Why Donut Media Is Falling Apart: An Explainer

What is happening at Donut Media? Who bought them? Who left?
Let’s talk about it.
Jeremiah Burton and Zach Jobe recently left Donut, an automotive KZbin powerhouse, to start their own new channel called BigTime. Donut was a few years into its new era with venture-equity backing from Recurrent Ventures, and their “Why We’re Leaving Donut” video reminded everyone of the slew of “Why I’m Leaving Hoonigan” videos we’ve seen lately. Those videos came after after Ken Block’s always-edgy Hoonigan merged with aftermarket company Wheel Pros and got an influx of cash from private investment firm Clearlake Capital, and it's a growing trend among big automotive KZbin channels.
Zach and Jerry were two of Donut’s five main personalities, along with James Pumphrey, Nolan Sykes, and Justin Freeman. The move has led to a lot of talk and speculation all over the internet and among people in the car industry, because these changes impact us all.
So, what happened? Here’s everything you need to know, and the truth about how things change when investment firms get involved in media companies.
If you don’t know my background, I’m Alanis King. I currently work for Motor1, Motorsport.com, and InsideEVs, and I’ve worked full-time for Doug DeMuro’s Cars & Bids, Business Insider, and Jalopnik. I also had a Formula One podcast with Donut Media called DRS, which got canceled after two seasons. Our F1 podcast was fun, had a huge audience, and featured two women as hosts, but we got the idea that the numbers weren’t good enough (despite being about half of Donut’s main show, Past Gas, and being a much younger show).
I’ve only had four full-time jobs, but I’ve dealt with private equity a lot, and I’ve seen how it can sometimes impact media companies. In this video, we’ll talk about what’s going on at Donut, what happens when private equity gets involved in media companies, the pros of working in big media vs. on your own, the cons, and what I think the future holds for Donut Media, Hoonigan, BigTime, and other big KZbin channels.
Jerry and Jobe talked about how it was bittersweet to leave Donut, but that’s how it works in the creative industry: If new investors come in and change the way you do things, you can go from making videos about building a car to doing listicles and rankings to reach a broader (but less engaged) audience. They talk about having their ideas rejected in favor of cheaper and easier ones, because the money people believed that to be best for business - even if the creative ones knew it wasn’t.
Making videos about cars and reviewing them is a great job. But it has its own drawbacks, and hopefully this video can give you some insight on what happens when your favorite writers, KZbinrs, and content creators have to answer to new money people.
Thanks for watching my KZbin channel. Enjoy the conversation, and I’ll see you in the comments!
#cars #automotive #donut #donutmedia #bigtime #hoonigan #media #hooniganracing #hooniganindustries #alanisking
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[@jlennon784]

Private equity destroys every business it gets involved in.

[@AlanisKing]

Fair! It’s a scary thing!

[@sadiqwahid1480]

Every. Single. Time! 👏

[@Ottobon]

High speed welchian economics is a laughing stock for everyone

[@sebfettel]

I understand what you're saying but technically all businesses are private equity.

[@liajet24]

As someone who worked in PE, this couldn't be truer. It is a constant process to find efficiencies in the balance sheet and to do that easily, you make large changes to impact the short term profitability to make the asset more appealing to the next sucker holding the hot potato. The due diligence conducted continues to erode so more questionable deals occur and more drastic measures have to be taken to make a company appear financially appealing. Its a shit industry and honestly destroys everything.

[@kerc]

Private Equity companies: "Look at this amazing company making a lot of money, being popular, pushing out original and engaging content, and being successful! Let's buy them and totally change what they're doing."

[@AlanisKing]

😞😞😞

[@ashishpatel350]

they werent making alot of money. the reason they sold was because they didnt want the liability

[@milhousevanhoutan9235]

​​@@ashishpatel350there are a variety of reasons people sell but that doesn't change the fact that you're selling to a firm where no possible return is enough to leave you to make your money. Unless that return is ♾️ then MAYBE they'll leave you alone for a while. PE is a parasitic organism because when the time comes for the liability portion they just shutter the business anyway to avoid it.

[@TheColonel502]

​@ashishpatel350 how do you know this?

[@matt45540]

They were clearly making enough money to pay for the projects they were doing. Which grew exceedingly over the top. ​@@ashishpatel350

[@yohann2768]

Shout out for Regular Car Reviews for doing the exact same thing for for than decade. Never selling, never beeped a word, consistently wholesome.

[@urmomfarturdaddied]

RCR has gotten even better since Brian came out. He's literally an OG

[@JasonSmith-ns1bi]

I’m not so sure I’d use “wholesome” to describe RCR, but they’ve definitely stayed honest to themselves!

