Spud Gun Studios is to take ownership of the animated YouTube channel Mashed from Channel 4. Mashed, which has over 5 million subscribers, will continue to be run by Spud Gun Studios, the independent production company established by the team behind the channel.
The acquisition from Channel 4, which completed late last week, sees Mashed, one of the UK’s largest and most popular animation channels with over 5 million YouTube subscribers transition into independent ownership under the leadership of its long-time creators and producers.
Spud Gun Studios Managing Director Tom Payne says: “Under Spud Gun Studios, we intend to broaden the reach of Mashed on social media, establish new channels, and enhance its branded content services. We’re really proud of the work we’ve already produced for global video game titles like Baldur’s Gate 3, God of War: Ragnarok, and Xbox’s Game Pass service”.
Spud Gun Studios Creative Director Tom Jenkins adds: “Although it’s the end of an enjoyable era developing Mashed with Channel 4, taking full control of the brand allows us to realise our ambition to transform Mashed into a global leader in fan-focused, genre-bending animated content with a continued focus on gaming communities which provides a compelling commercial proposition for brands”.
4Studio Managing Director Matt Risley, says: “Channel 4 has had a brilliant, successful relationship with Mashed since its launch 12 years ago, but the time is right for us to focus on new audiences and verticals as part of a UK-focused digital content strategy. We’re happy that Mashed will continue to grow beyond its original model into new formats, partnerships and global audiences with Spud Gun Studios, and we look forward to seeing what they do next.’
Spud Gun Studios was founded by Jason Mitchell and Jake Cassels, co-founders of The Connected Set and original producers of Mashed, along with Tom Payne and Tom Jenkins, who will oversee daily operations as Managing Director and Creative Director, respectively.
Mashed is an influential animation-focused YouTube channel that has captured the attention of millions of gaming enthusiasts worldwide. Renowned for its playful tone, rapid-fire humour, and creative collaborations with leading game studios, Mashed has built a massive following across multiple social platforms, establishing itself as a go-to destination for original animated shorts and viral gaming parodies.
MASHED STATS
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- Over 6.5 million followers cross platform.
- Over 2.5 billion lifetime views.
- Last month (March 2025), Mashed delivered 45 million views, over 1 million hours of watchtime and grew by over 100k subscribers on YouTube alone.
- It’s the #1 video game YouTube channel based on views per video (2023 – Tubular Labs + 4studio)
Pippa Considine
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