Who are Dude Perfect? YouTube sports and comedy group secures more than $100 million in investment for expansion

Dude Perfect is a group of comedy and sports enthusiasts on YouTube that recently secured a nine-figure investment in the range of $100 million - $300 million from a private investment firm called Highmount Capital. Its channel was founded by five college friends from Texas A&M University in 2009 - Garret Hilbert, twins Coby and Cory Cotton, Cody Jones, and Tyler Nathan "Ty" Toney.

The group shot to fame for its trickshot videos in the early 2010s and has amassed over 60 million subscribers on their channel, which makes them the 31st most subscribed-to channel on YouTube in 2024.

The group also had a TV Show on Nickelodeon and CMT between 2016-19 called The Dude Perfect Show.

The big investment is slated to help the YouTubers expand their brand and branch out of the content creation space. The group has big plans with the $100+ million, which reportedly includes opening a retail store, launching their branded toy line, starting their very own streaming platform, and also building a potential $100 million theme park.

---

All you need to know about the Dude Perfect YouTube channel and their $100 million+ investment

As mentioned, Dude Perfect dates back 15 years. Its first video on YouTube was uploaded on April 9, 2009. The group started by making three to five-minute-long low-budget segments back in the day and filled the sports niche of the platform. It then rode the trick shot craze in 2013, reaching the one million subscriber milestone in May. By December, it added another million to that tally.

At the time, Dude Perfect became one of the most popular content creators, having secured numerous sponsorships, appearing in various commercials, and collaborating with sports stars.

By 2016, the group had a TV deal with CMT. The Dude Perfect Show was a reality, comedy show that premiered on April 14, 2016, and moved to Nickelodeon a year later. The show ran for three seasons, ending in 2019 with 49 total episodes.

With increased popularity, the group's content on its YouTube channel also changed, evolving from simple trick shots to more elaborate competitions. The content can be classified into various series, such as 'Cool Not Cool,' where each member brings an item that they think is cool, others vote on it, and 'Wheel Unfortunate,' where each participant spins a wheel and undergoes a punishment.

Apart from these challenge-type segments, there is also a fan-favorite series called 'Battles,' where the YouTubers duke it out against each other to be crowned the winner, most frequently in Nerf wars.

'Bucket List' is a comparatively new segment introduced in 2020, where the group travels to places around the world to tick off activities from their bucket list. 'Stereotypes' is another series that comprises skits produced by the YouTubers stereotyping subjects. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the group dedicated a video in the series to healthcare workers.

Each member of Dude Perfect also has several alter-egos that they bust out for specific videos. The egotistical Ned Forrestor, for example, is one of Tyler's alter egos and has a bubbly but egotistical personality. Cody also has a popular one called Jerry Sanderson, who comes off as an obnoxious rich snob.

Dude Perfect is one of the most successful YouTube brands in the United States and has been making engaging content since 2009. With a plethora of special segments and regular videos, it is easy to see why the channel is so popular. Now, with the nine-figure 100+ million dollar investment, the group is looking to grow its brand into something more.