[@genericsomething]

The wholesome versions of RCR are Hoovie's Garage and Doug DeMuro.

[@aaronleverton4221]

I let my late-teenage sons run riot through Mr Regular's reviews of such cars I owned as a young man as 240Zs and '78 Celicas, but my tween daughter can wait to experience such content. Mr Regular surely appreciates motor vehicles, but it's not exactly in a PG way.

[@QuickQuips]

​@@JasonSmith-ns1bimore like hole-some. For MEAT and BROWN.

[@chainringcalf]

Extra props in this era to Hagerty for somehow not going this way

[@AlanisKing]

They make good stuff!

[@Boogy3000]

An insurance company… ok

[@jason5031]

@@Boogy3000 Obvious uninformed commenter.

[@TechSurreal]

They make their money elsewhere i.e. insurance. If the budget gets tight they will act the same way.

[@geko29]

Different model. KZbin is not their business. It is how they choose to spend a portion of their marketing budget. Their goal is not to make money on content directly. It's to develop an attachment with car enthusiasts, a portion of whom will think of Hagerty first when they want to insure that badass new car they just got.

[@RealRacingRoots99]

Big-time is doing HUGE numbers so far. Congratulations to them ✌🏾

[@AlanisKing]

It’s awesome for them

[@chaschuky999]

I think people are overstating their performance to a degree, if they can get that level of views consistently that’s huge. Too early days to really speak to their success

[@ChiTownTx]

Want to flush a company down the toilet fast? Get a big corporation to take ownership that has no idea what the business is truely about.

[@drkilledbydeath87]

Or that they just got give a shit what it's about either.

[@manuelito1233]

They know what the business is, make a lot of money and then dip when it can't any more money.

[@The_Slavstralian]

Exactly. Something like Doughnut Media does not need some beancounter in a suit that has never opened the bonnet of his car to check the oil, let alone know the difference between 95 and 98 octane or the nuances of timing or how much boost is too much. All a suit sees is " how to get more ad revenue " They do NOT care about the viewers the same way that the OG owners and hosts do.

[@aluisious]

@@manuelito1233 It's not make a lot of money, it's make it look like it will make a lot of money, and sell it to the next sucker.

[@aaronleverton4221]

The business is truly about business. You're not talking about the business, you're talking about the content. They are not the same thing. If the business of making content was so damn strong then there wouldn't be merch stores because content creators wouldn't absolutely rely on the non-YT revenue. Why else do all of your favourite creators have Patreon pages?

[@davidp2888]

Only seven minutes in and I’m already getting a great education on the industry. This is really informative and entertaining.

[@AlanisKing]

I'm so glad. Thank you for waking up early!

[@davidp2888]

@AlanisKing You remembered my previous comment?! That’s so kind of you.

[@jonathan_reid]

Yes, this is a fantastic video about what's going on behind the scenes of this industry and other youtube channels.

[@AlanisKing]

@@jonathan_reid : )

[@AlanisKing]

@@davidp2888 Of course! I appreciate that you care

[@keith6360]

Also happened in the UK with Car Throttle and then spawned Auto Alex, etc

[@AlanisKing]

It happens soooo much

[@DJPixcell]

Big time. It happens when channels grow to such massive lengths they can no longer keep up with demand.. they need money. The money comes in with people to help direct them to create content that generates revenue. But this unfortunately usually leads to the demise of a lot of channels as the true creatives that started it all no longer feel like they are making content they want to make.. but content they HAVE to make. It was a huge loss. Car throttle was so fun back in the day.

[@gavihacohen]

This is what happened to WTF1

[@MrEnglischjules]

I am in England and I have to agree about car throttle... And to auto Alex. And the new one All the gear.. Donut was good.. I watched say 90 percent of their videos.... But recently that went down quite a bit. Big Time I am enjoying and think I will as it was what I liked when simular videos on donut.

[@Jwalker76]

I was so happy to see Alex make his own channel. I mean it felt to me that he was the one that got car throttle to where it was and he was struggling to get any budget for his projects. You have a channel with millions of subs and the owners didn't want to give any money even when Alex was running on a small budget. I no longer watch car throttle these days. And now Alex has created another 2 channels with people he previously worked with.

[@enjoipandas]

DRS was such an incredible podcast, I miss it a ton. For me it was just so perfect in every way. Thanks for putting it all into a perspective, very well explained. Looking forward to all the future content! (PS. Im the girl dad from last episode’s mail segment! Thank you all for the positive message)

[@AlanisKing]

Awwwwww your message was the best!

