Once upon a time, BuzzFeed Video was the go-to source for Millennial-tinted comedy and documentaries led by recognizable and gregarious personalities. The shifting winds of internet culture caused BuzzFeed Video to lie dormant for more than a year, but it’s back in a big way. A collab with The Try Guys — who are former BuzzFeed employees themselves — kicked off a bold BuzzFeed Video relaunch that will bring multiple new web series to the titular media company’s flagship YouTube hub.
The refreshed channel will look to build on a strong foundation of existing BuzzFeed fans. The BuzzFeed Video channel has accrued nearly 20 million subscribers, and those viewers will be treated to new and returning shows helmed by a mix of veteran and upstart talent.
“I’m thrilled to announce the relaunch of BuzzFeed Video, the internet’s original happy place,” said BuzzFeed Studios President Richard Alan Reid in a statement. “We’re bringing that spark back with new voices, fresh shows, and the same signature humor and honesty reimagined for a whole new generation.”
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The appeal to a new generation is a key piece of BuzzFeed Video’s relaunch strategy. The name BuzzFeed was once synonymous with Millennials and our nostalgic, “lol so random” cultural tendencies. These days, however, Gen Z is the cohort dictating digital tastes, so BuzzFeed is reaching out to that younger audience. A game show called Feed Feud will pit Millennials and Zoomers against one another in an internet trivia battle, while the sentimental series And That’s Why I Walked Away will explore the Gen Z-coded topic of creator burnout.
Of course, BuzzFeed isn’t abandoning its core demographic anytime soon. The relaunched BuzzFeed Video will include plenty of programming that will interest Millennials. With a new season of Mom In Progress, for example, BuzzFeed will continue to serve thirtysomethings who have grown up and become parents.
But before those shows (as well as a buddy comedy called Gay and Trying) premiere, BuzzFeed Video is giving us The Try Guys — and puppies. The experimental duo’s canine-powered conversation is a nostalgic remembrance of what BuzzFeed used to be like back before its biggest stars moved on to independent projects.
Nearly a decade after that talent exodus, BuzzFeed is primed for a comeback. Some savvy money moves, such as the 2024 sell-off of Hot Ones distributor First We Feast, have set BuzzFeed up for a return to its roots. In addition to its YouTube programming slate, the media company is developing a social media hub called BFisland, which will look to provide a more positive alternative to today’s feeds.
But before Jonah Peretti and co. can redefine the world of social media, they must focus on their bread-and-butter. New episodes will drop weekly on BuzzFeed Video throughout the fall, so if you’re feeling nostalgic (i.e. if you’re a typical BuzzFeed fan), there will be plenty of content to keep you sated over the next few months.
