In 2021, Brad Miska sold Bloody Disgusting, the leading horror website he co-founded. He stayed on for a few years during the transition, and finally left last year.
But as any scary movie lover knows, nothing in horror stays truly dead, including one’s love of the genre. And the desire to be your own boss.
He spent the past few years working in movies as a producer, and was a key figure in the success of two of the Terrifier movies.
Now, in an ironic twist of a slasher’s blade, Miska returning to the internet horror field, this time as the owner of Bloody Disgusting’s chief competitor, Dread Central.
Along with siblings Heather and Peter Luttrell, digital media and advertising executives and former co-owners of Bloody Disgusting as well the founders of IndieClick, Miska has launched Be Afraid Media, an independent horror media company. The acquisition of Dread Central marks the new company’s official launch.
“Dread Central has been a trusted voice in horror for nearly two decades,” Miska told The Hollywood Reporter. “Our goal is to expand its reach and accessibility while preserving the integrity and independence that its audience values.”
Founded in 2006, Dread Central has spent nearly two decades covering horror film, television, and culture, building relationships with filmmakers and fans and becoming a passionate and credible voice in horror. The site, however, has at times struggled to find financial viability. In 2016, then-editor-in-chief and co-founder Steve Barton launched a Kickstarter to help keep the lights on. The gambit worked long enough for Epic Pictures to buy the site in 2017.
Even though Be Afraid bought the site and will run it independently, the company will be working with Epic for some time to come. As part of the transaction, Be Afraid acquired DreadTV, a leading FAST horror channel, and entered into a multi-year streaming distribution agreement with Epic. Additionally, Epic CEO and owner Patrick Ewald will sit on Be Afraid Media’s Board of Directors.
Dread Releasing, which is the film production and distribution arm, and DreadXP, the video game publishing division, will continue to operate as Epic businesses, separate from the Dread Central transaction.
Be Afraid is now touting that collectively, the company’s portfolio will reach an audience of more than 16 million fans across digital, social, streaming and commerce platforms.
Miska co-founded Bloody Disgusting in 2001. The entertainment management firm The Collective bought a minority stake in the company in 2007, after which the Bloody Disgusting branched out into movie distribution, and allowed Miska to rack up producing credits by creating the horror anthology movie series V/H/S. He was also a producer on the 2022 sci-fi horror movie Kids vs Aliens. He will be putting all those skills toward the new venture.
He said the company’s immediate focus is on revitalizing its FAST channel and building a robust podcast network. It will also actively expand across the full horror ecosystem including live events, merchandise, production, and distribution.
“Our goal is simple,” he said, “to be the most beloved and trusted brand in horror. And we are expanding our footprint by acquiring key genre assets and developing new original IP internally.”
One Dread Central co-founder applauded the new owners.
“There is no team better suited to take the helm of Dread Central,” said Jon Condit. “They understand the genre, they respect the audience, and they have the experience to guide Dread into its next era. I’m excited to see what the future holds under their leadership.”