Smosh Signs With A3 Artists Agency After Co-Founders Anthony Padilla and Ian Hecox Buy Back Co

A3 Artists Agency signed Smosh, the long-running YouTube comedy brand, for representation across the board. Smosh was founded in 2005 by childhood friends Anthony Padilla and Ian Hecox. After drifting apart in recent years, in June 2023 the duo bought back majority ownership of Smosh and debuted their first original comedy video together since reuniting

A3 Artists Agency signed Smosh, the long-running YouTube comedy brand, for representation across the board.

Smosh was founded in 2005 by childhood friends Anthony Padilla and Ian Hecox. After drifting apart in recent years, in June 2023 the duo bought back majority ownership of Smosh and debuted their first original comedy video together since reuniting as business partners.

Padilla and Hecox had not appeared together in videos or in public since Padilla — citing his loss of creative inspiration — left Smosh in 2017 and branched out on his own. Hecox remained with Smosh and shepherded the business through the collapse of then-parent company Defy Media and Smosh’s subsequent acquisition in 2019 and revitalization under Rhett & Link’s Mythical Entertainment. (As minority shareholders, Rhett & Link remain involved with Smosh in an advisory capacity.)

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“I really want to return to our roots, and part of that is owning the company so we can really take Smosh in any creative direction,” Padilla told Variety in June. Hecox said, “It’s kind of freaky how well this has all fallen into place. Our friendship had to end to be able to come back together.”

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Since its inception, Smosh has amassed more than 10 billion views and 75 million followers across platforms. They have released two feature films in partnership with Lionsgate and YouTube and created multiple short-form scripted shows.

Following Padilla and Hecox’s buyout of Smosh, the core onscreen talent team — Shayne Topp, Courtney Miller and Damien Haas — have remained in place. The company continues to operate out of the Burbank studio space built under Mythical’s ownership.

Padilla is also repped by A3 Artists Agency. Smosh is managed by Alessandra Catanese, who serves as CEO as well as COO and executive producer of Padilla’s Pressalike Productions.

Pictured above: Anthony Padilla (l.), Ian Hecox

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