SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Two Sacramento natives reunited to buy back the comedy YouTube channel they launched nearly 18 years ago.
In a video posted to the Smosh channel, Ian Hecox and Anthony Padilla said they spent months on negotiations before becoming the new owners of Smosh.
“This was a dream that we never released was possible,” Hecox said in the video talking about the channel's beginnings and early success.
The duo actually launched the channel in 2005 and at one point it was one of the biggest channels on the platform. It was known for sketch comedy videos the duo created and performed.
After six years, Smosh was eventually bought by another company, growing the channel and brand. However, it eventually led to Padilla leaving after he said the goals he had for Smosh and the goals of the parent company didn't align.
Then-parent company Defy Media would collapse in 2017, putting the future of the channel at risk. It was eventually bought by Mythical Entertainment, known for Rhett McLaughlin and Link Neal and Good Mythical Morning.
“So flash forward to last year, Ian and I started hanging out a ton and we realized that the sketches that we'd made weren't just great because they were products of the times, I wasn't just being blinded by the nostalgia when I'd go back to get a laugh at the old videos,” said Padilla in the YouTube video. “They were a reflection of the magic that we felt when we were making something together.”
The pair was able to make the purchase and now officially own the channel they created nearly two decades ago.
“Classic Smosh is back,” said Padilla
WATCH THE ANNOUNCEMENT: WE BOUGHT SMOSH!