[@jshumphress13]

@@AlanisKingI miss it too. I never got word that it wasn’t coming back so even though we are 10-11 races into the season, I periodically check my podcasts to see if there is a new one. 😢

[@lazypanda88]

imagine if DRS was still going and covering the current season! it would have been glorious. The team and the community were robbed of something great

[@oRicardoHetfield]

Man i really miss DRS! That why i know now Alanis and Elizabeth!

[@enjoipandas]

@@lazypanda88 like the podcast said, they bring a coors mindset to a champagne filled podium of f1… it just vibed with me so well.

[@karlisk4]

While there were channels before, I think Alex leaving Car Throttle and being incredibly successful with his own stuff was a catalyst for all these.

[@AlanisKing]

🤝🤝

[@yovanilla]

I'm really happy that basically the whole of youtube is talking about this, because I've had about enough of rich people sucking the life out of other people's talents by cutting out what made the product great in the first place and then expecting the base to just blindly keep following The Brand based entirely on habit instead of substance.

[@AlanisKing]

It’s sooooooo sad. I think about it a lot

[@sickpunch1]

"Donut got sold" "Hoonigan got sold" Who did the selling? The repercussions were obvious.

[@cabobs2000]

All depends on if they were paid cash or stock. The stock is worthless. Cash is cool though. You stay on for a bit and make your own YT channel and start over.

[@Fanta....]

Sometimes the offer is too good to refuse. Take the money and start a new channel.

[@stonehorn4641]

I mean, it doesn’t matter who sold it, they owned it and had a right to take the money.

[@Bimmer_MD]

​@@Fanta.... Linus didn't sell out LTT, I think that he was offered 10 figures too

[@michaelfrock2473]

@@Bimmer_MD10 figures is hard to pass up unless you know you can make that within a certain amount of time.

[@lloyd9819]

This same thing happened with Car Throttle in the UK. 3 channels split off from one. And now all 3 and way more successful than the original channel that's still running.

[@AlanisKing]

People love following individuals, often more so than brands. It'll be interesting to see if and how that changes as more individuals break off

[@saltylelele]

@@AlanisKing I'd say that is def a part of it. People were not really loyal to CT, they were to Alex, Edwin, Ethan and Jack. Ever since Ethan, Jack and Edwin quit CT's socials have been on fire (in the bad way), and the new stuff CT is doing is not really working, bc no one cares about the new hosts and formats.

[@d4fs4]

Had been following CT for a while.. when Alex left I kept watching the Edwin/Jack/Ethan videos when they did some.. now that they left too I haven't looked at a single new videos from CT.. The content from the three new channels is so great thou! Wondering if the same thing will happen with Donut and eventually the older staff will all be dragged away from Donut.. besides.. where the hell is James Pumphrey?

[@lloyd9819]

@@AlanisKing I totally agree they missed the mark on what exactly their audience were loyal too. And that fact that loyalty works both ways. It's I'll keep your audience coming back but if you mistreat what they are loyal to then you become the enemy. It's happening in repeat it seems.

[@user-pe8pt7ow2d]

Alanis-NEVER turn your back on a Viper...it's trying to kill you!

[@AlanisKing]

So true

[@salt-emoji]

It's domesticated

[@Shiinamusiclyricssubs]

this viper looks uhhhh a bit oriental doesn't it

[@jonlosito2004]

I thought that was the NB Miata 😂😂

[@skuzzyj]

​@@jonlosito2004 Lowercase viper

[@BYLRPhil]

Petrolicious is another channel that got ruined by big media. I loved their stuff…

[@AlanisKing]

The individual-creator landscape will be so interesting as people from these places do their own thing

[@horvathr95]

Iirc it was ruined by its owner's somewhat controversial views

[@nandakrishnakesavapuram5758]

It was ruined by Behnia (the founder) being a bigot and being (according to Matt Farrah) very shitty to employees/contractors

[@thiswillprobhrt]

I was under the impression that Petroliciuous sunk themselves, rather than being bought out?

[@HanabiiiUwU]

I was a Jalopnik regular and attended some irl gatherings from around 2007 to 2015 and the downfall was sad. Almost every car website fell the same way, unfortunately. I'm so glad you're still online sharing cars with us!

[@AlanisKing]

Aw thank you! What a ride!

[@SabreLilly.]

Private equity has been a plague on online media and not just in the automotive space. Multiple video game, music, film, and tech media sites have been gutted because the investors only care about "Line-only-go-up" profit strategies. It's the same story at every outlet that you've described here and all it's doing is ruining the online content space as a place to develop a business/community. The suits at these investment firms don't understand being a creative and only seem to care about getting a quick buck without understanding why the money is coming in in the first place.

[@AlanisKing]

It’s so sad. Thank you for watching!

