Studio profile

Digital Playground — Read This Before You Sign

Note: Before Your Scene is the editorial arm of My First Scene, our DFW production studio. We write about the industry — including us.

If you’ve been offered a Digital Playground scene or contract, read this before you sign. DP has a different historical shape than its Aylo siblings — feature-film-style productions, a notable contract-star tradition, and a founder-director (Joone) who built the brand before selling to Manwin in 2012. The parent-network context is the same as Brazzers: $1.8M federal DPA, FTC settlement, ongoing class action. What’s different is the contract-decision calculus specific to DP.

Last reviewed: April 23, 2026
At a glance
Type
Studio
Based in
Aylo network (historically Santa Ana, CA)
Founded
1993
Parent
Aylo. Founded by Ali Davoudian ('Joone'). Acquired by Manwin/MindGeek March 2012; Aylo rebrand 2023
Known for
Feature-film-style productions (Pirates, 2005) and historic contract stars (Jesse Jane, Stoya, Riley Steele, Kayden Kross)
Status
Operating — Aylo network premium sister brand

What it is

Digital Playground is a US-founded porn studio with a 30+ year history. Ali Davoudian, professionally known as Joone, founded the company in 1993, initially producing adult-oriented CD-ROM computer games. Joone, a former film student, transitioned the company into high-end adult video production and established its reputation through feature-length releases, most notably the 2005 feature Pirates — a landmark production for the industry in budget and cinematic scope.

DP’s legacy contract-star roster is part of the brand identity: Jesse Jane was the defining DP contract star for over a decade, and the brand later held contracts with Stoya, Riley Steele, and Kayden Kross. That contract-star tradition is part of what distinguishes DP from its Aylo siblings like Brazzers or Mofos, which operate primarily per-scene.

Manwin (later MindGeek, now Aylo) acquired Digital Playground in March 2012. The post-acquisition brand retains its feature-style production identity but now operates within the full Aylo distribution network.

How it operates

DP bookings run through agency channels and established industry relationships, typical of the Aylo premium tier. The brand historically allocates higher production budgets per scene than its sibling brands, with longer shoot days, larger crews, more complex set construction, and more developed scripting.

The contract-star arrangement is the DP-specific element. Performers signed as DP contract stars have historically received scene guarantees, brand-building promotion, and access to feature-production opportunities in exchange for exclusivity and multi-year commitments. Terms have varied across eras and individual contracts; specific modern terms are not publicly disclosed.

Distribution is the Aylo network: DP paysite first, then syndication across Brazzers, Pornhub, Reality Kings, and the broader Aylo chain. A DP release is a release into the full network.

Publicly documented issues
  • Parent network · DP inherits the full Aylo-network documented record: December 2023 US federal deferred prosecution agreement ($1.845M fine), September 2025 FTC/Utah CSAM settlement, and the Fleites v. MindGeek class action certified in 2025. See the Brazzers entry for details. Before Your Scene
  • March 2012 · Manwin (now Aylo) acquired Digital Playground. The studio's ownership passed from founder Joone to a corporate network; subsequent ownership changes (Manwin → MindGeek 2013 → Aylo 2023) continue to bind any release signed under prior entities via successor-assignment language. Wikipedia
  • Contract-era (ongoing) · DP has a long tradition of exclusive contract stars. Public industry reporting on former contract stars (Jesse Jane, Stoya, Riley Steele, Kayden Kross) describes varied post-contract experiences ranging from career-defining to constraint. The specific experience depends entirely on the individual contract terms. Wikipedia

Rate structure

Public pay figures specific to DP are not disclosed. The brand has historically paid at the higher end of the mainstream-studio range, reflecting the feature-production budgets and contract-star positioning. Per-scene rates for non-contract performers are industry-standard for the premium mainstream tier.

Contract-star arrangements include guaranteed scene counts per year and guaranteed minimum income, often traded against multi-year exclusivity that restricts other studio work. The same calculus that applies to Vixen exclusives applies to DP contracts: the specific numbers and restrictions determine whether the arrangement is career-defining or a multi-year constraint.

Contract patterns

DP contract-star agreements are the most consequential single decision in the Aylo-network segment. Multi-year exclusivity locks out competing Aylo and non-Aylo studios. Scene-count guarantees create predictable income but set a ceiling. Social-media and side-project restrictions may apply. Termination rights and what happens to filmed content if the contract ends are individually negotiated.

Non-contract DP releases follow standard Aylo-network patterns: distribution rights across the parent network and its syndication chain, broad assignment language, limited takedown recourse. The same successor-entity language that matters for Brazzers applies here — Aylo is PE-owned and has changed hands multiple times since DP was originally acquired.

Before signing, verify
  • If offered an exclusive contract: specific scene guarantee per year, rate per scene, exclusivity scope (Aylo-only? all studios? cam work? OnlyFans?), duration, termination rights, and what happens to content if the contract ends
  • Whether the release binds successor entities — Aylo is PE-owned and has changed hands multiple times
  • Distribution scope across the Aylo network — which specific sister sites your DP scene is authorized for
  • Feature-production specifics if the booking is for a feature: shoot length (DP features historically ran multi-day), scene-within-feature pay structure, promotional obligations tied to the release
  • PASS testing for every participant, current within industry window, documented in advance
  • Rate and payment terms in writing before travel is booked
  • Post-contract fate of filmed content if the relationship ends — this is negotiable but rarely in your favor unless you ask
How we do it differently
DP’s contract-star tradition and feature-film production pedigree are real. They’re also the most consequential lock-in decisions in mainstream adult production — multi-year exclusivity inside an Aylo network that’s been sold twice and federally fined once. My First Scene is a different bet: no exclusive, no multi-year, no portfolio-holding entity, no network distribution.
  • No exclusive contract, no multi-year restriction. You shoot with us, then you can shoot with anyone, including DP if you choose.
  • No network syndication. Our paysite only. Your release doesn’t go into the Pornhub/Brazzers/RK chain.
  • Single corporate entity, not a PE portfolio. Ownership doesn’t change under you.
  • Same-day pay direct to her. No agency or corporate intermediary.
  • Written content-removal path. In the contract, not a corporate compliance program.
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Disclosure
Before Your Scene is the editorial arm of My First Scene, our DFW production studio. We write about the industry — including us — so performers know what to expect before they shoot with anyone.
Sources
  1. Digital Playground — Wikipedia · Wikipedia
  2. Aylo — Wikipedia · Wikipedia
  3. Brazzers — full Aylo-network documented record · Before Your Scene
  4. Reality Kings — sister-brand profile · Before Your Scene
  5. Vixen Media Group — exclusive-contract decision frame · Before Your Scene
  6. How Digital Playground Makes Money — Business Model · Business Upturn
Read next
Brazzers — Read This Before You Sign →Vixen Media Group — Read This Before You Sign →Red Flags in a Studio or Agency Contract →
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