How Smosh Killed Their Channel (-91% In 2 Years) 

I don't think it "failed" it's just a really old channel that's run it's course. If anything, it was a massive success

i feel we can break it down in 3 reasons. 1.We all grew up 2. They tried too hard 3. Nothing lasts forever

... and here we are today! Congratulations to both of them for buying back the company! ❤

Who’s here after Anthony and Ian are now owning Smosh back together

Ian is seriously not given enough credit with how he stayed on what appear to be at the time a sinking ship.

Smosh isn’t a failure, it just died of old age. Everything ends, eventually.

It’s interesting what Anthony has done since and made himself something completely seperate from Smosh and that was incredible

Smosh's demise was greatly exaggerated. Ian roasted your ass with his impression lmao

Honestly if a channel lasts more than 5 years on RU-vid with consistent or at least reasonable growth and success, it doesn't matter how it crashes and burns. 5 years is insane.

Rhett and Link were absolute legends for buying Smosh even tho it wasn’t the best investment choice by a long shot

Damn, Smosh even riffed in you in a video. They are a powerhouse.

Now that Anthony is back and they have full ownership, there should be quite a massive spike in viewership. If they can produce that high quality content again.

I worked as an assistant editor at SMOSH for a little over a year. They were the coolest bunch of people from Ian and Anthony to the crew and cast. I learned a lot from them and I wouldn't have traded it for anything. I'm very happy they were so successful for so long.

This is in a lot of ways like "the day the music died", but for the internet. This is when large corporate brands started really taking the Internet seriously and taking content as a way to advertise. It took the soul out of it.

Here after the roast in smosh video lol

And now they're back! 🥳

The evolution of Smosh pretty much coincides with the evolution of RU-vid perfectly. From two friends just making random stuff and having a blast, to a soulless corporation that lost its way. Sad to see.

I feel that all everyone wanted to see was Anthony and Ian's creative home made content. Once they formed a corporation style and utilized industrial production methods, it no longer felt like two friends doing their best to make funny content or more like trying too hard to make polished films. With that it felt like it lost their connection to the audience. It was fun seeing them as just two friends messing around

After six years, classic Smosh returns with just Ian, Anthony and Ian's Mom ofcourse. I've been their loyal fan since 2013 (10 years) and never unsubscribed to them despite all the odds hoping it might return again and their return was quite a coincidence on my behalf.

look at them now... they've seriously come a longgg way! A new era of smosh has been born! Love it more than ever

My biggest problem is that Smosh was no longer 2 friends, it was a brand. They had an office, a whole crew, etc.

I don’t think it “failed” I just think we “grew” up. I remember being really into Ian & Anthony’s videos like 10+ years ago when I was back in middle school. They had a good almost 10 year run. All good things come to a close, so enjoy everything as it happens & take nothing for granted.

CloudyV2 lmao

This video aged poorly. People liked Smosh because of Ian and Anthony's chemistry and how it was just two friends making skits. Now they are making a comeback because they delivered what people missed about the old aspect of Smosh.

Three factors killed Smosh: Going corporate was the first, adding too many cast members was the second, and Anthony leaving was the nail in the coffin.

Any channel whose primary audience is largely kids and teens will inevitably "fail" (die) or at the very least change considerably. That's how Anthony Padilla is still a great content creator, by changing his channel to something entirely different from Smosh, and how PewDiePie remained relevant by focusing on content that appeals to young adults as well as teens.

This video aged like milk

THEY’RE BACK BABY!!!!

Once you have 39 people helping you make YT videos, it's no longer a good hustle.

Smosh was at its peak when it was just two guys making low budget videos with whatever props they had or could afford and with occasional guests like Ian’s mom, Peter, teleporting fat guy, etc.

This aged differently

Mark my words there will be a an Ian and Anthony surprise come back special. Where they post together. Nostalgia will get you all the time

I'm really glad Anthony left Smosh. I love what he's done with his own channel. It took a while for him to find his own niche, but his interviews are super interesting. I'm happy with the direction he's taken his channel

Admit it. You’re hear because of the reunion, aren’t you?

haha CloudyV2

I’m pretty sure there are two other things to address: 1. Their general audience back in “Old RU-vid” grew up. It’s the same way for how some people “grew out” of things they did as kids. 2. The growth of RU-vid as a whole. Other channels and the explosion of the creator sphere leads the diversifying and dividing the audience’s watch time of other content.

I thought smosh was awesome when I was a teenager. I watched something from them recently and it was a cringefest. Maybe their viewers just grew up. Amazing video my man!

I went to high school with Ian and Anthony. It was crazy to see it rise and fall.

Everything has to fade in popularity at some point, especially on RU-vid. The fact that Smosh retained it's popularity as long as it did is very impressive, most really popular channels only ride that high for a couple of years.

This seems pretty thorough based on the videos you watched, but did you reach out to any past employees? This seems pretty surface level. I see lots of videos like this, but no one ever taps into the core of the problem. RU-vid. Algorithm 's change amd content doesn't. Artists move on. And fans grow up. Friends went on for 10 years. When it ended, did it fail? No. Channels can't last forever either. Just a thought.

