Building the Future of Media with Chattr
Trent Thomas, Managing Director of Chattr Pty Ltd, has been revolutionizing how media companies operate in the digital age. Having co-founded Chattr at 22, Thomas has led the company to grow into one of Australia’s most innovative media companies, breaking away from legacy systems and high overhead costs. His approach focuses on leveraging social media, AI-powered content workflows, and programmatic advertising to achieve scale and profitability. Chattr’s core platform, Chattr.com.au, has become a leader in Australian entertainment content, particularly focused on reality TV and pop culture. Unlike traditional media companies, Chattr’s social-driven model has enabled it to thrive by capitalizing on revenue models offered by platforms like Facebook and programmatic advertising. This lean model has proven successful, with Chattr seeing up to 600,000 readers per month on its website and over 20 million views across its social media platforms.
Social Media Is a Key News Gateway
Over 30% of people globally now access news primarily via social media, with this trend rising sharply among younger demographics, according to th This shift is particularly pronounced in Australia, where 39% of individuals aged 18–24(Reuters Institute Digital News Report 2025) report social media as their primary news source, surpassing traditional outlets such as TV and news websites, as reported by Pew Research Center. This significant change in news consumption patterns reflects a broader, global transition towards social-first media.While TikTok continues to grow, Facebook remains dominant in the Australian market. 40% of 18–24-year-olds still use Facebook for news discovery, even though TikTok is used by 22% of the same demographic. This highlights how platforms like Facebook still offer unparalleled discoverability for digital-first publishers like Chattr, providing scale that traditional advertising methods often cannot. This is further backed by research from Sprout Social, which also found that Facebook continues to be the most widely used platform for news among younger Australians, with over 40% of the 18–24 age group using Facebook for news discovery.
Innovation at Its Core: The Shift from Traditional to Tech-Driven Media
A key aspect of Chattr’s success is its ability to break free from the conventional sales-heavy approach that has long been the standard in the media industry. Trent Thomas explains, “With Chattr, we saw a clean slate, a chance to re-imagine what a media company could be. With no sales team and light overhead, we were able to think of ways that we could keep our costs low and hit our revenue targets. Looking at the revenue opportunities through things such as Meta’s monetization policy and ad tech platforms like GumGum, it became clear that we could do things differently than the traditional method.”
Publisher Revenues Are Under Pressure
While Chattr embraces social-driven revenue models, the broader media industry faces significant challenges. Trust and willingness to pay for news have stagnated globally. In Australia, only 13% of Australians pay for online news, one of the lowest rates globally, reflecting the subscription fatigue many publishers are experiencing. At the same time, traditional advertising models are struggling due to digital ad volatility. However, Chattr has found a successful alternative by tapping into the programmatic advertising market (Reuters Institute Digital News Report 2025).
Embracing the Challenges of Digital Media: The Power of AI and Programmatic Advertising
Programmatic advertising is a significant factor in Chattr’s success. This automated, AI-driven model enables publishers to serve highly targeted ads at scale without relying on traditional sales teams. “In today’s fragmented digital economy, programmatic advertising represents a seismic shift in how publishers monetize attention. Unlike traditional models that rely on static campaigns and direct sales teams, platforms like GumGum, Infolinks, and CARGO enable publishers to serve highly targeted, automated ads instantly across their content,” says Thomas.Globally, 88% of display advertising is now delivered programmatically, and projections suggest this will reach 92% by 2026. In Australia, programmatic revenue is set to overtake direct ad sales by 2024, underscoring the growing importance of this method in the advertising landscape (Reuters Institute Digital News Report 2025).
Harnessing the Power of Facebook Monetization and Social Media
Facebook has become a central revenue stream for Chattr, particularly through features like Reels and in-feed content. As Meta continues to expand its Content Monetization Beta, digital-first outlets like Chattr are seeing significant returns from their social media efforts. “Facebook’s monetization tools, particularly through Reels and in-feed content, have become a vital revenue stream for modern publishers. For digital-first outlets that specialize in video and entertainment content, the platform offers scale and discoverability that traditional ad models struggle to match,” explains Thomas.
AI’s Role in Content Creation: Amplifying, Not Replacing Journalism
In addition to its focus on monetization and advertising, Chattr has embraced AI technology as a way to enhance the content creation process. AI agents help streamline research, formatting, and production, allowing Chattr’s editorial team to focus on creativity and storytelling. “Tools like AI agents don’t replace journalists, they amplify them. At Chattr, we use these systems to increase both the quantity and quality of our output, giving our talented writers more time to focus on creativity, analysis, and storytelling, while the agents handle the heavy lifting in research, formatting, and production,” Thomas explains.
Building a Blueprint for Sustainable Media Companies
Trent Thomas’s vision for Chattr is clear: to build a lean, tech-driven media company that thrives on the resources available in today’s digital economy. His innovative approach challenges traditional notions of how media companies should operate, proving that it is possible to achieve scale and profitability without the heavy burden of legacy infrastructure. As the media landscape continues to evolve, Chattr’s success demonstrates that there is a viable alternative to traditional models, one that embraces social media, programmatic advertising, and AI to build a sustainable future for media companies.
About Chattr Pty Ltd
Chattr Pty Ltd is an Australian-based media company focused on creating digital-first content. Founded by Trent Thomas and his partners in 2014, Chattr has built a platform that thrives on social-first content, AI-assisted workflows, and innovative monetization strategies. Known for its coverage of Australian entertainment, reality television, and pop culture, Chattr is a leader in adapting to the changing media landscape. Chattr’s lean operational model and tech-driven approach have made it a standout in the digital media space.
Media Contact
Trent Thomas
Managing Director, Chattr Pty Ltd
Email: trent@chattr.com.au
trentthomas.com.au