Improv Everywhere Joins The Collective Digital Studio

The Collective Digital Studio just added thousands of flash mob fanatics to its talent list. The top multi-channel network has secured a partnership with social prank and public performance channel Improv Everywhere.

Actor Charlie Todd founded the group in 2001, and it hit the big time in early 2008 when its Grand Central time freeze prank became a viral hit. The innovative video, which features a disciplined cast of 207 jokesters, has scored more than 33 million videos to date. Since then, Todd and his crowdsourced casts have continued to pull off clever tricks all over New York. Earlier this year, they pulled off one of the largest Harlem Shake videos. Most recently, they turned a modern day bar into a 19th century period piece.

Though Improv Everywhere now counts 1.3 million subscribers

among its fans, it was, until signing with The Collective, one of the most popular independent channels on YouTube. “I’m thrilled to be joining Collective Digital Studios,” said Todd. “I’ve always been impressed with the success of the channels on their roster, and I’m excited to start working with them on taking Improv Everywhere to the next level on YouTube.”

The Collective can offer Improv Everywhere assistance across multiple platforms. The network’s recent purchase of Metacafe remains an attractive option for creators wishing to set up shop outside of YouTube. Even if Improv Everywhere wishes to focus on YouTube, it can still gain a much needed boost; of late, the channel’s growth has stagnated to some degree, and it could use a shot in the arm to help it keep up with its now-numerous prankster contemporaries.