Who’s here after Anthony and Ian own Smosh again?

The reason behind growth in views after Anthony left is probably because all the OG fans like myself started watching old videos over and over again for memories, it was addictive

Man I grew up with Smosh, the 2008-2013 era was my favorite, everything after felt too forced. It didn't feel like two best friends making funny skits but rather like a full out company and forced video ideas. Same with College Humor. It's hard to explain but I guess in the layman's terms, the simplicity of both those channels is what made them so entertaining. Smosh will forever be as one of my favorite channels on RU-vid, but I'd be lying if I said that I like the new change.

It’s crazy how people sign these deals with these parent companies that just completely screw them over.

RU-vidr: experiences a relatively healthy decline Sunny: wouldn’t that make you… a dead channel?

I can’t wait for SunnyV2 to make a video titled “How SunnyV2 killed their channel”

For me, it was a matter of growing up. I matured and so did Anthony and his content, for example. He started making educational content and most of his videos are about topics I know little about and am curious to hear more of. I feel like Smosh's content has remained largely the same for the past decade or so, and I just grew out of it over time.

Smosh never failed. RU-vid grew and the content, unfortunately, lost its charm. The nostalgia really hits back to me.

The lesson to be learnt is: Don't let a company run what is yours

Mad respect for travelling back in time and taking screenshots of smosh's channel in the early day of youtube

Smosh will forever be an OG in the RU-vid space. Sadly, to me, things weren't the same when Anthony left. But damn, I'mma miss the perennial Food War battles.

Man, Smosh was so good. In my opinion, when Anothony left was the start of their downfall.

Soooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo Anthony and Ian are back together and own smosh once again and theres this vid

First channel to reach 1k subs : Smosh First channel to reach 100 k subs : Smosh First channel to reach 10 million subs: Smosh This guy: SMOSH FAILED

Pro Tip: If you’re a growing channel do not listen to any companies and do not sell your channel. Having a corporate in your shoulder means that they will always have the last laugh.

smosh’s content doesn’t hit the same anymore, I used to look forward to Anthony and Ian posting.

Wow, this aged well...

Who else can see the look of sadness in Ian's eyes in all of the videos post-anthony? Honestly you're doing great as the leader of Smosh Ian, it's not easy but you're doing great you and everyone

Wish you would have gone into a lot more detail about how Defy Media became the parent company of Smosh. That’s HUGE. I mean these two guys should have been millionaires, not salaried employees.

Anthony and Ian were a part of my childhood and seeing Smosh's downfall and Anthony leaving is very sad, but I am happy Anthony has made his own RU-vid channel.

CloudyV2

cloudyv2

damn what a shame, early 2010's smosh literally raised me and taught me soo much about internet culture and the world

I think the partial reason as to why Smosh's viewership stayed consistently high for so many years was due to the old videos with only Ian and Anthony which still generated millions of views and are the highest viewed videos on their channel.

I feel like the main culprit is still their MCN, but Smosh isn't entirely blameless for not recognizing what their new audience wanted. I used to love Smosh when I just started using RU-vid, but started to hate their stuff once they got taken over, and many I asked had the same opinion. What probably happened was an audience shift. They used to have a strong audience that got replaced with a different, but more numerous one. Once they tried getting back to their roots, the old audience was no longer there and the new one didn't want this kind of videos.

I think that the ultimate mistake Smosh made was its Faustian deal with Defy. I'm not saying that Defy was stupid or terrible or that Smosh was always right. But more so because it led Anthony to leave. As someone who grew up watching Smosh, Anthony and Ian are iconic not so much as individuals but a duo. This isn't to say that they are interchangeable but rather that they go together. It just feels...strange to see the two apart. The deal with Defy may have granted it financial security but at the end of the day this deal has been terrible for Smosh. If Anthony didn't split I think that it'd be still going strong today.

I'm stunned they were doing as well in 2019 as they were. I had no idea they were keeping the channel alive for that many years. Even if it was a "team" effort, they were kicking any other 2008 era RU-vidr's ass by that stage of their career

Who else is here after Anthony and Ian bought back smosh?

Came back to say Anthony and Ian bought smosh back!!

like anything else in the arts, when the OG creator leaves... 💀

I personally feel like Smosh represented a long cultural moment (early 2000s - mid 2010s) that had already passed even before Anthony left. They were extremely successful - but as soon as the channel genuinely became a company that was willing to adapt in any way necessary to stay relevant, it lost its appeal to me. Smosh used to release content that felt like a legitimate product of Ian and Anthony having fun and screwing around together. Their "voices" were so clear in each video, and that's what made it good. That's what made me love their channel. As soon as the content began to feel like it was being manufactured for the sole purpose of viewership and growth, I disconnected from it. This is just personal reflection and not actual analysis of their channel's statistics, but it was sad watching something that was so special during my childhood and early teenage years morph into an unrecognizable ghost of its former self. It could be totally different for people who started watching closer to 2018 or 2019, since they didn't have the old Smosh to be nostalgic about, but for me it just would never be the same. The only thing Smosh has kept with it to this day is the name.

I’m glad that this video is about to age like milk

This aged well....

