What Does DEFY Media Do?

Total employees41
HeadquartersBeverly Hills
Founded2013

Defy Media was a prominent digital media company formed in 2013 through the merger of Alloy Digital and Break Media. It targeted Millennial and Gen Z audiences, producing and distributing original content across various platforms, most notably YouTube. Defy Media owned and operated popular online brands such as Smosh, Clevver, Screen Junkies (creators of 'Honest Trailers'), AWEme, and Break.com. The company focused on comedy, gaming, lifestyle, and entertainment content, amassing billions of views and a large subscriber base. Despite its significant reach, Defy Media faced financial difficulties and abruptly ceased operations in November 2018, laying off its employees and subsequently filing for bankruptcy.

Where Is DEFY Media's Headquarters?

HQ Function

Served as a key corporate office, housing executive leadership, creative teams, production facilities, and administrative staff for its West Coast operations.

Notable Features:

The 40,000-square-foot facility, leased around 2015, was designed to foster collaboration and creativity, likely featuring modern office amenities, production studios, and collaborative workspaces suitable for a digital media company.

Work Culture:

As a digital media company catering to young audiences, the work culture at Defy Media was likely dynamic, fast-paced, and creative-driven, emphasizing digital trends and content innovation. However, reports around its closure also indicated underlying financial instability and challenges.

HQ Significance:

This headquarters was significant as it represented Defy Media's investment in physical infrastructure to support its rapidly growing digital content empire and house its popular brands on the West Coast.

Values Reflected in HQ: The headquarters aimed to reflect values of creativity, innovation in digital media, and a connection with youth culture. Its eventual vacancy underscored the challenges faced by the company in its final years.

Location:

During its operation, Defy Media's content reached a global audience through online platforms like YouTube. While its primary physical offices were in the United States (notably Los Angeles and New York), its digital brands and content were accessible worldwide. The company aimed for international reach and at times mentioned international offices or partnerships (e.g., Toronto, Shanghai) to support content distribution and potentially localization, though its core operational command remained in the U.S.

Street Address:

435 N. Beverly Drive (Former)

City:

Beverly Hills

State/Province:

CA

Country:

USA

Where Else Does DEFY Media Operate Around the World?

New York, NY/USA

Address: 498 Seventh Ave, Floor 18, New York, NY 10018 (Former)

Focused on leveraging New York's status as a media and advertising capital, managing East Coast productions, and fostering industry relationships for its portfolio of brands.

Buying Intent Signals for DEFY Media

Highperformr Signals uncover buying intent and give you clear insights to target the right accounts at the right time — helping your sales, marketing, and GTM teams close more deals, faster.

Notable news
Hiring actively
Corporate Finance
Corporate Finance
Corporate Finance
Corporate Finance
Corporate Finance
*Example signal, not calculated in real time

Who's Leading DEFY Media? Meet the Executive Team

As of April 2025, DEFY Media' leadership includes:

Matt Diamond - Former Chief Executive Officer
Keith Richman - Former President
Michael Kerns - Former Chief Technology & Product Officer
Andy Tu - Former Executive Vice President of Marketing
Chris Benner - Former Chief Financial Officer

Who's Investing in DEFY Media?

DEFY Media has been backed by several prominent investors over the years, including:

Viacom
ABS Capital Partners
ZelnickMedia Partners (ZMC)
Lionsgate
Wellington Management

What Leadership Changes Has DEFY Media Seen Recently?

Hire0
Exits0

Defy Media ceased all operations in November 2018 and subsequently filed for bankruptcy. As the company is no longer active, there have been no executive hires or exits in the last 12 months.

What Technology (Tech Stack) Is Used byDEFY Media?

Discover the tools DEFY Media uses. Highperformr reveals the technologies powering your target accounts — helping your sales, marketing, and GTM teams prioritize smarter and close faster.

DEFY Media Email Formats and Examples

As Defy Media ceased operations in 2018, its corporate email system is no longer active and any associated email addresses are defunct. Historically, digital media companies like Defy Media often used common corporate email formats. For example, patterns such as [first_initial][last]@defymedia.com or [first].[last]@defymedia.com were plausible.

[first_initial][last]@defymedia.com (example, defunct)

Format

jdoe@defymedia.com (example, defunct)

Example

0%

Success rate

What's the Latest News About DEFY Media?

VarietyNovember 7, 2018

Defy Media Is Shutting Down, Laying Off All Employees

Defy Media, a leading digital producer and programmer targeting millennials, announced it was ceasing operations and laying off all its employees, effective November 7, 2018. The company was known for popular YouTube channels like Smosh, Clevver, and Screen Junkies....more

The Hollywood ReporterDecember 21, 2018

Defy Media Files for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy Protection

Following its abrupt shutdown in November, Defy Media officially filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. The filing detailed the financial struggles that led to the digital media company's demise, listing significant liabilities against its assets....more

PolygonJanuary 10, 2019

Smosh’s future was in jeopardy after Defy Media’s collapse, but it’s found a new home

Following the collapse of Defy Media, popular YouTube channel Smosh faced an uncertain future. However, it was later announced that Mythical Entertainment, the company run by Rhett & Link, had acquired Smosh, ensuring the continuation of the brand....more

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