The Verge reports on a peculiar phenomenon: popular car YouTubers are quitting their channels and starting over, with the common context being the recent sale of those channels to growth-obsessed private equity types.
It's the state of Donut under the brand's leadership that has raised the most ire among fans, many of whom claim they'll never watch another of the channel's videos now that their favorite hosts have departed. Despite those protests, the Donut YouTube channel currently stands at 8.8 million subscribers, up from the roughly 5 million subscribers the brand had when it was acquired by Recurrent Ventures. Mike Spinelli, a former VP of content at Recurrent Ventures and current head of content at Motorsport Network, says that these new media brands have a lot to learn about managing talent.
It's a complex web of serious business with a simple story at its heart: the talent never owned their channels, but aren't shackled to them either, so after the investors bought in and suits started bossing everyone around, they could simply start over. The only publisher on YouTube is YouTube.
Previously:
• Comedy troupe loses YouTube account after viral success of 'PS Gay Car,' can't get anyone at YT to listen to them
• The Donut guys absolutely trash a $1.2 million camper
• Homemade Go-Kart Suitcase: hated by airports, hilarious on the YouTube