Smosh is literally how I became fluent in English. Of course I was taught structure and grammar in school, but Smosh’s videos were funny and simple enough in vocabulary and premise for an 11 year old to understand everything in the skit without knowing 100% of the words. Besides the over enunciated words for comedic effect made it really easy to figure out how to write them and look them up. It was perfect timing finding them at the age I did

The fact that Smosh is still alive and chugging along after 16 years is an outstanding accomplishment, I'll always miss the old days of just Ian and Anthony but im glad that they've changed and grown with the years and hope they continue to do what they enjoy doing

Who else is here after finding out Ian and Anthony bought Smosh back? LETS GO

Smosh failing hurt me alot, they were my childhood

Its important to recognize that most people who grew up with early youtube dont like the new “upload 30+ videos a day with lazy content like “react” “eat something gross” or “play a game” formats that alot of big youtubers use, not just Smosh. We miss the old skits that creators would write that made us laugh and were quotable, we miss waiting for a video to be released in anticipation, and the rewatch ability of the old skits. You can go back and rewatch dolls today and its still funny but new youtube content is so forgettable you dont even remember what you watched 5 minutes after watching it.

Remember everyone, move out of your comfort zone. You can only grow if you are willing to feel awkward and uncomfortable when you try something new 😌

I come from the future. THEY ARE BACK BOYS!!!!!

6/20/23 THEY'RE BACK!!!!

I haven’t watched Smosh in years, but I remember being subscribed to them when it was just Ian and Anthony. They were definitely entertaining. I can’t recall when exactly I stopped watching them, but over time it just stopped feeling the same

When it stopped being about Ian and Anthony together and more like a comedy troupe, that's when it died.

Let's see if Anthony and Ian can get it back since they bought Smosh!

Now SunnyV2 Has to make a update since original Smosh is back 🤠

I feel bad for the new cast because most people seem to blame Smosh's downfall on them, when a lot of them, especially Shayne Topp, are extremely talented comedians. I watched them since I was a kid, and I remember already in 2013-2014 people already started hating on Smosh, even before Anthony left, but now in retrospect those videos are liked only because of nostalgia and in retrospect everything is blamed on the new cast.

I think the reason for the downfall was they already built an audience based on defymedias standards but when they went their own way, their core audience didn't enjoy the new content anymore

Ian and Anthony officially own smosh again. I dont think it'll fail after all.

They are back man

Give 'em a break. They were there when RU-vid started, and that was like 17 years ago. More than anything, Smosh is dying of old age. It has ran its course. Everything must end once, and Smosh decided go quietly into the night, instead of going out with a bang.

Most of us loved Smosh at the very start, when it was just Ian and Anthony. It felt lower key, more relatable, and the content made sense at the time. Checking back in after being unsubbed for years, it just didn't feel familiar anymore. A whole crew of people I didn't know and have reason to be interested in, the channel being managed by a company.. I can see why Anthony would leave, it wasn't the Smosh we all knew anymore.

Smosh 2023 watching this video rn:

The viewership rise and decline might not be closely related to Defy Media's involvement. It's possible just the presenters' style of comedy was popular when the channel was popular and trends moved on later. It happens to a lot of channels. It doesn't mean it got worse or whatever, it just happens. Like no one can stay on top forever, eventually people move on to other things.

Just seeing and reminiscing where they were a decade ago versus where they are now is actually sad and heartbreaking

It's their new found seriousness that killed it. Their old videos weren't as cringy as many here think. They were just 2 guys and maybe some of their friends just playing around in silly costumes, yelling and badly acting. You knew they had fun doing that, it was silly, but it was silly in a way like going out with some of your quirky friends. It was relatable. But since they went kida corporate-y this all had lost its charm, it's not the same thing. There are now way too many actors and writers, who clearly overtly don't like each other. It's like going from watching Pewdiepie just ducking around in his room to Jimmy Fallon laughing at everything his writers prepared for him that night. Just my 2 cents. I liked them very much, learned a bit of english and used to be excited for whatever they made every week. Today, they are just a distant memory.

and THEY'RE BACK.

I wouldn't equate growing up and moving on to "failure". Vanoss' channel is the perfect example of how to do it. He didn't keep his content the same over all these years; but instead evolved it along with his audience. His audience from the beginning? We're now in our mid-late 20's; so he did what's right and kept them happy by growing up with us. He got raunchy. Crude. Dark. But not at the cost of sacrificing his core ideas and values. Smosh? Their audience just grew up and moved on, and Smosh went on to other things.

I’ve never watched a Smosh video in my life but it’s crazy to me that you’d say that gaining creative freedom at the cost of high viewership is a failure. If they’re making the exact content that they want to make, and still have enough people watching to support themselves, then that’s a win. It’s like when an artist leaves a record label and goes independent. They might not sell the same number of albums without the backing of a big ass company that knows what it’s doing, but they will be happier knowing that the product they put out is 100% their own, even if less people buy it.

I grew up with Anthony and Ian and remember the feeling of waiting every year for the next food battle. Now it’s nothing but a distant memory

Well this video aged poorly, and thats great news for Smosh