SAN FRANCISCO — Stephan Sirard, the founder of Next Door Studios and co-founder of affiliate program BuddyProfits, has announced his retirement after two decades in adult.
Sirard founded Next Door in 2004 and relocated the studio from San Francisco to Las Vegas in 2016. “At that time, no one else was really recruiting and filming straight jocks and athletic-looking guys having gay sex,” he told XBIZ on the occasion of the company's 15th anniversary. “I was out there meeting the models and getting to know them, learning about their fantasies and then giving them the opportunity to live them out in front of a camera.”
Next Door Entertainment, with Sirard at the helm, was formed in 2006 from a partnership between Gamma Entertainment and FCF Agency. The joint venture includes Next Door Studios and BuddyProfits, among other companies and labels. Gamma and Sirard's business partner have acquired Sirard's shares of the company.
Sirard described his adult industry experience as "an incredible journey."
"I am so proud of the work that Gamma and my team have done together by building a legacy brand and such an incredibly successful business," he said. "I want to thank the entire team and everyone that I had the pleasure to work with. I feel very fortunate to have surrounded myself with some of the most ethical, smart and successful partners to develop our outstanding content and establish the top affiliate gay program that is out there. I have no doubt they will continue to do a superb job. I see nothing but success for the future of the company."
Claude Hyppolite, head of partner paysites for Gamma, praised Sirard's stewardship of the company.
"When we partnered up to create BuddyProfits, we had no idea it would become such a great success," he said. "I thank Stephan for all the hard work and trust he put into Gamma over years, we truly wish him the best."