Popular YouTube group Dude Perfect, known for their basketball trick shots, has secured investment between $100 million and $300 million from private investment firm Highmount Capital.
The investment aims to support the group’s exploration of new strategic opportunities and expansion beyond the creator economy.
“We’re really excited to try to unlock some of the vision and stuff that we were afraid would only be dreamed up to this point,” says Coby Cotton, a co-founder at Dude Perfect.
“We’re really just looking to scale a lot of the things that, up until now, we’ve just never even had anywhere close to the capability to do.”
Dude Perfect comprises five members – Coby Cotton, Cory Cotton, Tyler Toney, Garret Hilbert, and Cody Jones. They met at Texas A&M University and started their YouTube channel in 2009.
The channel’s videos quickly went viral, leading to television appearances, brand deals with major advertisers, and live tours.
With over 60 million subscribers and 17 billion views, the Dude Perfect YouTube channel ranks as the 35th most-subscribed channel, according to data from Social Blade.
Beyond their YouTube channel, Dude Perfect operates with a team of 25 employees based in Frisco, Texas.
They have secured various brand partnerships, including their own smoothie at Smoothie King, a line of Nerf products, and even their own board game.
“Whether it’s toys, or food and beverage or whatever, it’s really just letting families bond with you and with each other,” said Highmount Capital co-founder Jason Illian.
“They built such a tremendous business now that we want to run in parallel with those and let those grow even faster.”
The investment is structured for long-term holding, with Highmount Capital planning to be a long-term financial partner and support Dude Perfect as they expand beyond online content.
The team’s future, dubbed “Dude Perfect 2.0,” includes plans to open a retail store, launch a streaming platform, introduce a line of toys and games in Walmart, and even envision a $100 million theme park.
“It will be continued watching, but also give families, in particular, a chance to touch and feel what they’ve come to love from Dude Perfect,” said Cotton.
Dude Perfect has become known for family-friendly entertainment, which has been instrumental in attracting more advertisers on YouTube.
“The next generation is not coming in and flipping on cable TV,” said Illian. “They’re pulling in their phones, and they’re subscribing, they’re following. And these are the people they’re listening to.”
