SourceFed Studios

File:Philip Defranco (7492851328).jpg

SourceFed was an idea Philip DeFranco had been considering as an evolution of his own YouTube series, The Philip DeFranco Show (PDS). In an interview with Forbes, DeFranco stated that he originally wanted to turn his daily show into several daily segments. He recalled there was confusion among his audience when this format was tested, convincing DeFranco that he would need to create a new series to not alienate, but grow his audience.{{cite web|last=Humphrey|first=Michael|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/michaelhumphrey/2012/07/27/youtube-primetime-philip-defrancos-people-first-plan-has-sourcefed-booming/|title=YouTube PrimeTime: Philip DeFranco's 'People First' Plan Has SourceFed Booming|work=Forbes|date=July 27, 2012|access-date=August 1, 2012}} Around this time, DeFranco also had plans to create a news network.{{cite web|last=Oreskovic|first=Alexei|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/youtube-idUSL1E8G1N2720120501|title=YouTube covets TV gold with new channels|work=Reuters|date=May 1, 2012|access-date=July 4, 2012}}

In late 2011, YouTube began its $100 million funding of original or premium content channels. Due to DeFranco's position as a YouTube partner, the website offered him funding for an original channel.{{cite web|last=O'Brien|first=Jon|url=http://newantics.com/blog/produce-like-philip-defranco-4-tips-for-developing-a-youtube-channel/|title=Produce like Philip DeFranco: 4 Tips for Developing a YouTube Channel|work=New Antics|access-date=June 5, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120602002457/http://newantics.com/blog/produce-like-philip-defranco-4-tips-for-developing-a-youtube-channel|archive-date=June 2, 2012}} The SourceFed channel, based on a blog of the same name, was one of these channels.{{cite web|last=Dimick|first=Donald|url=http://www.trinitonian.com/2012/08/31/other-places-for-your-tv-fix/|title=Other places for your TV fix|work=The Trinitonian|date=August 31, 2012|access-date=September 29, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131216014827/http://www.trinitonian.com/2012/08/31/other-places-for-your-tv-fix/|archive-date=December 16, 2013}}{{cite web|last=Newton|first=Casey|url=http://blog.sfgate.com/techchron/2012/02/06/youtubes-phil-defranco-building-an-empire/|title=YouTube's Phil DeFranco building an empire|work=SFGate|date=February 6, 2012|access-date=May 24, 2012}}{{cite web|last=Eördögh|first=Fruzsina|url=http://www.dailydot.com/entertainment/philip-defranco-hit-youtube-sourcefed/|title=Philip DeFranco's latest YouTube venture is a hit|work=The Daily Dot|date=January 30, 2012|access-date=May 24, 2012}} DeFranco revealed that he acquired the funding to launch the channel by originally promising YouTube that the channel would be run as a "celebrity gossip channel", and that it would consist of a single show rather than multiple different shows. However, DeFranco negotiated for less funding, in return to have creative control over the channel's content.{{cite AV media|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DJ4M_o01sI0&t=8m40s|title=Table Talk: SourceFed UK, EVIL JOE, and Drugs!!|publisher=SourceFed|via=YouTube|date=May 22, 2013|access-date=May 23, 2013}} DeFranco also hand-picked the first six hosts of SourceFed. The channel launched on January 23, 2012.{{cite news |url=https://www.tubefilter.com/2012/01/26/phil-defranco-sourcefed/ | title=Is 'SourceFed' 'The Daily Show' for the YouTube Generation? | last=Cohen | first=Joshua | work=Tubefilter | date=January 26, 2012}}{{cite news | url=https://www.tubefilter.com/2012/05/28/phil-defranco-sourcefed-100-million-views-youtube/ | title=Phil DeFranco's SourceFed Hits 100M Views on YouTube (in Just 4 Months) | last=Cohen | first=Joshua | work=Tubefilter | date=May 28, 2012}}{{cite web|last=Walker|first=Rob|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/01/magazine/on-youtube-amateur-is-the-new-pro.html?pagewanted=all|title=On YouTube, Amateur Is the New Pro|work=The New York Times|date=June 28, 2012|access-date=July 25, 2012}}