[@Sonnell]

60k for a low low position? 95% of the worlds population could never dream of such a high salary... Wow the world is torn apart...

[@AlanisKing]

Yes! At the time (and now) we worked in media in high-cost areas of America. I’m not passing an opinion on the salary; I’m just telling you that it’s what I made for the lowest position at my company

[@cherrypickingyt]

As a miniature channel myself, who is a tiny crumb in a world of 3 course meals, one concern I have, not only for myself, but others, is over-saturation. The one thing that always happens when larger channels with a group of people split into their own channels, instead of 1 channel, it becomes 3-6 different ones. Over the course of time, this means more and more people to subscribe to, videos to watch, and overall a build up of extreme saturation, which leaves viewers burnt out. This causes an effect where viewers will purge the channels they subscribe to, or outright stop watching. Content is king, but this has happened in the past, and my concern is now I don't have enough time to watch all of it, so I have to pick and choose, or even sometimes, go to something else altogether. I might be alone in this line of thinking, but it has happened in the Food and Gaming spaces of KZbin a few years ago. Although Automotive content is Niche, and even within that niche is more niches, it is probably one of the most saturated forms of content available on KZbin, hence why channels like Cleetus and even Bigtime have been on the Trending pages multiple times. KZbin is the only spot for car content, as it suits the format better than any other. Great video, happy to hear you are doing your own thing. Good luck!

[@AlanisKing]

You’re so right. This is a great breakdown. Thank you for watching and adding your opinion!

[@alejandronunez3032]

I totally get what you're saying. Years ago I consistently watched every Game Theory and Binging with Babish video that was posted, and eventually when they grew so large to the point of new hosts and different content/spinoff channels it became overwhelming to keep up with what I originally enjoyed.

[@aguruattapiano]

I love the Dodge Viper in the back

[@AlanisKing]

Thank you. Love our Viper

[@zxggwrt]

😂

[@chainringcalf]

Always the answer

[@LanceCorporal_Waffles]

😐🤣

[@BboyVReck]

Dang! I thought it was an S2000!

[@Pseedholm]

There have been quite a few videos on this topic already, but you somehow managed to put a new spin on the info, AND provide even more information that as an audience we may not have been able to quite grasp. As an aside: why did you leave cars and bids? Up until recently, yours and Doug’s were the only watchable videos.

[@AlanisKing]

Awww thanks for asking, and thank you for saying this. I hate to keep secrets, but that's one of those things I actually can't talk about : )

[@fasterdanu1]

Yes, they had great on screen chemistry.

[@AlanisKing]

@@fasterdanu1 It was so fun to do those videos!

[@claudyla]

​@@AlanisKing I've missed you on cars and bids. So glad I randomly discovered your own channel through this video! Instant sub and will be watching your existing videos

[@AlanisKing]

Thank you so much for saying you’ll watch older videos too. It means a lot

[@daltoncampbell7579]

This is why MightyCarMods will forever be the best.

[@GTSW1FT]

Another good channel is gears and gasoline. But gotta love the og's that MCM are.

[@BrandonBB4]

I miss you over at Cars and Bids!

[@AlanisKing]

Sorry that I just disappeared : ( I’m on this channel every week, of course!

[@mekg5430]

Thank you for breaking down the pros and cons of investment firms buying media companies! Your personal experience is a good example of what happens when a big company restricts your creative freedom. I'm always looking forward to you releasing new videos!

[@AlanisKing]

Awww thank you so much

[@Sethhall618]

I love your videos so much! They're so refined, polished, and professional even in these side videos. You deserve so many more subs!

[@AlanisKing]

Wow. Thank you so much. Appreciate you for watching and caring

[@cinthe3]

Thanks for the deep dive! Stay safe "legally". Don't want this channel to go away.

[@AlanisKing]

You bet. Thank you always 🤠

[@darkblader06]

The biggest issue I have with the viewership and userbase, is they run around screaming the sky is falling, but what they dont realize is these media/tech/gaming companies saw a unrealistic growth during the pandemic. So alot of these companies arent imploding, theyre just shrinking back to a realistic growth rate.

[@AlanisKing]

You’re exactly right

[@ian3580]

I just want to say that I like your editing, and that you sound is ON POINT. No weird noises, echo, etc.....nicely done video.

[@AlanisKing]

Thank you 🤠 We really try to have good mics!

[@travish3130]

Heavy but much needed content. Glad you shared it.

[@AlanisKing]

Thank you so much!

[@jamesdrummond7684]

this is about the sixth different channel i've seen cover it. all the exact same information. free money and the chance to piggyback larger channels regardless of whether it needed to be covered AGAIN is free money, I guess.

