The old internet was a wild place, filled with untamed imagination for the world to view. The best source for this was YouTube. Classic memes and faces such as “Charlie Bit My Finger”, Annoying Orange, Fred, and even Filthy Frank proliferated during this time when the rules and regulations of the site were yet to be set in place.
The first to lead the charge in this brave new space were two kids known as Anthony Padilla and Ian Hecox, who later co-founded and co-owned Smosh, one of the most successful YouTube channels during their time, and they were the first to sell their channel and brand to a major company. However, after a few years, the dynamic duo faded into obscurity, and many believed that it was over for them – until they made a shocking announcement: they own Smosh again.
Known for their popular skits and gags, from the Death Note Parody to Darth Vader and even the iconic Food Battle, Smosh was raking in viewers by the million and was one of the most profitable channels at the time. It was at this point that large companies started to take notice. In 2011, Defy Media acquired the popular channel, and Smosh flourished financially; the cast became larger, more videos went up, and Smosh branched out into other territories such as gaming and a variety channel.
However, over time, the crew admitted that they were experiencing fatigue from the constant uploads and lack of creative freedom. It should be noted that the popular duo’s friendship began to fray as they delved deeper into their work. Because of this, Padilla left to pursue independent ventures and create his own YouTube channel. A year later, Defy Media closed without any prior warning, leaving Smosh, including all of its subsidiary channels and accounts, to waste away. But Rhett and Link, another popular YouTube channel duo from Mythical Entertainment, stepped in and acquired Smosh.
After four years of service with Mythical Entertainment, Padilla returned to the channel, and together with Hecox, bought Smosh back. On Wednesday, 21st June, they uploaded a video to their main channel breaking the news and announcing plans for Smosh’s future. The internet, largely for those who grew up watching Smosh as kids, rejoiced, as part of their childhood may go back to how it used to be. Longtime fans will be able to enjoy new but old-fashioned videos starting next week.
The duo released more details about the history of Smosh and their friendship in Padilla’s solo channel, in which he interviews Hecox.
