Anthony Padilla and Ian Hecox just bought Smosh

Anthony Padilla is reuniting with Smosh–and he, along with Smosh co-founder Ian Hecox, are buying the digital comedy brand from Rhett & Link.

Padilla and Hecox met in sixth grade and were still best friends when they first launched Smosh on YouTube in 2005. Together they amassed dozens of cast and crew members, millions of subscribers, and became one of the most recognizable creator-led media companies in online video.

But then, in 2017, Padilla left. He cited creative differences, but it was clear there was also a rift between him and Hecox.

“By the time Anthony left Smosh, our friendship was not really that good,” Hecox told Variety. Last year, the duo got back in touch, and “really hit it off,” he added. “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.”

Padilla and Hecox are buying majority ownership of Smosh from Rhett & Link’s Mythical, which acquired the brand after its former owner Defy Media collapsed in 2018. Financial details of the acquisition are not being publicized, but we do know Mythical will retain a minority stake with Rhett & Link serving as advisors, and that Padilla and Hecox worked with Breeze Financial to finance the purchase.

“We are extremely proud of everything we and Ian accomplished during our time working together, and will continue to be fans and friends to Smosh as they enter this new era,” Rhett & Link tweeted with a shot of them, Padilla, and Hecox shaking hands. “We acquired Smosh 4 years ago in the first creator-to-creator acquisition of its kind–a huge moment in Mythical’s history. We couldn’t think of a more perfect outcome on our investment than selling Smosh back to the internet’s other iconic best-friend duo.”

In a statement, Padilla said he’s “ecstatic” to reunite with Hecox and Smosh.

“I’m so grateful to Ian, Rhett and Link for continuing to champion the legacy of Smosh and allowing it to continue to this day,” he said. “With a renewed sense of passion and vision for the company, I’m beyond excited to get back to the genesis of what made Smosh so special.”

The acquisition comes with some reorganization. Smosh CEO Daniel Tibbets and EVP Joel Rubin are both exiting the company. Alessandra Catanese, who’s COO and executive producer at Padilla’s Pressalike Productions, will become Smosh’s new CEO (and continue in her current roles).

Smosh’s core talent, including Shayne Topp, Courtney Miller, and Damien Haas, aren’t going anywhere. They and the rest of the Smosh team will continue operating out of its 17,000 sq ft Burbank studio, per Variety.

Padilla and Hecox will reboot Smosh’s core YouTube channel (25 million subscribers) as the home for their content as a comedy duo. They plan to release their first video June 30, and then release a new comedy sketch every two weeks. They also plan to launch channel memberships where paying subscribers will get things like exclusive livestreams and bonus content.

Smosh’s other main channels–Smosh Pit (7.5 million subscribers), Smosh Games (7.3 million), and ElSmosh (3.7 million)–will continue operating as usual.