The SourceFed channel found early success in attracting a sizable subscriber base. DeFranco later created a spinoff channel, SourceFedNerd (stylized as SourceFedNERD), which was announced on May 16, 2013.{{cite AV media|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WdWlKIMbjl0|title=Why People Are Freaking Out Over Tomi Lahren's Suspension and Comments|date=March 1, 2017|work=The Philip DeFranco Show|via=YouTube|access-date=March 22, 2017}}{{cite web|last=Cohen|first=Joshua Cohen|url=http://www.tubefilter.com/2013/05/16/sourcefed-sourcefednerd/|title=SourceFed Launches Spinoff YouTube Channel, SourceFed Nerd|work=Tubefilter|date=May 16, 2013|access-date=May 16, 2013}} A teaser trailer was released, promising the debut of the channel on May 20.{{cite AV media|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kUb03Sq9o6Q|title=NEW CHANNEL FROM SOURCEFED!!!!|publisher=SourceFedNERD|via=YouTube|date=May 16, 2013|access-date=May 16, 2013}} The New Movie Thing Show, The SourceFed Movie Club, and #TableTalk were moved from the original SourceFed channel to the Nerd channel. The spinoff channel hosted a live version of the #TableTalk series during the YouTube Comedy Week in 2013.{{cite web|last=Gutelle|first=Sam|url=http://www.tubefilter.com/2013/05/22/source-fed-nerd-live-table-talk/|title=SourceFedNERD Will Do A Live #TableTalk Tonight From YouTube Space LA|work=Tubefilter|date=May 22, 2013|access-date=May 24, 2013}} The online stream was received well, being successful in terms of both raw viewership, as well as viewer retention.{{cite web|last=Gutelle|first=Sam|url=http://www.tubefilter.com/2013/05/23/sourcefed-live-table-talk/|title=SourceFed Live Stream's Numbers And Engagement Were Very Good|work=Tubefilter|date=May 23, 2013|access-date=January 21, 2015}}

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| footer = (L–R): Meg Turney, Trisha Hershberger, and Steve Zaragoza were often seen hosting on the SourceFedNerd channel.

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In June 2013, Philip DeFranco sold SourceFed along with the other channels under his DeFranco Creative portfolio to Revision3.{{cite web|last=Spangler|first=Todd|url=https://variety.com/2013/digital/news/discoverys-revision3-snaps-up-phil-defrancos-youtube-network-1200489614/|title=Discovery's Revision3 Snaps Up Phil DeFranco's YouTube Network|work=Variety|date=May 30, 2013|access-date=March 24, 2017}} DeFranco also became an executive of Revision3 and the Senior Vice President of Phil DeFranco Networks and Merchandise, a newly formed subsidiary of the former, as a result of the move.{{cite web|last=Millar|first=DiAngelea|url=https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/envelope/cotown/la-fi-ct-discovery-defranco-20130530-story.html|title= Philip DeFranco goes from Web host to network exec |work=Los Angeles Times|date=May 30, 2013|accessdate=August 21, 2022}} DeFranco's "sxephil" channel, on which he hosted the PDS, was already signed under the Revision3 network.{{cite web|last=Wallenstein|first=Andrew|url=https://variety.com/2012/digital/news/revision3-signs-philip-defranco-1118048175/|title=Revision3 signs Philip DeFranco|work=Variety|date=January 5, 2012|access-date=June 11, 2013}} Revision3 itself was acquired by Discovery Communications in 2012,{{cite web|last=Wallenstein|first=Andrew|url=https://variety.com/2012/digital/news/discovery-acquires-revision3-1118053486/|title=Discovery acquires Revision3|work=Variety|date=May 3, 2012|access-date=March 24, 2017}}{{cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2013/05/discoverys-revision3-buys-philip-defrancos-youtube-ventures-510501/|title=Discovery's Revision3 Buys Philip DeFranco's YouTube Ventures|website=Deadline Hollywood|date=May 30, 2013|access-date=March 24, 2013}} which was noted by The Verge to be Discovery's "first major play into the expanding web television [or digital media] market."{{cite web|last=D'Orazio|first=Dante|url=https://www.theverge.com/2012/5/3/2996951/discovery-channel-purchases-revision3|title=Discovery Channel purchases Revision3 for 'roughly $30 million'|work=The Verge|date=May 3, 2012}} By the beginning of 2014, Discovery began calling its digital branch by the name Discovery Digital Networks in their company blog.{{cite web|url=https://corporate.discovery.com/tag/discovery-digital-networks/page/4/|title=Tag: Discovery Digital Networks|work=The Discovery Blog|publisher=Discovery Communications|access-date=March 24, 2017}}

