Indie production company Spud Gun Studios has announced it is taking ownership of popular animation-focused YouTube channel Mashed from Channel 4. Mashed, which has over 5 million subscribers, will continue to be run by Spud Gun, which was established by the creators and producers behind Mashed’s 12-year growth.
Spud Gun Studios managing director Tom Payne said: “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 produced for global video game titles like Baldur’s Gate 3, God of War: Ragnarok, and Xbox’s Game Pass service”.
The company’s creative director Tom Jenkins added: “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”.
It is not clear if any money changed hands in the deal. But 4Studio managing director Matt Risley commented: “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, 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 of Mashed as managing director and creative director, respectively. The studio has clocked up over 2 billion views across platforms like YouTube, Snapchat, and TikTok. It has also collaborated with brands such as Larian Studios, Santa Monica Studios and Microsoft.
Mashed itself has built a strong following across multiple social platforms, establishing itself as a go-to destination for original animated shorts and viral gaming parodies. It has around 6.5 million followers cross platform and 2.5 billion lifetime views. In March 2025, Mashed delivered 45 million views, over 1 million hours of watchtime and grew by over 100k subscribers on YouTube alone.
Mashed is shortlisted for Best Comedy Channel and Social Video Channel of the Year at the TellyCast Digital Video Awards.
