Defy Media Is Shutting Down, Will Lay Off All Employees – Variety

UPDATED: Defy Media, the digital media company whose brands include Smosh and Clevver, is shutting down operations and laying off employees.

"Regretfully, Defy Media has ceased operations today," the company said in a statement. "We are extremely proud of what we are trying to accomplish here. We deeply regret the impact that this has had on them today. "

The company was reported to be around 400 employees. Defy does not confirm its current headcount, which has shrunk in recent months.

The official confirmation of Defy's shuttering came after the beginning of the New York-based company was closing its production facility in Beverly Hills and would be laying off all employees at the end of the year. Per notices sent to Defy employees at the Beverly Hills office at 8750 Wilshire Blvd. will be closed effective Jan. 2, 2019.

The company notified employees of the Federal State Worker Adjustment and Retirement Reporting (WARN) Act and California State Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act. The closure of the L.A. office was first reported by Tubefilter.

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A staffer who answered the issue of the company, said that he was unable to provide any information on the closure. Defy Media's New York office was answered with a recorded message: "The Google subscribe is not available."

Earlier in the year, Defy laid off 8% of its workforce, exiting its programmatic advertising and licensing and syndication businesses. Then in July, the company sold its long-languishing The Escapist video-game website to Canada's Enthusiast Gaming and also announced a deal with Fandom to sell Screen Junkies, its news and parody property.

The company's in-house studios had produced 75 regularly scheduled shows. It's not clear what will happen to the Defy brands going forward.

Defy Media was formed through the merger of Alloy Digital and Break Media in 2013. Two years ago, the company announced $ 750 million in funding by Wellington Management Co. Previous investors include ABS Capital, Lionsgate, Viacom and Zelnick Media Capital.

Defy's website currently lists seven job openings for its Beverly Hills location, including a VP of brand and content strategy, a post-production supervisor, and a supervising producer.

Defy distributes its original programming across more than 25 video platforms, including YouTube, subscription VOD services and TV networks. Defy's brands, which include Smosh, Clevver, AWEme, Break and Made Man, have more than 140 million followers across YouTube and social media, according to the company.