Dude Perfect, the YouTube collective known for its PG-rated sports trick shots and fun-loving stunts, has secured more than $100 million in backing from investment firm Highmount Capital.
Funding from the strategic partnership will go toward building Dude Perfect’s “growth and influence on and beyond traditional channels,” a press release said Tuesday. The group will use the capital to fund new opportunities and projects as well as building out its management team and slate of creative partnerships.
Formed 15 years ago when the members were students at Texas A&M, Dude Perfect has amassed 100 million followers, including 60 million subscribers to its popular YouTube channel. The group has often crossed over to traditional media, including in an alternate telecast in Prime Video’s carriage of NFL Thursday Night Football and, prior to that, an unscripted show on Nickelodeon.
The Highmount deal comes as the group is establishing new headquarters in Frisco, TX, which will be the site of content creation, events with athletes a retail store, podcast and gaming spaces and other activities. The group plans an international tour and will also be the subject of an upcoming ESPN 30 for 30 documentary set to open the Dallas International Film Festival later this month.
“The mission of Dude Perfect is to serve families with the most trusted entertainment on earth,” said the group’s Coby Cotton. “By partnering with Highmount Capital, we hope to pour gas on the fire and take the Dude Perfect fun that families have witnessed on screens these past 15 years and turn it into real-life products and memory-making experiences they can actually touch and feel for themselves.“
“The Dudes have truly captured the hearts and minds of the next generation, pioneering the new creator-led media space and expanding far beyond video and traditional channels,” said Jason Illian, Co-Founder and General Partner at Highmount Capital. “In addition to creating content that garners billions of views every year, which is an impressive feat on its own, the Dudes have built something even more valuable and that is trust – trust with families, brands, and consumers of all ages and backgrounds.”
CAA Evolution served as the exclusive financial advisor to Dude Perfect and King & Spalding acted as its legal advisor. Highmount Capital was represented by Stinson LLP.