I never thought I'd be running a 70-employee media company built around two guys who started making Pokemon sketches in their bedroom. But here we are. When I stepped into the role of CEO of Smosh in early 2023, I wasn't just taking on a business - I was stewarding a 20-year legacy that spans five active YouTube channels, a 15-person cast, and millions of fans worldwide. My background in talent management taught me to think about creators as brands, and that's exactly how I approach Smosh today. We're not just making content - we're building a sustainable entertainment company that respects both the comedy at our core and the business fundamentals that keep us growing.

What excites me most is how we're redefining what digital-first entertainment looks like. We've invested heavily in 4K production to meet the demands of YouTube's living room experience, and we're launching ambitious projects like Hospital - a semi-scripted improv show that blends SNL-style comedy with Grey's Anatomy parody. But beyond the content itself, I'm passionate about changing how brands work with creators. Too many advertisers still treat us like we're amateurs in bedrooms, when the reality is we have the infrastructure, the talent, and the audience insights to deliver campaigns that traditional media can't match. We're proving that collaboration over competition and authenticity over scripts is the future of entertainment - and the future is happening right now.

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Key Highlights

🚀 From Talent Manager to CEO: How working with Anthony Padilla at Press Alike and 15 years in the creator economy led to becoming CEO of a 70-employee media company with five active YouTube channels and 15 cast members.

📺 YouTube's Living Room Revolution: Why Smosh invested heavily in 4K production, upgraded cameras and servers, and how YouTube is slowly separating TV-viewing experiences from search engine content - with bold predictions about the platform's future.

🎭 Hospital Launches in January: A groundbreaking semi-scripted improv show where cast members play doctors who must swap out when they break character - blending SNL-style comedy with Grey's Anatomy parody, designed for viewers who've never heard of Smosh.

🤝 Collaboration Over Competition: Why Smosh's social team gets lunch with Mythical, their production manager grabs coffee with Dropout, and the entire creator economy thrives when digital entertainment companies share tips instead of treating each other as enemies.

💰 Owning Your CMS is Power: Lessons from the MCN era about the importance of maintaining your own content management system, controlling sales processes, and working directly with Google to craft bespoke advertising deals around major programming events.

📢 The Brand Partnership Problem: Why traditional TV commercials are terrible, how marketing agencies waste millions on creative that doesn't convert, and why Smosh only partners with brands they sincerely use - building authentic campaigns instead of following scripts.

⏰ Treat Creators Like Studios: The frustrating reality that brands still don't understand production schedules, kill fees, or professional timelines - and why the same respect given to Fox or NBC should apply to digital-first media companies.

🎯 Accessible Content Strategy: How shows like Do You Know Your Duo and Culinary Crimes are designed so new viewers can jump in without knowing Smosh's 20-year history - making great improv and comedy accessible to superfans and first-time watchers alike.

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Resources & Next Steps

🎥 Watch Smosh on YouTube

🔗 Follow Alessandra Catanese on LinkedIn

🎧 Subscribe to Next in Media on Apple Podcasts

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Chapter Timestamps

00:00 Introduction - Smosh's evolution from bedroom to boardroom

00:38 Early days of covering Smosh at Media Week

01:25 Meet Alessandra Catanese - from talent manager to CEO

02:01 The Maker Studios era and YouTube economy origins

03:14 15 years of experience leading to this role

03:43 Working with Anthony and Ian on the vision

05:37 Smosh 101 - five channels and 15 cast members

07:04 Full-fledged merch business and cast-driven products

07:51 Making content accessible without knowing the lore

08:51 Hospital show - the January improv comedy launch

09:20 SNL meets Grey's Anatomy with character breaks

10:22 YouTube on TV and the living room experience

11:05 Investing in 4K production for Summer Games

12:10 Honoring traditional TV conventions on YouTube

12:46 Predicting YouTube's TV vs search engine split

14:40 Digital and traditional becoming the same thing

15:26 The MCN era and owning your CMS

18:07 Google's special care and bespoke deals

19:14 MCN collaboration lessons and creator networks

20:11 YouTube was founded on collaboration

20:50 We don't have competition, we have collaborators

21:36 No monopoly on the internet

22:34 Growing the creator advertising economy

23:48 Educating advertisers on metrics that matter

24:19 Sincere representation philosophy with brands

24:52 Brands need smarter creative strategies

26:59 Why TV commercials are terrible today

27:40 YouTube provides instant, rich data

28:40 Working with newer vs legacy brands

29:09 Brands still see creators as bedroom amateurs

29:50 Production costs and treating creators professionally

30:29 Progress in podcast ad reads and trust

31:07 Wrap-up and final thoughts

How Alessandra Catanese Transformed Smosh Into a 70-Person Media Powerhouse

Next in Media