The series The Hot Ones celebrated its 300th episode last week—marking it as one of the most successful web series on YouTube and opening a special partnership with Grubhub.
Key Details
- The first episode of The Hot Ones was released on YouTube on March 12, 2015. It has become one of the platform’s most notable success stories.
- The channel has 12.4 million subscribers and has celebrated more than 91.9 million shorts views so far this year.
- Thursday’s episode—guest starring comedian John Mulaney—marked the occasion of the series’s 300th episode, drawing more than 1.4 million views since it was published.
- Series host Sean Evans has eaten roughly 3,000 spicy chicken wings on camera, usually joined by a celebrity guest host, actor, comedian, or musician, Variety notes.
- Grubhub is celebrating the success by launching a special “Pop-Up” Hot Ones menu allowing New York City residents to order hot wings and sauces for delivery through July 7.
Why It’s NEWS
Video apps like YouTube and TikTok have largely become the preferred form of entertainment for young people. That said, many of these apps are still eager for crossover success with traditional media and notable online influencers. The Hot Ones is a clear example of successful synergy between YouTube and the traditional entertainment industry, with the show having drawn hundreds of notable celebrities for food tastings.
The show’s partnership with Grubhub marks a notable success for the show, with the app offering six-piece or 12-piece orders from three of the show’s most famous spicy chicken recipes. The show may additionally expand further with a larger dining footprint after this limited “Pop-Up” event, The Future Party reports.
Notable Quote
“11 years ago, First We Feast was launched as a brand that merged food and pop culture. I had been writing about food at Timeout New York, and it became something my contemporaries were talking about more than sports or music. What are you cooking, and where are you eating this weekend? A lot of traditional media wasn’t speaking to this new audience. It was an ivory tower of foodies with a capital ‘F.’ It leveled the playing field. No one had invested that much in their video product up until that time. Showing this new point of view about the intersection of food and culture just popped so much more on camera,” series creator Chris Schonberger tells Variety.
