The Pornhub Empire

4.1 (14)
DOCUMENTARY

With about 100 million visits per day, Pornhub is one of the biggest websites on the planet. This four-part series pulls back the curtain on the scrappy, Montreal-based startup that revolutionized sex on the internet — and the massive scandal that exposed its dark side. Hosted by journalist Samantha Cole.

05/16/2024

Episode 1: Free porn for everyone

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.

27 min
05/16/2024

Episode 2: Pornhub goes mainstream

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.

24 min
05/16/2024

Episode 3: Pornhub’s disgrace

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.

32 min
05/16/2024

Episode 4: Cleanup crew

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.

39 min
SEASON 1 TRAILER

Introducing: The Pornhub Empire

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.

2 min

TRAILER

Introducing: The Pornhub Empire

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.

S1

•

2 min

4.1

out of 5

14 Ratings

mid

06/19/2025

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this pod provides a cursory overview of pornhub, but fails to engage in any serious conversations with its opponents. it only cites audio and court cases, never actually speaking to a human being about the issue. this makes their narrative very one sided, and their rhetorical position quite weak. it comes off very intellectually lazy and incurious to me.

With about 100 million visits per day, Pornhub is one of the biggest websites on the planet. This four-part series pulls back the curtain on the scrappy, Montreal-based startup that revolutionized sex on the internet — and the massive scandal that exposed its dark side. Hosted by journalist Samantha Cole.