United States
Anthony Padilla is one of the original architects of YouTube comedy, best known as the co-founder of Smosh alongside Ian Hecox, a channel that became one of the platform's defining properties in the mid-2000s.
Total Followers +0.0%
5.5M
Across Instagram, YouTube, TikTok
Primary Platform
3.3M followers · 61% of audience
Engagement
4.5%
vs. 1.5% category median
Sponsorship Tier
Mega
Est. $40K–$93K / IG post
Paramount confirmed Padilla and Smosh co-founder Ian Hecox will return as Hal and Bubbles, respectively, in the franchise's third installment, due in theaters December 23, 2026.
Both outlets noted the film's deliberate lean into creator talent, with Padilla and Hecox representing the YouTube old guard next to newer stars like MrBeast.
| Window | YouTube | TikTok | Combined | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Last 7 days | -1000 -0.0% | +0 +0.0% | +0 +0.0% | -1000 |
| Last 30 days | +0 +0.0% | +0 +0.0% | +0 +0.0% | +0 |
| Last 90 days | +0 +0.0% | +0 +0.0% | +0 +0.0% | +0 |
| Last 365 days | +0 +0.0% | +0 +0.0% | +0 +0.0% | +0 |
Daily follower snapshots from CreatorDB's longitudinal index.
Anthony Padilla is one of the original architects of YouTube comedy, best known as the co-founder of Smosh alongside Ian Hecox, a channel that became one of the platform's defining properties in the mid-2000s. After departing from Smosh in 2017 when it was sold to Defy Media, Padilla launched a critically well-received solo YouTube channel built around an empathetic, long-form interview format — his 'I Spent a Day With...' series brought him into conversation with people from niche subcultures, stigmatized communities, and internet personalities, earning him a reputation for humanizing subjects that most entertainment channels treat as punchlines. That pivot established him as something meaningfully different from his sketch-comedy origins: a creator whose strength lies in genuine curiosity and emotional intelligence rather than pure comedy output.
Anthony-Padilla reaches an audience concentrated in United States primarily through YouTube, and is best activated via Instagram Reels and Stories, TikTok branded content. As a comedy creator they map naturally to brands targeting that space. With no brand deals logged yet, they read as an available, category-aligned partner for advertisers building early presence in the space. Engagement on YouTube runs around 4.5%, which points to an audience better suited to category-relevant, mid-funnel campaigns than to pure-reach buys. The channel's mix of Instagram Reels and Stories and TikTok branded content lets a sponsor choose between short awareness placements and longer, more detailed integrations. Because the audience follows comedy content rather than arriving through untargeted reach, sponsorships that match the channel's subject matter tend to convert more efficiently than broad placements. A consistent, on-topic posting focus gives sponsors a predictable, brand-safe environment, lowering placement risk compared with broad, general-interest channels. Campaigns here are best measured on qualified engagement and consideration within the niche rather than on raw impression volume. For United States-focused brands in comedy and related categories, Anthony-Padilla offers a defined, creative-fit audience rather than broad, low-intent impressions.
Benchmark estimates for a creator at Anthony-Padilla's tier (Mega, 5.5M combined followers, United States). Pulled from CreatorDB's category benchmarks.
The CreatorDB Agency runs end-to-end influencer campaigns globally — shortlisting, outreach, contracting, and performance reporting. Talk to our team about building a campaign around creators in this niche.
Anthony left Smosh in 2017 when the channel was sold to Defy Media, a corporate move he had no part in and felt conflicted about creatively. He stepped away to launch a solo YouTube channel where he had full creative ownership over everything he made.
Yes — Anthony returned to Smosh after Mythical Entertainment, the company founded by Rhett and Link of Good Mythical Morning, acquired the brand. With people he trusted at the helm, he rejoined and has since been active across Smosh, Smosh Games, and connected channels in the network.
His solo channel became known for the I Spent a Day With interview series, where he spends extended time with members of specific communities — from cult survivors to adult content creators — and lets them speak candidly about their lives. The format leans into empathy rather than spectacle, which set it apart from typical YouTube interview content.
Yes — Anthony maintains a dedicated Instagram account, @anthony.paint, for his visual art and painting work. He keeps it largely separate from his YouTube and Smosh presence, treating it as a personal creative outlet rather than a content play.
Yes — Smosh, co-founded by Anthony Padilla and Ian Hecox, held the record as the most-subscribed channel on YouTube for a stretch in the late 2000s and early 2010s. Their early sketch comedy videos helped define what YouTube entertainment looked like and made Anthony one of the platform's original breakout stars.
Smosh Alike is a channel under the broader Smosh family of brands that Anthony references directly in his Instagram bio alongside Smosh and Smosh Games. It represents one of the content verticals in the expanding Smosh network that Anthony is part of building.
Pressalike is a newly launched addition to the Smosh family of channels, welcomed publicly by Anthony with a post describing it as something that had been "a long time coming." It reflects the continued expansion of the Smosh content network under the current creative leadership.
MatPat stepped back from leading the Game Theory channel network in early 2024, and Anthony joined Team Theorist for content celebrating his legacy, which included creators doing their best MatPat impressions. It was a moment of cross-creator community appreciation that fit Anthony's long history of collaborating within the YouTube ecosystem.
Anthony is currently based in Florida, as reflected in recent content he has tagged with #floridalife. This is a shift from his earlier years in Los Angeles, where the original Smosh videos were produced.
Anthony was involved in a campaign tagged #smosh20yearsin20days, marking two decades of Smosh content on YouTube. The milestone highlights how the channel has grown from early viral sketch comedy into a multi-channel entertainment network with Anthony still at its center.
Stats (followers, engagement, audience demographics, growth) are pulled live from the CreatorDB API covering YouTube, Instagram and TikTok. Bio and FAQ content is AI-assisted; news items are sourced from cited public press at generation time. Read the full methodology →
If you'd like to update, correct, or remove this profile, get in touch and we'll handle it within 5 business days. We don't publish private data — every stat shown comes from your public platform profiles.
@anthonypadilla · Instagram
+0 new followers
Preparing fresh data…
This usually takes 15–25 seconds.