How The CEO Of Zeus Network Is Putting Millennials At The Forefront
Over the past year, viewers around the globe have been entertained by the likes of the hit web series Joseline’s Cabaret and Baddies ATL. With many of the controversial scenes transforming into viral moments repeatedly shaking up the Twittersphere, it’s imperative to note that these flamboyant productions are cogs in a much larger machine, Zeus Network, powered by Detroit native, Lemuel “Lemmie” Plummer.
“I've always looked at it in a way where the industry has overlooked and undervalued a variety of people for different reasons and perceived flaws whether that’s age, appearance, personality, et cetera. We just felt like there was an opportunity there to give these folks an opportunity that [other] networks don't necessarily see the value [in], and create something unique,” Plummer said. “But we also put the power in the hands of the creator. Our deal structures really empower them and allow them to be involved in the creative end and business aspects of their shows, and they're able to be free and creative. They're generating more money than they would make in any type of situation when it comes to traditional networks or linear players.”
While Plummer honed his television production skills by way of his own direct experience, he also hails from a family who owned and operated three television stations.
“I was very fortunate and blessed that I had parents who owned and operated television networks and they created something very special at the time. There were only a few founders of actual TV stations and my dad was one of them and Bob Johnson was another,” Plummer said. “I ended up getting a lot of experience at home. I grew up in a very faith-based-oriented family and they went the Christian route so, I still learned a lot. The model is different with Christian television versus secular, but it's still the principles and the infrastructure and all the tools are pretty much the same.”
“It was important for me because I've always wanted to stay connected to this generation and inspire our generation and culture by showing them that you can start from being a [production assistant] and make it all the way up to owning your own network and having success there,” Plummer said. “From a business standpoint, it is a huge audience that will stand by something that they like, that they find entertaining. We started a subscription video on demand platform, so we just wanted to create content that [millennials] find entertaining, compelling, loud, provocative, and it's been working. We've been putting out new, original content and folks have been subscribing, and we've been generating a lot of revenue and hitting some historic milestones. I don't like to say disrupting, but we have been, in a way, disrupting the industry and I just think we have a huge pulse on the audience right now.”
Of his own professional journey, Plummer said his proudest achievement is influencing others.
“I'm very proud to be able to impact people's lives and be an entrepreneur that provides jobs that give a lot of folks opportunities,” he said. “I'm a Black man and I have a Black-owned business, so those are things I really take pride in, and I'm very proud of myself and all the folks here on my team.”
Plummer anticipates that in the future, not only will Zeus Network feature more content with bigger celebrities, but the streaming service will also see financial gains.
“Zeus is at a place where we are generating significant revenue. We are on the road to creating a billion-dollar company, and that's the goal,” Plummer said. “We have a lot of bigger stars coming to the network. We're getting into scripted programming, live programming, and all sorts of programming that we think our audience wants to see more of overall. We want to continue to evolve our technology and our user experience and provide more new features for our customers and create international programming.”
