Video platform Rumble announces HQ move to Sarasota County

Rumble, an online video hosting service that has become a major platform for conservatives and right-wing media figures — including former President Donald Trump — is coming to Tampa Bay.

The company announced Thursday that it’s relocating its U.S. headquarters from New York to Longboat Key, near Sarasota, and plans to invest $50 million in the state in the coming years.

“We are thrilled to welcome Rumble to Florida, and we support its mission to promote free expression and stand up to Big Tech censorship,” Gov. Ron DeSantis said in a statement. “Over the past year, we have seen businesses flock to Florida from across the country because, as long as I am governor, our state will be free and built for opportunity. We wish Rumble all the best in their endeavors in Florida, and we look forward to watching their success.”

Founded in Toronto in 2013, the platform has exploded in popularity of late among online conservatives. Its investors include Silicon Valley provocateur Peter Thiel and Hillbilly Elegy author and Ohio senatorial candidate J.D. Vance, according to the Wall Street Journal, and it’s become a clearinghouse for views users claim are being censored on services like Facebook and YouTube, including videos spreading vaccine misinformation and espousing election conspiracy theories.

Rumble hosts channels run by popular right-wing figures like Sean Hannity, Dan Bongino, Dinesh D’Souza and Charlie Kirk, as well as pop-culture figures like Dr. Drew Pinsky and comedian Jimmy Dore.

Politicians have taken to Rumble in droves. DeSantis joined in April (first post: “Gov DeSantis Fights back Against Big Tech Censorship”), and now has 235,000 followers. Trump followed suit in June and has 879,000 followers.

“What we’re really witnessing is Orwellian,” DeSantis said in his first clip posted to Rumble. “It’s a Big Tech-corporate media collusion, and the end result is that the narrative is always right. Well, I don’t think that that’s what the American people want, certainly people in Florida.”

With a rapidly growing base of 40 million users, the site plans to hit the ground running in Florida. In a statement, Rumble CEO Chris Pavlovski said the company chose Sarasota because of its proximity to tech companies in Tampa, and the company will hire up to 25 new positions “immediately ... with many more planned for the future.”

“Moving to Longboat Key is a win-win for Rumble and the Sarasota community,” Pavlovski said. “This move positions us to continue providing a platform to content creators without the threats from big tech monopolies. We are excited to invest in Florida in the coming years while we continue to grow Rumble.”