[@ChrisSmith-of1ob]

a few years ago, I knew nothing about F1. DTS got me intrigued. DRS got me obsessed. I was super bummed when it was canceled. I always appreciate your takes Alanis.

[@AlanisKing]

Me too : ( thank you so much. I’m glad it had an impact

[@_lukecruzhuisman]

Thanks Alanis. This was awesome. Glad you've got your own channel set up. I've missed you since DRS days. Will definitely be following you!

[@AlanisKing]

Thank you so much 🤠🤠

[@andrewbaskett8581]

This was a great video, as usual. Man, I miss the F1 podcast. Would be awesome to hear you and Elizabeth do the occasional chat after some big incident race like Austria this past weekend. Miss you on Cars and Bids stuff as well. Keep it up!

[@AlanisKing]

Awwww thank you so much. I miss it a ton too

[@drivingpsyche]

@@AlanisKing can't you do a vodcast with Elizabeth and publish it here? I loved your format - DRS was such an easy thing to digest after every race.

[@daveamirault]

I'm glad you now have your own channel, Alanis. Keep the good stuff coming!

[@AlanisKing]

Awwww thank you so much. I appreciate it

[@rossfortini1856]

Alanis, this type of long(ish) form deep-dive, with frank and informative content is *exactly* what I personally connect with. Your respectful-but-honest explanation of the situation with Donut and others taught me more about the industry in 17 minutes than I thought I'd *ever* understand. Thank you and--most importantly for you at this stage--SUBSCRIBED. Best of luck to you, your hubby, and your channel!

[@AlanisKing]

Ahhhh I'm so honored. Thank you so much. I'll try to do more of this when the opportunity arises - I love just sitting down and talking to y'all in the video and comments!

[@c10seth]

Thank you for taking the time to break this down and explain what we've all be seeing for a while. It's helpful to an outsider when a YT creator shares what's like on that side of the platform.

[@AlanisKing]

Totally. I love industry conversation, and I’m glad people are finding it helpful!

[@whydoineedahandle269]

RIP Ken Block. He was an icon of our generation.

[@AlanisKing]

Such a kind guy too. I interviewed him when I was like 18, and he gave me as much time and attention as I needed. Legend

[@AarmOZ84]

Thanks for sharing what happens behind the camera of our favorite KZbin channels. I love the independent car channels, but a few big commercial ones like Hagerty’s always impressed me. I think that it does come down to whether the big media company understands car culture as much as they understand business strategy.

[@AlanisKing]

Totally agree. Thanks for watching : )

[@keithmcdonnell4485]

The donut controversy is what brought me to this video, I gave it a like and this comment to help your engagement. Good luck with the channel. I noticed the change in Donut on a subconscious level, I am bored to tears with the listicle episodes and really miss the good stuff like money pit.

[@AlanisKing]

Thank you so much for caring! 🤠

[@Mreverydaythings]

Same here, had never heard of her channel before but this video will definitely have me coming back for more content, definitely a informative video

[@Hpotatojack]

Informative banger! I had a feeling you were going to have great insight and an even better way of explaining things for us common folk. Keep it up, A King 👑

[@AlanisKing]

Awwww thank you 🤠

[@lacko0819]

Thanks for providing these insights!! Very useful indeed! (I also love your Miata in the background!)

[@AlanisKing]

Ahhhh thank you! We love it too

[@ViewtifulTj]

It seems like it's a really really straight foward analysis here. When Private equity firms get involved in anything creative, their (the firms that is) only goal is maximizing profits and cutting losses. Operating with anything less than a growing business model is a failure to them

[@AlanisKing]

Yep! Except the growth needs to be huge

[@LesPauloCaster]

A fascinating explanation by an insider. KZbin kept pushing this video for the past 3 days, and I finally clicked. The algorithm works sometimes… New subscriber!

[@AlanisKing]

Thank you for watching : )

[@hawkeye454]

I've grown to really appreciate your videos and opinions on the car industry. Keep up the great work!

[@AlanisKing]

I really appreciate it. Thank you 🤠

[@vasantos-re4hb]

AK - Top Gear met the same fate when Clarkson left. Real talk - people need to remember that people like Clarkson are master storytellers. He has real talent. And that talent will rise again in another format. Don't believe me? Watch Clarkson's farm. I've learned more watching him, that I ever would in a classroom.

[@AlanisKing]

Ooooh I haven’t watched actually but will

[@Slizzo82]

@@AlanisKing it's so good. I thought it was going to be a dumb scripted cringe show but it doesn't appear to Be, and Jeremy looks like he really cares about learning how to farm and shows real concern for his fellow farmers as well. It's a great watch!

