The Pornhub Empire

Episode 1: Free porn for everyone

Thu, 16 May 2024 10:50:00 EDT

How did a handful of competitive foosball players in Montreal create the world’s largest online pornsite? And what do a picturesque Dutch cabin, thousands of pornographic VHS tapes, and the subprime mortgage crisis have to do with it?

Full transcript here.

Episode 2: Pornhub goes mainstream

Thu, 16 May 2024 10:40:00 EDT

Not only did PornHub become a massive moneymaker, it also helped push porn into the spotlight by using data, clever PR, and the power of celebrity. How did Pornhub make itself a household name?

Full transcript here.

Episode 3: Pornhub’s disgrace

Thu, 16 May 2024 10:30:00 EDT

Jane was coerced into making a pornographic film, and told it would never be shared online. Then, it was posted on Pornhub, over and over again. How did a scandal involving the hosting of sexual abuse material seriously damage the lives of many and nearly destroy the company?

Full transcript here.

Episode 4: Cleanup crew

Thu, 16 May 2024 10:00:00 EDT

New name, new owners, new rules. Can Pornhub rebuild its reputation and remain one of the world’s biggest porn sites? Or will the company be disrupted out of business by a new crop of online porn entrepreneurs…

Full transcript here.

Introducing: The Pornhub Empire

Thu, 16 May 2024 00:10:00 EDT

Pornhub — that site you only access on your browser’s incognito mode? It gets way more views than Netflix. But because of the sheepishness and stigma around porn, it’s treated as if it’s fringe, instead of what it really is: one of Canada’s largest cultural exports.

In The Pornhub Empire, hear the story of how a Montreal-founded company came to dominate the adult industry — only to have its reputation obliterated in a massive scandal — and where it stands today.