Smosh co-founders Anthony Padilla and Ian Hecox have come together again to reclaim the YouTube comedy brand they initially set up 18 years ago.
The pair have rekindled their comedy partnership on-screen and business relationship off-screen to buy a majority stake in Smosh from Mythical Entertainment, the production house behind YouTube talk show celebrities, Rhett & Link. Since Padilla departed from Smosh in 2017 due to a dip in creative enthusiasm and his foray into solo ventures, the pair have yet to collaborate or feature together in any videos publicly. Hecox, however, continued his association with Smosh, guiding the business through the collapse of the then-parent company Defy Media and the brand’s subsequent revitalization under Rhett & Link’s Mythical in 2019.
“Our friendship wasn’t in the best place when Anthony left Smosh,” admitted Hecox. However, the duo rekindled their bond upon reconnecting a year ago. Hecox commented on the remarkable turn of events, “It’s eerily perfect how everything fell into place. Our friendship had to break to come back stronger.”
Addressing their previous differences, Padilla highlighted that their “communication was stuck in our teenage years… When we reconnected, we both had matured significantly.”
The idea to reacquire Smosh spontaneously struck Hecox one day, and the excitement to reunite and dive back into writing, directing, and starring in comedy sketches on the primary Smosh channel was irresistible. Their first collaboration in over six years will debut on Smosh’s main channel on June 30, with a new comedy video planned for release every fortnight. “I’m eager to return to our roots, and part of that involves owning the company to guide Smosh in any creative direction we desire,” remarked Padilla.
Details of the Smosh buyout from Mythical Entertainment remain confidential. However, Mythical Entertainment reportedly “realized a substantial multiple of its original invested capital” in Smosh and will retain a minority stake in the comedy company. Breeze Financial, a creator capital provider, funded the acquisition of Padilla and Hecox.
The Smosh founders, who became friends in the 6th grade in the Sacramento suburbs, started posting videos under the Smosh banner in 2005. “Smosh was initially just a platform to make each other laugh,” recalled Hecox. The venture unexpectedly transformed into a business, amassing over 75 million followers across various platforms.
Rhett McLaughlin and Link Neal, like the Smosh team, are best childhood friends and original YouTubers from North Carolina, with their first YouTube channel launched in 2006.
McLaughlin said about the sale, “The spirit of selling Smosh somewhat mirrors the spirit of purchasing Smosh.” He confessed, “We were secretly hoping they would reunite… We have a fondness for internet duos.”
As minority stakeholders, Rhett & Link will continue advising Smosh. Reflecting on the reunion, McLaughlin said, “Seeing them interact and get enthusiastic about collaborating, we want to remain involved.” He added, “Their fans are going to be thrilled… We don’t think that would have been possible without creators on both ends of this deal.”
Hecox confessed that proposing the Smosh buyout to Rhett & Link was “a nerve-wracking moment for me” but was relieved to find that “they were very open” to the idea. The agreement granting Hecox and Padilla a controlling interest in Smosh was “crucial to demonstrate our commitment to this; we’re all in. It’s not just about Anthony’s return for a few videos.”
Post his departure from Smosh, Padilla’s YouTube interview series “I Spent a Day With…” produced by his company, Pressalike Productions, garnered success and a recent Webby Award for best social interview show. Alessandra Catanese, Pressalike’s COO and executive producer, will assume Smosh’s CEO role, while Pressalike will continue its independent operations with its current team.
Under the new ownership structure, Daniel Tibbets, who served as Smosh’s CEO, and EVP Joel Rubin will exit the company. In his statement, Tibbets expressed his joy in seeing Anthony and Ian regain control of the brand they established 18 years ago, emphasizing the power of creators in the “Creator Economy.”
Smosh’s central on-screen talent team — Shayne Topp, Courtney Miller, and Damien Haas — will stay. The company will continue operating from the 17,000-square-foot Burbank studio space built during Mythical’s ownership.
While Padilla and Hecox are revamping Smosh’s main channel with their sketches, they plan to maintain the existing content formats and release schedules for Smosh Games and Smosh Pit. They will also introduce subscription-based memberships on the main YouTube channel for exclusive bonus content, live watch parties, and other benefits.
Hecox and Padilla kept the Smosh deal secret as much as possible. “We secretly filmed the [Smosh reunion] announcement with Anthony’s team a week after Memorial Day,” said Hecox. “Keeping it a secret for the past few months has been incredibly nerve-wracking.”
The reacquisition of Smosh by its original creators, Padilla and Hecox, marks a significant event in the YouTube community. It’s a heartening return to the comedy brand’s roots and a promising future, with two of its original visionaries back at the helm. As they navigate this new journey together, fans eagerly await the comedic content emerging from this rekindled partnership.