While discussing the dissolution of SourceFed Studios, DeFranco retrospectively detailed that after selling his DeFranco Creative umbrella to Revision3, he began to have less involvement in SourceFed, before having no involvement at all. DeFranco expressed, "for you [long time viewers of SourceFed] who know what the original content was, and what it is now, you know that it's like, it's pretty much a completely different channel—both in content and the people running it." Previously, in June 2016, DeFranco made his earliest public clarification that he has "no hands on the creative decisions [made] on [SourceFed]."{{cite AV media|last=DeFranco|first=Philip|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vDHlbVjO_4c|title=GUESS WHO GOT BEAT UP LAST NIGHT?! …and there's video of it. OUCH!|work=The Philip DeFranco Show|via=YouTube|date=June 9, 2016|access-date=June 13, 2016}}

On September 19, 2013, the SourceFedNerd channel reached 500,000 subscribers.{{cite AV media|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8p6kKKqhSEc|title=SourceFedNERD Hits 500,000 Subscribers!|publisher=SourceFedNERD|via=YouTube|date=September 19, 2013|access-date=September 28, 2013}}

By 2016, Discovery eventually renamed Revision3 and DeFranco Creative as Seeker and SourceFed Studios, respectively.{{cite web|last=Gutelle|first=Sam|url=http://www.tubefilter.com/2017/03/20/discovery-group-nine-media-philip-defranco-sourcefed-shutter/|title=Discovery-Backed Group Nine Media To Shut Down Philip DeFranco's SourceFed Among Massive Shift|work=Tubefilter|date=March 20, 2017|access-date=March 23, 2017}} Additionally, Seeker's website's about page had SourceFed's properties listed under their ownership.{{cite web|url=http://www.seeker.com/about-seeker-1806095349.html |title=About Seeker |date=May 18, 2016 |access-date=March 24, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170324040621/http://www.seeker.com/about-seeker-1806095349.html |archive-date=March 24, 2017 |url-status=dead }} SourceFed Studios encapsulated SourceFed and Nerd, as well as the PDS.{{cite web|url=https://corporate.discovery.com/discovery-newsroom/discovery-communications-announces-100-million-investment-and-strategic-partnership-with-newly-formed-digital-content-holding-company-group-nine-media/|title=Discovery Communications Announces $100 Million Investment and Strategic Partnership with Newly Formed Digital Content Holding Company: Group Nine Media|work=Discovery Newsroom|publisher=Discovery Communications|date=October 13, 2016|access-date=March 23, 2017}}

Discovery Digital Networks ceased to exist in late 2016, as Discovery Communications sold its assets into a new digital media holding company, Group Nine Media.{{cite web|last=Spangler|first=Todd|url=https://variety.com/2016/digital/news/discovery-thrillist-nowthis-dodo-merger-1201887821/|title=Discovery Investing $100 Million to Merge Thrillist, NowThis, The Dodo in New Digital Venture|work=Variety|date=October 13, 2016|access-date=July 7, 2018}} Group Nine therefore merged Thrillist Media Group, NowThis Media, and The Dodo with Discovery's Seeker and SourceFed Studios.{{cite web|url=https://corporate.discovery.com/discovery-newsroom/discovery-communications-announces-100-million-investment-and-strategic-partnership-with-newly-formed-digital-content-holding-company-group-nine-media/|title=Discovery Communications Announces $100 Million Investment and Strategic Partnership with Newly Formed Digital Content Holding Company: Group Nine Media|work=Discovery Newsroom|publisher=Discovery Communications|date=October 13, 2016|access-date=March 24, 2017}}{{cite web|last=Barr|first=Jeremy|url=http://adage.com/article/media/digital-publishers-group-media/306278/|title=Digital Publishers Come Together as Group Nine Media, Backed by $100 Million From Discovery|work=Advertising Age|date=October 13, 2016|access-date=March 23, 2017}} Although SourceFed doubled its video views year-over-year, Discovery's CCO Paul Guyardo stated that the merger occurred due to a need for "more scale, more brand and more resources."{{cite web|last=Spangler|first=Todd|url=https://variety.com/2016/digital/news/ben-lerer-discovery-digital-group-nine-tv-1201888073/|title=Can Ben Lerer Turn Discovery-Backed Digital Roll-Up Into the Next Vice?|work=Variety|date=October 14, 2016|access-date=March 26, 2017}} DeFranco clarified on Twitter that he had no involvement with the decision to dissolve SourceFed Studios.{{cite tweet|last=DeFranco|first=Philip|user=PhillyD|number=843984564976406528|title=@tubefilter your article somewhat claims that this SF decision is why I took last week off. It is not. Not at all.|date=March 20, 2017|access-date=March 24, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170324041711/https://twitter.com/PhillyD/status/843984564976406528|archive-date=March 24, 2017}}

