Ownership & Funding

Independent journalism stops being independent the moment readers cannot see who is funding it. Here is how the money side of The Digital Wise works.

Ownership

The Digital Wise is a privately owned editorial venture. It is not owned by a studio, a streamer, a sports league, a club, a betting company, or a political party. There is no outside investor with editorial veto power, and there is no parent media group whose interests sit above ours.

Revenue

We make money in three ways:

• Display advertising — programmatic and direct-sold ads alongside our articles. Ads are clearly marked. We do not run ads inside review verdicts or on correction notices.
• Newsletter sponsorship — a single sponsor slot in our morning brief, labelled “Sponsored by …”. The sponsor sees the slot only after copy is finalised.
• Affiliate links — a small share of streaming-service signups and pre-orders for new releases. The links are disclosed in the article in line with our Affiliate Disclosure. Reviews are written before the affiliate links are added.

We have not taken any grants or sponsored partnerships from a studio, league, or platform whose content we cover.

The wall between commercial and editorial

Editorial decisions are made by editors on editorial grounds. The commercial team does not pitch story ideas, see editorial copy in advance, or influence which titles we review. Sponsors and advertisers have no input into what we publish. When an advertiser has been the subject of a critical story, the advertiser’s account is handled by someone who has not seen the unpublished reporting.

Disclosure when it matters

If a story involves a company we have a current commercial relationship with — for example, a streamer whose newsletter slot is running that week — we disclose that fact at the top of the piece. We would rather over-disclose than have a reader spot it first.

Salaries and rates

Our reporters are paid market rates for entertainment and sports journalism. Freelance contributors are paid on publication, at rates published in the Write For Us brief.

Questions

For questions about ownership, funding, or our commercial relationships, email [email protected]. We are happy to answer.

Last updated: 4 June 2026