Helped Build The Internet, I’m Sorry

Finances

Ian mentioned on the panel that Smosh previously experimented with a mini tour to gauge the feasibility of it as a revenue stream but the ROI was not what they wanted. As a fan, I would not expect them to invest in any live tours any time soon

Jon stated that merchandise makes up 10% of Smosh’s revenue. Ale stated that having young creatives lead these parts of the business keeps Smosh relevant

The panel discussed the positive audience response to Smosh The Sitcom. Shayne Topp said they had 66,000 viewers at one point (I am looking for the source of this number as I believe it might have been said during a livestream that has since been unlisted). The minimum ticket was 19.99 USD with optional upgrades; I estimate they grossed around 1.5 million dollars. Given they had to pay their steaming partner, studio rental, and a ton of other overhead outside their usual operating expenses, a conservative estimate is that they made at least a 750,000 USD profit

This type of additional revenue has been instrumental in allowing Smosh to take more risks in format and take on bigger projects in the future, as Courtney Miller mentioned in their recent Dexerto article

On a “Who Memed It?” video, a meme hinted that outside investors were touring the office, which Alé denied. I don’t believe they will look for additional investors (Ian and Anthony funding their purchase through a financing company; Mythical may or may not still own a small share as well)

I expect them to make yearly if not multiple livestreamed events to be a major component of their strategy going forward. They will continue to court younger viewers and expand their marketing through social media and merchandising. Now that Pit and Games are sustainable, they will probably experiment more with Main and SmoshCast. Ultimately they want to turn as many casual viewers into dedicated fans as they can, and they’ve utilized a three prong content strategy (social, YT, and exclusives) to increase that conversion.

Sustainable Growth

Alé said over the past year Smosh has grown from 35 to 50 employees. I assume she meant full-time, salaried employees as that’s usually how companies define the size of their org. As contractors/freelancers, most of the cast would not be included in that total

Almost doubling their employees plus expanding their cast is a major endeavor, and I wouldn’t expect their company to grow much more barring open critical positions over the next 1-2yrs (unless they achieve huge success that forces them to expand more quickly)

They’ve presented Alé Catanese and Kiana Parker as their leadership team alongside Ian and Anthony; I don’t think they will bring in any external execs but will prioritize promotions as part of cultivating talent internally

YouTube

A recent Reddit comment posted YT had promoted Smosh on socials more than usual lately

Smosh also hosted a YT industry event earlier this year

Anthony has reaffirmed their commitment and confidence in YT as a platform

(I’ll add sources to the above if I find them)

I have no fear that they will become a streaming service anytime soon. All signs indicate they are happy with YT and are investing in cultivating a stronger partnership. I could see the possibility of converting Smosh.com into a membership portal like the Mythical Society as right now it’s their only stream that is underutilized.

Ian and Anthony’s roles

Ian and Anthony are co-owners of Smosh; they are the ones who will lose all the money if the company ever folds

Ian is President while Anthony is Chief Creative Officer (as listed in Smosh The Sitcom end credits)

On the panel, Ian and Anthony said they’ve given the team control and ownership for most decisions; I don’t think we will see them step in to address unpopular decisions with the fans (such as who gets cast in what shows)

As CCO, Anthony almost certainly weighs in on what shows get retired and is involved in the pitch approval process

The cast has mentioned I&A don’t know specific references from Pit and Games, so it seems their creative interest is dedicated to Main

Ian and Anthony trust their people to make the right decisions for Smosh. Their energy lies in ensuring the long term financial success of Smosh as a business while they are currently creatively focused on Main, very much like GMM vs the Rhett and Link channel for Mythical. It’s clear to me they do not want to be engaged in running the company day to day.

A special observation on Anthony’s “commitment” to Smosh

Ian shared that he jokingly proposed to Anthony in a company meeting during their Assumptions episode. Timing wise, it would have been around Shayne and Courtney’s wedding announcement. I was suspicious of this comment because I don’t think he would have taken the spotlight from them by using it as joke fodder

Shayne previously mentioned the Pressalike team attended the first combined all-hands in early 2024 on a “Who Memed It?” episode

Alé shared that they are in the process of merging Pressalike (Anthony’s independent company) with Smosh at Vidcon

Anthony has stated his desire to be in control and to be an independent creator as one of the main reasons he left Smosh. Ian is extremely loyal and will “go down with the ship.” Merging in Pressalike is the clearest symbol of their commitment to Smosh and each other (and makes darn good business sense for Anthony as his programming can now get full access to Smosh’s resources).

This is as close to a marriage as two platonic best friends and creative partners can get. Rhett and Link have described their relationship similarly, and I have no doubt they’ve mentored Ian and Anthony over this past year. While fans may desire the big, bold gestures onscreen, it’s these kind of boring yet life changing actions that indicate their friendship is thriving.

Sources

Smosh The Sitcom Live

VidCon 2024 industry track Smosh panel

Smosh Pit episodes

Anthony Padilla’s channel

Dexerto article

2023 Variety article

Jon Youshaei