On May 4, the SourceFed Nerd channel was rebranded as NowThis Nerd without prior knowledge and against the wishes of the former hosts. This rebranding received backlash from viewers and former hosts. The Nerd channel lost over 20,000 subscribers within the first five hours of the NowThis rebranding.{{Cite web|url=https://socialblade.com/youtube/user/sourcefednerd/realtime|title=Sourcefednerd's Real-Time Subscriber Count - Social Blade YouTube Stats {{!}} YouTube Statistics|publisher=Social Blade|access-date=May 4, 2017}} On July 3, 2017, NowThis Nerd reverted the channel back to SourceFed Nerd and deleted the content made since the rebranding. The SourceFed Nerd channel was left up to serve as an archive of the original content and NowThis Nerd became its own separate channel.{{cite web|last=Gutelle|first=Sam|url=http://www.tubefilter.com/2017/07/05/sourcefed-nerd-restored-nowthis/|title=SourceFedNERD Regains Its Branding As NowThis Nerd Moves Out|work=Tubefilter|date=July 5, 2017|access-date=October 4, 2017}}

File:SourceFed hosts.jpg

SourceFed Studios launched and operated various channels during its existence:

• SourceFed: The main channel ran from 2012–2017 and featured numerous hosts. YouTube content creator Joe Bereta of Barats and Bereta, actor Elliott Morgan, and comedian Lee Newton, were introduced as the original three hosts of SourceFed. DeFranco, who hand-selected the three, also appeared as a host for the channel's first two weeks. DeFranco also hand-selected a second batch of three hosts (Trisha Hershberger, Meg Turney, and Steve Zaragoza) who debuted on the channel in 2012. After the launch of Nerd, Bereta, Morgan, and Newton primarily hosted on the main SourceFed news channel; Hershberger, Turney, and Zaragoza primarily hosted on the Nerd channel. All but Zaragoza would eventually leave the channel throughout 2014 and 2015.{{cite web |last=Cohen |first=Joshua |url= http://www.tubefilter.com/2014/04/03/elliott-morgan-meg-turney-are-leaving-sourcefed/ |title= Elliott Morgan And Meg Turney Are Leaving SourceFed |work=Tubefilter |date= April 3, 2014 |access-date= April 5, 2014}}{{cite web|last=Guttelle|first=Sam|url=https://www.tubefilter.com/2014/12/22/joe-bereta-leave-sourcefed-defy-media/|title=Joe Bereta Will Leave SourceFed To Join Defy Media|work=Tubefilter|date=December 22, 2014|access-date=July 7, 2018}}{{cite tweet|last=Hershberger|first=Trisha|user=thatgrltrish|number=580762392147075074|title=So many feels - goodbyes and next chapter|date=March 25, 2015|access-date=March 29, 2015}}{{cite AV media|last1=Newton|first1=Lee|last2=Everett|first2=Ross|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B9HDodu87ul|title=LEE NEWTON'S LAST SOURCEFED VIDEO|publisher=SourceFed|via=YouTube|date=March 28, 2015|access-date=March 29, 2015}} Sam Bashor, Candace Carrizales, Bree Essrig, Ross Everett, Mike Falzone, Maude Garrett, Ava Gordy, William Haynes, Matt Lieberman, and Reina Scully, were also all part of the channel's personnel.
• SourceFedNerd: This channel focused on gaming and technology related topics. After the launch of Nerd, Bereta, Morgan, and Newton primarily hosted on the main SourceFed news channel; Hershberger, Turney, and Zaragoza primarily hosted on the Nerd channel. Additionally, recurring SourceFed guest Whitney Moore, and writer and comedian Filup Molina joined Bashor as full-time hosts on the Nerd channel.{{cite web|url=https://corporate.discovery.com/discovery-newsroom/sourcefednerd-hits-1-million-subscribers-welcomes-new-hosts-filup-molina-and-whitney-moore-to-join-sam-bashor/|title=SourceFedNERD Hits 1 Million Subscribers, Welcomes New Hosts Filup Molina and Whitney Moore to Join Sam Bashor|work=Discovery Newsroom|publisher=Discovery Communications|date=August 29, 2016|access-date=March 24, 2017}} On the Nerd channel, several topics relating to nerd culture are covered. When conventions related to the fields of gaming and technology, such as the Consumer Electronics Show (CES), occur, the channel sends some of its hosting personalities to cover news from the convention.