New Platform Marks LA Times Studios’ Move into Social Commerce
Built Through Amaze’s Operating Studio Model, the Platform Will Combine the LA Times Studios Brand Power with Amaze’s End-to-End Commerce Infrastructure
Amaze Holdings, Inc. (“Amaze”), a global leader in creator-powered commerce, announced a strategic collaboration with LA Times Studios, LLC, a Los Angeles Times Media Group (LATMG) company, to launch Food Channel LA — a creator-led commerce platform designed to bring live shopping, creator programming, and direct-to-consumer product experiences into one scalable ecosystem.
Food Channel LA marks LA Times Studios’ expansion into social commerce, establishing a fully integrated, transaction-enabled platform powered by Amaze’s commerce infrastructure and launched through Amaze’s operating studio model with Contend serving as Amaze’s first operating studio partner.
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The platform brings together:
Amaze’s end-to-end commerce engine, logistics, and creator monetization tools
LA Times Studios’ brand authority, facilities, and national audience reach
Contend’s operating team focused on scalable creator formats and monetization
Food Channel LA will operate as a live, commerce-enabled creator platform. Programming will include:
Creator-led cooking shows
Live shopping events and product drops
Commerce-enabled brand integrations
On-site activations and ticketed experiences
Recurring formats designed for national syndication and scale
Content will be distributed across Food Channel properties, LA Times Studios’ website and social channels, and participating creator channels — leveraging the collective reach of creators alongside trusted media brands.
Food Channel LA is built on Amaze’s infrastructure, enabling direct product sales, inventory management, fulfillment, and real-time revenue participation for creators and partners. In line with the Company’s shift toward scalable media-commerce monetization, the platform is expected to drive higher margin transaction revenues.
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“Media has experimented with commerce for years,” said Aaron Day, CEO of Amaze. “This is different. With LA Times Studios and Contend as our first operating studio partner, we’re launching a true creator-commerce platform where live programming, product drops, and cultural storytelling translate directly into transactions. LA Times Studios is truly the first major publisher to launch a full-scale social commerce initiative.”
Anna Magzanyan, President of LA Times Studios, added, “This is our step into fully integrated social commerce. We’re combining our trusted brand and production capabilities with Amaze’s commerce engine and a creator-led operating model built for today’s market.”
While launching in Los Angeles, the Food Channel LA framework is built for national scale and designed to expand into additional markets and syndication partnerships.
Food Channel LA is expected to begin onboarding creators and brand partners immediately, with initial live activations and programming rolling out by May 2026.
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