Funahashi, the DLA Piper Partner who led the deal team. “We were grateful to leverage our experience and advise Fixated on this transformative deal.”
In addition to Funahashi (Los Angeles/Palo Alto), the deal team included Partners Neil Balmert (San Diego), Keith Ranta (Washington, DC/Boston), Morgan McDonald (Vancouver), Of Counsel Matthew Flug (New York) and Andrew Sacks (Seattle), Managing Attorney Jake Abrahams (Austin), and Associates Samantha Saltzman (Los Angeles) and James Duchesne (Washington, DC).
With more than 1,000 corporate lawyers globally, DLA Piper helps clients execute complex transactions seamlessly while supporting clients across all stages of development. The firm has been rated number one in global M&A volume for 16 consecutive years by Mergermarket and ranked number one in VC, PE, and M&A in combined global deal volume by PitchBook.