{{cite web|author=CEA Staff|url=http://www.ce.org/Blog/Articles/2014/February/See-What-Phil-DeFranco-and-Trisha-Hershberger-Thou.aspx|title=See What Phil DeFranco and Trisha Hershberger Thought of the 2014 CES|work=CEA News Blog|publisher=Computer Electronics Association|date=February 7, 2014|access-date=January 9, 2015|archive-date=January 10, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150110042030/http://www.ce.org/Blog/Articles/2014/February/See-What-Phil-DeFranco-and-Trisha-Hershberger-Thou.aspx|url-status=dead}} During her time on the channel, Trisha Hershberger was a frequent on-field reporter, as well as generally associated with discussing tech news.{{cite web|last=Esqueda|first=Ashley|url=https://www.cnet.com/news/tomorrow-daily-108-parrot-drone-dance-wtf-ces-2015-sourcefed-trisha-hershberger/|title=Tomorrow Daily 108: A drone dance, 'WTF of CES 2015' with Sourcefed's Trisha Hershberger, and more|work=CNET|date=January 7, 2015|access-date=January 9, 2015}}
• ForHumanPeoples (FHP) / Nuclear Family: This was originally launched as DeFranco's merchandising branch. Sam Bashor frequently appeared on the channel, but would leave to join as a host on SourceFed. The channel was later rebranded as Nuclear Family. Nuclear Family was primarily worked on by Lieberman and Essrig, and featured comedy sketches.
• Super Panic Frenzy (SPF): In 2015, a gaming-focused sister channel was launched. YouTube personality Steven Suptic was brought on to host SPF along with Scully.{{cite web|last=Waldvogel|first=JD|url=http://sourcefed.com/its-official-youtuber-steven-suptic-aka-mlghwnt-has-joined-the-sourcefed/|title=It's Official: YouTuber Steven Suptic (AKA mlgHwnT) Has Joined The SourceFed Family! Check Out Our Exclusive Interview With Him!|work=SourceFed|date=February 24, 2015|access-date=June 17, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150225131342/http://sourcefed.com/its-official-youtuber-steven-suptic-aka-mlghwnt-has-joined-the-sourcefed/|archive-date=February 25, 2015}}{{cite web|last=Brouwer|first=Bree|url=https://www.tubefilter.com/2015/03/16/discovery-digital-networks-super-panic-frenzy-defranco-suptic-scully/|title=Discovery Debuts Gaming Network Super Panic Frenzy, Hosts Launch Giveaway|work=Tubefilter|date=March 16, 2015|accessdate=August 15, 2022}} SPF was shut down in April 2016, causing Suptic to be temporarily released from the SourceFed Studios staff and Scully to return as a host on the Nerd channel.{{cite AV media|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=4&v=KhjM4N9ruSs|title=What's Happening to SuperPanicFrenzy?|publisher=Super Panic Frenzy|via=YouTube|date=April 24, 2016|access-date=March 24, 2017}} Suptic was brought back on the staff in September.
• People Be Like (PBL): A sister channel that was hosted by Haynes. Originally launched as a series on the main SourceFed channel in August 2014,{{cite AV media|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kyf479h3Gq8|title=Internet Hosts Be Like|publisher=SourceFed|via=YouTube|date=August 31, 2014|access-date=May 17, 2016}} People Be Like moved onto its own eponymous channel in 2015.{{Cite web|url=http://sourcefed.com/people-be-like-channel-exclusive-william-haynes-interview/|title=People Be Like Channel & Exclusive William Haynes Interview!|date=August 27, 2015|website=SourceFed|language=en-US|access-date=May 16, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150829201824/https://sourcefed.com/people-be-like-channel-exclusive-william-haynes-interview/|archive-date=August 29, 2015}} In June 2016, Yessica Hernandez-Cruz was introduced as William Haynes' co-host on PBL.{{cite AV media|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rYWtUJP6Xi0 |title=PBL Update & Destroying SourceFed!|publisher=People Be Like|via=YouTube|date=June 14, 2016|access-date=July 6, 2018}} PBL was cancelled in March 2017, along with SourceFed and Nerd.

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;References

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;Primary video and playlist sources

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{{Revision3}}

Category:2011 establishments in California

Category:American companies established in 2011

Category:Internet properties disestablished in 2017

Category:Internet properties established in 2011

Category:Multi-channel networks

Category:Privately held companies based in California

Category:Revision3

Category:SourceFed