Discovery’s Revision3 Buys Philip DeFranco’s YouTube Ventures

San Francisco, Calif. – Revision3 announced today that it has acquired Internet video icon Philip DeFranco’s portfolio of online video channels and ventures, DeFranco Creative. As part of the acquisition, DeFranco, the wildly popular YouTube host and producer, will himself become part of the Revision3 programming leadership team as Senior Vice President, Phil DeFranco Networks and Merchandise. A voice of a generation and one of the largest producers of Revision3 content, DeFranco is the force behind such popular shows and channels as The Philip DeFranco Show, SourceFed and The Vloggity. Today’s announcement comes as Discovery Communications just finished celebrating the one-year anniversary of its acquisition of Revision3 with record audience and stream growth and demonstrates the company’s ability to attract and develop the Internet’s top talents.

“We’ve had a blast working with Phil and his team as an affiliate, and we can’t wait to take the relationship way beyond 11,” said Jim Louderback, CEO of Revision3. “Phil knows better than anyone working the web today how to delight audiences, build passionate fanbases and launch new franchises. By bringing Phil and DeFranco Creative officially into the fold we are adding a true pioneer in online video, a magnetic personality, a real business focus and a top-notch creative team to Revision3. His decision to join us validates Revision3 as the best (and only) place that supports and grows the Internet’s top video producers and hosts.”

Philip DeFranco’s channels and shows have generated more than one billion video views since launching in 2006, averaging 50 million views monthly. The acquisition also includes a robust merchandise business that builds on DeFranco’s take on the world and tight connection with his passionate viewers and superfans, collectively known as “The Nation.” As an Internet and TV personality, DeFranco has taken on everything from Discovery Channel’s Shark Week, as the on-air host to the pop culture event’s Shark Week Chompdown in 2012, to the most recent Democratic and Republican National Conventions, as one of only a handful of hosts for YouTube’s live coverage of the U.S. presidential race.

“Working with Jim and Revision3 the past few years has been as immensely fun as it has been profitable,” added DeFranco. “I am so excited to be a part of the team because they’re the one group that understands how to add value while not taking away from their content creators. At the end of the day, we still have the same main goals: make awesome content, work with amazing people, monetize it, and repeat. This new relationship will provide the ability to do all of that better and build a network focused on quality and authenticity.”

The Philip DeFranco Show, launched in 2006, is a daily source of news and commentary about the world for more than 2.5 million subscribers, with DeFranco tackling everything from the latest buzz to new tech gadgets. In 2007, he launched his personal lifestyle channel, The Vloggity, with more than 700,000 subscribers today. Last year, DeFranco debuted SourceFed, a new channel focused on breaking pop culture news in conjunction with YouTube’s original channel initiative.

Revision3 was founded in 2005 and was acquired by Discovery Communications in May 2012. In the year since, Revision3’s online audience has grown 175% and video streams have more than tripled. During that time, Revision3 has enabled the successful launches of channels based on popular podcasts and content from HowStuffWorks and Discovery News, in addition to launching the all-new TestTube network and signing top talent including the Fine Brothers (Kids React) and gaming expert Adam Sessler (Rev3Games).

For this transaction, Discovery Communications and Revision3 were advised by Proskauer Rose LLP, and Michael Bienstock of Semaphore Tax and Business Solutions, Inc. was the exclusive business advisor to DeFranco Creative, with Hubert Smith, Jr. of HTS Media Law, PC advising on all legal and contract representation.