BuzzFeed’s Hot Sale of Hot Ones

Hot Ones, the wildly popular YouTube interview show where celebrities tackle spicy chicken wings, has a new home. BuzzFeed recently sold the production company behind the hit series, First We Feast, to a group of investors led by an affiliate of George Soros’s fund. Skip Montreux and Samantha Vega examine the financial pressures that led BuzzFeed to sell Hot Ones. They explore BuzzFeed’s rise as a digital media pioneer, its decision to go public through a SPAC, and the acquisition of Complex Networks in 2021. They also explain how these moves impacted BuzzFeed’s finances and led to the eventual sale of First We Feast. D2B 351 examines how financial struggles led BuzzFeed to sell Hot Ones, the challenges of navigating the digital media landscape, and the exciting future ahead for the spicy interview show.  Do you like what you hear? Become a D2B Member today for to access to member-only episodes, our --NEW!!! -- INTERACTIVE AUDIO SCRIPTS, PDF Audio Script Library, Bonus Vocabulary episodes, and D2B Member-only episodes. Visit d2benglish.com/membership for more information.