[@AlanisKing]

@@Slizzo82 Fascinating. I'll check it out for sure

[@AloneRacecar]

Hopefully what’s been going on lately is a cautionary tale for us content creators of the future. Especially when it comes to entrepreneurship opportunities with people we decide to work with.

[@AlanisKing]

You’re right! I hope so

[@AloneRacecar]

@@AlanisKing For sure. 👍

[@tedturner2966]

I strive for this level of skill and clarity in communicating. Incredibly thoughtful and well-written/delivered.

[@AlanisKing]

Wow. Thank you so much

[@tylerfineman8967]

Thanks again for naking this video, Alanis! I've been wondering what's been going on in the background of a lot of these really big KZbin channels. It's been obvious that a lot of changes have been made. Great job reporting this. Have a great holiday!! 🇺🇸🎆🇺🇲

[@AlanisKing]

You bet! Thank you! Have a great day! 🎇

[@amigodesigns]

I'm really tired of corporate greed seriously, they are destroying everything they touch, every company no matter the field, it's incredible.

[@AlanisKing]

It’s hard! It’s really sad when things we love go away because of it

[@zxggwrt]

Thank you for this it’s really appreciated. I’m a big watcher of KZbin car channels and it all started with jalopnik. I can imagine any popular channel I like being sold if the top creator died. For instance, if Cleetus crashes his plane or Westin Champlain doesn’t wear his seatbelt and goes through a windshield. It’s bound to happen and in that case their families can sell to a company and retire. They kill the channel but at least they get something.

[@davidjeu4540]

As someone who found you through DRS, I really appreciate hearing your unique perspective and insight! Thanks for a great video! P.S. I still miss hearing you, Liz, and Nolan every Wednesday and appreciate the three of you getting me into F1 in the first place.

[@AlanisKing]

Awww I miss it too. So glad we could have you as a listener. Appreciate you

[@vince_sad]

this is a really informative take on the situation. way more substance here than most of the other videos breaking the situation down. well done

[@AlanisKing]

So glad I could help. Thanks for watching

[@TheAntorian]

Such a great video on the car media landscape!

[@AlanisKing]

Thank you 🤠🤠

[@beautifulcatastrophe]

You either die a hero or live long enough to see yourself become the villain

[@AlanisKing]

🫡🫡🫡

[@beautifulcatastrophe]

​@@AlanisKing 🖖🏻

[@Suileron]

Excellent video good stuff!! Excited to see what you get up to on your own channel now!

[@AlanisKing]

Thank you 🤠 I really love our recent Miata review, if you’re looking for a place to start! And the Dark Horse!

[@fssofdeath]

Very interesting information and very well formatted. I have been trying to keep up with what’s going on and this was one of the best videos about it. Keep it up!🎉

[@AlanisKing]

Ahhhhh thank you. Appreciate it!

[@WillyWonka2414]

I didnt know you had a youtube channel of your own! Instant sub

[@AlanisKing]

Ahhhh thank you so much! We try to make really top-tier car reviews

[@deepakagarwal3408]

I really enjoyed DRS. Thanks for shedding more light on the industry.

[@AlanisKing]

Really appreciate that you listened. Thank you!

[@pioneer8634]

Always enjoy watching you thanks for the great videos😊

[@AlanisKing]

Thank you 🤠

[@myd4980]

This was the most educative piece I've seen on this topic in a long time. Thank you for the amazing explanation of this topic!

[@AlanisKing]

Ahhh thank you! I've been waiting to talk about media landscapes for years!

[@Gearbhall]

Unfortunately with private investing across all industries the investors always expect growth and growth is not always sustainable. This results in cut corners and layoffs to artificially show growth by reducing costs, and I think new media in particular collapses immediately when you take out what made it work in the first place.

[@AlanisKing]

You’re exactly right

[@garyleibitzke4166]

Like you got axed from "Cars & Bids" ? I'm still pissed off about that.

[@AlanisKing]

[@lacko0819]

omg dont even get started...

[@Mr-pn2eh]

She didn't get axed

[@slowery43]

@@lacko0819 are you always such a drama queen Lack?

[@NorthwestMobileDetailing]

@@Mr-pn2ehwhat happened?

[@Skate_Hack]

This is an awesome video and super edifying. Well done!

[@AlanisKing]

Thank you 🤠

[@elRayRay]

Good video. I listened to every episode of DRS and was pretty bummed that it was cancelled. The 3 of you really worked well together and the format was a lot more fun than I expected when it first started. One cool bonus is that there are now 4-5 channels to watch when it was only 2 before. The content of the Hoonigan departures is pretty great, maybe even better than before, though the Daily Transmissions were a ton of fun. Same can be said about the Donut departures. Big Time should be a great channel based on their first content episode. Zach and Jeremiah bring passion for projects and that’s ultimately what I want to see. Not just a bunch of video “listicles” and garbage product reviews. Good luck here…subscribed!

