Defy Media

Method

Defy Media forms in October 2013 by merging Alloy Digital, owner of Smosh and Clevver, with Break Media, with ABS Capital, Wellington, Lionsgate and Viacom as shareholders. It runs a roughly 50 channel network that keeps ten percent of partners' AdSense, sells brand deals and produces originals, employing about 400 people at its peak. Screen Junkies and The Escapist are sold in July 2018, and on November 6, 2018 creditors freeze the accounts and the Beverly Hills office is closed the same day, with about 80 staff receiving WARN notices as they are laid off. Creators including MatPat, Chris Stuckmann and Ryland Adams report September and October ad payments never arrive; MatPat later puts the total owed at 1.7 million dollars. Smosh goes to Mythical in February 2019 and Clevver to Hearst. The rung that breaks is the pass through of platform money, which the network spent before paying out.

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The path: money and goods moving

• paid byYouTubeDefy collects partners' AdSense and keeps ten percent; September and October 2018 payments never reach creators.2013 to 2018
• spawnedMythical EntertainmentDefy's liquidation delivers Smosh and its staff to Mythical in February 2019.2019

Representation, events, tools

• representsSmoshAlloy Digital, later Defy, owns and produces Smosh from 2011 until Defy's collapse in November 2018.2011 to 2018
• representsClevverDefy owns and operates Clevver's channels until the November 2018 shutdown.2013 to 2018
• representsMatPatMatPat is a Defy network partner and says the collapse cost him and fellow creators 1.7 million dollars.2015 to 2018