IZZY – Stream Israel

IZZY was conceived as a direct-to-consumer platform intended to distribute Israeli stories to non-Israeli audiences around the world.[1] Josh Hoffman, a Los Angeles native who relocated to Israel following a Birthright trip, described identifying a gap in available Israeli storytelling platforms and set out to show "different aspects of Israeli society" through long-form content, movies, television, and documentaries.[1]

The platform explicitly targets audiences abroad who are not Israeli, a distinction that led the company to view Screen IL — a service aimed at Israelis living overseas — as a separate market rather than a direct competitor.[2] Nati Dinnar, identified in a 2024 article as co-founder and CEO, has described IZZY as "a bridge to connect the world with Israel," with subtitling treated as a priority from the outset.[3] The service is unavailable inside Israel itself because of the licensing arrangements through which it acquires content.[4]

IZZY was established around 2020 by Josh Hoffman, Nati Dinnar, and Zeev Prokofetz.[2] Hoffman bootstrapped the venture through its initial launch and was seeking venture-capital funding at that stage.[1] At launch, the service was positioned as a for-profit platform charging $4.99 per month. It licensed existing material through Israeli filmmakers, distributors, and sales agents while planning original productions and possible co-productions with local partners such as Keshet, Reshet, Kan, and the Israel Film Fund.[1]

Within weeks of its reported May 21, 2020, launch, IZZY had gathered approximately 5,000 viewers.[1] By September 2020, the catalogue included more than 100 titles across short films, feature films, and documentaries, with new offerings added every Thursday.[5] Programming at that stage included the films "Surrogate" and "Red Leaves," as well as plans for a talk show, a culture show, and a documentary series about the Iron Dome.[5] A separate report from the same period advertised more than 200 Israeli movies, shows, and documentaries, including historical, military, and faith-based documentaries, the docu-series "Transkids," and the drama series "Allenby."[6]

IZZY's catalogue is built primarily through licensing agreements with Israeli filmmakers, distributors, and sales agents, supplemented by original programming.[4] A January 2022 report said the platform offered more than 500 hours of content and, citing IZZY promotional material, stated that more than 100 Israeli filmmakers had received payments through a revenue-sharing licensing model.[7] A 2024 report subsequently placed the catalogue at more than 800 hours of Israeli-produced content.[8]

The catalogue includes documentaries, drama series, short films, and feature films.[7] A 2026 profile also described podcasts and cooking content and said a news-update programme was planned.[3] Newly acquired broadcasting rights announced in 2021 included the Hebrew-language titles "שלטון הצללים," "יחידה מעורבת," "שטח הפקר," and "מחוברים," among others, representing approximately 100 additional hours of drama, documentary, and investigative programming.[2]

A notable acquisition was "Kathmandu," a 13-episode Israeli series featuring Gal Gadot in a Hebrew-language television role. It follows a young Chabad Hasidic couple who establish and run a Chabad house in Nepal.[8] The series was made available to a global audience through IZZY with subtitles in English, French, Spanish, and Portuguese.[8] Other titles highlighted in the platform's 2024 expansion announcement included "Shtisel," "The Women's Balcony," "Unsilenced," "Golda," and "Under the Iron Dome."[9]

IZZY's first original production, "The Seam Line," is a five-part series about Jerusalem hosted by Avi Melamed, a former municipal adviser and expert on Middle Eastern politics.[4] The series began airing on May 19, 2023, and its episodes address Jerusalem's geography and topography, the Old City, the Temple Mount, the neighbourhood of Isawiya, and the spaces between Jabel Mukaber and East Talpiot.[4] Narrated in English and including subtitled Hebrew and Arabic dialogue, the title refers to the invisible border between East and West Jerusalem.[4]

Melamed described the series as deliberately educational rather than sensational: "From the start, I said it's not 'Fauda' or 'Mossad' or '24.' It's educational content. It's not sensational."[4] As of the 2023 report covering the series, IZZY's total licensed library stood at approximately 300 hours.[4]

IZZY's subscriber base and catalogue have grown substantially since its founding. An August 2021 Globes report cited 25,000 subscribers, with a subscription price of $6 per month or $60 per year.[2] A January 2022 Jerusalem Post report gave prices of $9.99 per month or $59.99 per year.[7] By August 2024, an IZZY press release reported that subscriptions had doubled since October 2023, with more than 60,000 subscribers in 60 countries.[9]

The August 2024 announcement also marked the launch of French, Spanish, and Portuguese subtitles for more than 100 titles, supplementing existing English and Hebrew subtitle tracks.[9] The addition reflected IZZY's stated goal of reaching diaspora communities and international audiences with limited prior access to Israeli content.[3] As of 2026, Dinnar indicated that the platform was not yet financing large-scale original productions, though he hinted at a drama designed for international audiences planned for 2027.[3]

Published accounts assign founding credit differently. A 2024 Jerusalem Post article identifies Nati Dinnar as co-founder and CEO, while a 2026 Jewish News profile calls him the founder.[8][3] A June 2020 Times of Israel report presents Josh Hoffman as the platform's creator, while Globes names Hoffman, Dinnar, and Zeev Prokofetz as its founders.[1][2] The sources do not fully reconcile their respective roles.

The platform's launch timing is similarly unsettled. The June 2020 Times of Israel report states that the service launched on May 21, 2020, while the later Jewish News profile places its debut in September 2020; neither source explains whether these dates refer to different rollout stages.[1][3]

Catalogue-size figures also vary. A 2022 Jerusalem Post report cited more than 500 hours, whereas a 2023 Times of Israel report gave approximately 300 hours.[7][4] A 2024 Jerusalem Post article subsequently placed the figure at more than 800 hours, without explaining the discrepancy between the earlier reports.[8]