[@AlanisKing]

You’re so right. There’s even more to watch now! Thanks for listening to DRS. It really means a lot that you did

[@Shiinamusiclyricssubs]

I think the best way I can describe this is that big youtube channels are increasingly "mr.beastified". Donut is basically just mr beast videos about cars. Instead of "i gave children 100000$ if they stay in a cube" it's "I gave grown man a car if they complete this trail"

[@AlanisKing]

So fair

[@carsinruin6102]

Im not an automotive youtuber but i've been part of smaller companies that were acquired by larger firms. The heart and soul of smaller outfits is always lost as the larger corporation tries create homogeneity among its brands. The employees become frustrated as outside forces that are often no where near the actual company and not directly familiar with the day operations try to make decisions.

[@AlanisKing]

You’re so right. It’s very similar

[@GrainGrown]

@@carsinruin6102 *I'm *I've *(double spaces) "homogeneity"? *nowhere ... Keep learning English, kiddo.

[@carsinruin6102]

@@GrainGrownyou're a sad person.

[@adrianfil9153]

Not sure why it took me so long to discover your channel. I loved DRS and all the work you guys put into it.

[@AlanisKing]

Ahhhh thank you! We're trying really hard to make beautiful car reviews. I hope you love them. Thanks for caring about DRS

[@jamesxo]

great video! always loved your videos on cars and bids too - hopefully you're back on there soon!

[@AlanisKing]

Ahhhh thank you. I’m not there : ( but I’m here with reviews every week!

[@jamesxo]

@@AlanisKing subscribed for sure, i hope it ended well!! you're so informative

[@Charlemagne89]

Enshittification. Investors. Capitalism. These things ruin every art medium we love. But it's hard to resist a buyout. Focusing on growth over content leads to this. Users and viewers don't care about how much you grow this year or next, they care about the quality of the content. Creators love the create, and the viewers love to consume. Big dollar signs from investors and PE ruin this dynamic, sooner or later. It's sad. And then the founders leave and the cycle repeats.

[@AlanisKing]

You got it! It's really sad

[@Hellcat71782]

Thank god YOU explained how corporations ruin a good thing.

[@AlanisKing]

This sounds sincere, so thank you!

[@Matt-ex4ex]

Your video is very interesting and helpful. I’m coming at this situation from many angles - car enthusiast, automotive content enjoyer, father of potential content creators, and someone that has seen both sides of private equity (but not in media). So, your explanations and insights are really appreciated. Thank you! P.S. I really hope that this channel becomes financially sustainable for you and your husband 🤞

[@AlanisKing]

Thank you so much 🤠🤠

[@mattrockwell6214]

Subbed! I'd wrongly started to think of you just as the lady who gets in car trunks on Insta, when in reality your intelligent insight and succinct delivery are up there with the very best.

[@AlanisKing]

Awwww thank you for this! What a kind comment!

[@robinjack3531]

Thanks for the explainer Alanis. Good to get an insiders perspective. Keep up the great work and stay smiley

[@CromulentCorpse]

Instead of hearing from this walking annoyance, you can hear it straight from the horses mouths. They made their own video on their new channel

[@AlanisKing]

Thank you so much : )

[@carefullin]

Why you left Cars and bids?

[@AlanisKing]

That’s one of those I can’t discuss. I’m really sorry!

[@roboslug]

@@AlanisKingI’m so curious too but it is what it is. Hope it isn’t a bad relationship breaking thing.

[@AlanisKing]

@@roboslug Not at all! No editorial disagreements

[@aljavinramirez9699]

I just discovered you through all of this, so I guess it does help everybody

[@AlanisKing]

Ahhhh thank you!

[@veedub972]

Not gonnie lie, I subscribed for the fun, and now I stay for the fun AND the knowledge. Great video !

[@AlanisKing]

Ahhhh thank you. Glad you enjoyed!

[@Kimsey47]

Yep, I abandoned Jalopnik and never looked back after they changed. They also started hiring creators that placed political views and I wasn't going there to see that crap, I was going for the auto content. If I want politics I'll go to a regular news site.

[@APWare]

Spot on. Came here to say the same thing.

[@ruk2023--]

As an entrepreneur in the tech world (with a current startup using venture capital) what surprises me the most about this is that any venture capital company put their money into the deal without getting securities on the talent that most of the value was tied to. If that needs more explaining I'm happy to do so. Good vid!

[@AlanisKing]

Thank you for watching : )

[@DJPixcell]

Also want to comment to say this was a great rundown from someone who's seen it first hand. Hopefully will settle some of the debates going around. I've subscribed and hope to see you and your husband's channel thrive!

[@AlanisKing]

Thank you SO much. I hope so too!

[@austinsand8163]

Alanis this was a phenomenal breakdown of the dynamics of working in a space which I think a lot of us viewing naively think must be all awesome. Sounds like it's some awesome and a whole lot of work. I admire your journey over the last few years and your persistence. You bring a wonderful informative voice to a space that can get a little cartoony at times. Keep it coming.

[@AlanisKing]

Awwww thank you. I really appreciate you saying this

[@kindalike]

This video answered a lot of questions I had. Thank!

[@AlanisKing]

Thank you for watching 🤠

[@sail420]

This was an awesome video that explained a lot of the behind the scenes stuff we didn’t know about.

[@AlanisKing]

Thank you so much for watching and saying this

[@macho1146]

My favorite video of yours hands down. Had no idea this was even happening but your experience and knowledge of these channels made it so easy to follow along and understand why decisions are made by all parties. Kudos to you Alanis👏🏽

[@AlanisKing]

Ahhhh thank you. Really appreciate you watching despite not knowing the topic as well!

[@type_one]

thanks for the vid... enjoyed the thoughts and the pacing - subscribed :)

[@AlanisKing]

Ahhhh thanks so much

[@MarcTheWatchman]

This was such a well articulated and detailed insight into this situation. Keep up the good work!

[@AlanisKing]

Thank you 🤠

[@SomeDayPilot13]

This was a phenomenal explanation about everything in the industry and what likely happened and might happen! Thanks!!!

[@AlanisKing]

Thank you so much 🤠🤠🤠

[@Julianconanhernandez]

Great video, was wondering about this exact subject

[@AlanisKing]

Thank you 🤠

[@Thankyoumood]

Good insight on this channel....subbed

[@AlanisKing]

Ahhhh thank you so much!

[@Harko-]

Very informative, great insights! 👍 Thanks Alanis!

[@AlanisKing]

Thank you always 🤝

[@jossege]

a very articulate and informative breakdown, you just earned another subscriber for sure

[@AlanisKing]

Awww thank you 🤠

[@BenJuan26]

Very well said. It's nice to hear some grounded information on the broader situation.

[@AlanisKing]

Absolutely! Thank you for watching!

[@joshuacampbell7710]

This is getting the views. Im glad you covered it.

[@AlanisKing]

Thanks for watching!

[@Kwincy5]

Very informative video. Wherever you go, I'll subcribe, and I hope this channel continues to grow.

[@AlanisKing]

Thank you so much : )

[@neilopfer5687]

AK, thanks for the insights and just subscribed to your channel!! Also, thanks for the KZbin clip's comparison between Big Time and the current Donut. Good luck in the future!!

[@AlanisKing]

Thank you so much : ) appreciate you

[@STi_Alan]

I really enjoyed the DRS podcast and listened to every episode the week it came out, even though it came to an end, it made me more aware and knowledgeable on F1 racing in a fun enjoyable way, so thank you!!

[@AlanisKing]

Awww. Thank you so much for watching. We loved making that show

[@betweenthebars256]

Topic of the video aside this is really well written and presented, definitely subscribing

[@AlanisKing]

Thank you so much! We really try to make this stuff compelling

[@silentinn]

Have been wondering what your background was as everything was so great out of the gate on a new channel. Makes sense now!

[@AlanisKing]

Hahaha thank you! We’re trying!

[@jayb33]

Thank you so much for this, Alanis! I'm so glad and proud of you for making this video. It shows how honest and brave you are. In the last two weeks, I was a victim of private equity valuing profits over everything. These companies may pump a lot of money into smaller companies, but the end result is always a boring homologisation of product. You need only to look at the current design style of every automotive company to see the sad, boring result. Creativity and uniqueness can and should absolutely be able to thrive even if it only makes a slim profit. But that will only happen if business owners are more passionate about what they provide than how many dollars they rake in. Bless you, and keep on keeping on.

[@AlanisKing]

I’m so sorry to hear this. I hope everything turns upward for you. Thank you for watching and caring

[@SpaceTech54]

Thanks Alanis - good presentation - more will understand and stay engaged.

[@AlanisKing]

Thank you 🤠

[@randyspencer8736]

Glad to find your . Thanks for your open view on this shit. Keep up the good work.🎉

[@AlanisKing]

Thank you 🤠

[@benjaminthomson]

Anecdotal, but discovered your work through the DRS pod, sad to see it go, but now I'm a fan of all your other work!

[@AlanisKing]

Ahhhh thank you so much! Wow!