They left buzzfeed just to become buzzfeed themselves

People are tired of paying for 900 subscriptions

Why didnt they just do a KZfaq membership

This sucks. I love them... But I'm not buying another streaming service.

The way they speak about leaving KZfaq makes it sound like they are forced to quit. Like come on, no one is making them do this. At least be honest about why you are leaving

And yet, they still have a full patreon, where the highest tier is $100/month?!?!?

Why would anyone pay for the exact same content and no incentives. Career death

They originally tried to take down all their KZfaq content, but quickly went nooooOOOOoooo we're keeping it up, you guys just heard wrong💀

never would I ever think that the day where The Ghoul Boys would be on Tea Spill... but I agree with the mass, this is a really shitty move that seems extremely thought out and not at all at the same time...

I’ve followed them since their first Buzzfeed unsolved video, and I’m SHOCKED! They’d be the last company I’d expect to do this… they shot themselves in the foot and now their silence is deafening.

Under 3million subscribers is nowhere near enough for this to be viable and their announcement having just under 200k dislikes is wild. They've ruined their careers.

Just to nitpick, but it was Ryan and Shane who spent years building up a loyal supportive fanbase willing to follow them off Buzzfeed. I don't know who that other guy is.

Remember when there was the Try Guys Ned scandal and we all were praising Shane, Ryan and Steven for being unproblematic... Sigh

If they are really set on producing high-budget content and it truly isn't affordable to them, they should have pitched their show to an existing streaming service. Expecting people to pay $6 a month to be able to watch one show is just silly.

Watcher on Tea spill? The crossover I literally never wanted but I'm getting 😢👍

I truly blame steven. He's apparently the ceo now Edit: Thanks for the likes, you guys! I made this post in haste, and I also blame Shane and Ryan. Also, there is a funny update; they made an update video on the watcher channel backtracking (a little) lol

Somebody commented under their Instagram post about this with, "Maybe the demons were Ryan and Shane all along." RIP.

Pirating is always morally correct

buzzfeed collapsed because of overhiring and mismanagement of funds. just sucks to see that they didn’t learn from their old employer’s mistakes.

200k subs lost, 170k dislikes, 71k+ comments, none of these so far are positive on their side. Content creators should be reminded that being greedy will have a concequence.

And don't forget they wanted to remove all the old content from KZfaq! The decision was quickly rolled back/denied but in the video it very much sounds like that was the original plan.

They called us poor, broke up with us, said they used us as a rung in a corporate ladder and basically said they're stepping on us for the last time pushing us into the ground. I feel sick to my stomach and personally insulted by the video.

shane and ryan blink twice if you need help

they got fans all around the world (japan here) like do they also not realize this new platform wont be available to some of us :(

they need a better marketing team

its so sad considering they literally make so much from patreon already…

We came for them not the high quality they could film it in a shed and we'd still watch. It'd just a kick in the teeth for the people who have been loyal since the buzzfeed days.

This is the most Buzzfeed thing they’ve done since leaving Buzzfeed

I was waiting for you to cover this. The whole situation is so gross. It's overflowing with greed. Edit: penguinz0 even did a cost breakdown estimate of their channel, and it's truly just ... there's literally no good reason for this. Been a fan of them since Buzzfeed but this immeadietly destroyed that love and support after all this time.

I think they just forgot why people tuned in and listened to their own vision too much. Not a lot of people subscribed to Watcher for Steven's series. The fact that his series looks the most expensive to produce just because he wants to try expensive food got people angry. On top of the "everyone can afford this" statement, because let's remember it's 5,99$ USD for 4 monthly videos

They "have" to pay $1000 so Steve can eat a steak with gold foil on it.

Bruh peacock costs 7.99 and it has waaaaay more features. They’re overcharging for sure.

Saw a comment that said something to the effect of "i wonder if steven pitched a 5 year investment plan, and now that time is up and they need to pay out" increasingly that feels true.

I’ve been watching Ryan & Shane since their Buzzfeed days. Unfortunately I won’t be “following them this one last time”. They really shot themselves in the foot with this business decision.

Never like Steven and I wholeheartedly think he pushed for this. Especially because Shane has been vocal about disliking companies that do this. They don’t seem to grasp we enjoyed the simple comedy from Shane and Ryan, not the production quality

If they wanna be Netflix level of quality, they should pitch their show to Netflix, not try to become a streaming service without having nearly as much appeal

Greed is a terrible thing

I am one of the people who only followed Watcher for Shane and Ryan. Their friendship was comedic but also endearing. I loved the simplicity of Buzzfeed Unsolved. Ghost Files is good but all the extra stuff is unnecessary in my opinion. Their chemistry was the magic.

I noticed that when KZfaqrs start doing " tv worthy" content people start leaving. No one wants that but the KZfaqrs and their dream of grandeur.

I was broken up with and insulted for being broke by my favorite channel lol. Loved the guys but honestly even if they backtrack and return to KZfaq I don't know if I'll come back...

Never heard of them, but since the start of the video I was thinking “haven’t they heard of Patreon” only to find out they already have one 😭 clearly they also need to start paying a PR team as well

When Rooster Teeth attempted to do the same with 40 million subscribers, they failed. The fact that they saw Rooster Teeth crash and burn, and still have enough arrogance to think that they would somehow manage to make this work is crazy. Was it the greed? Did they think that their fans would continue to be loyal after being called poor? 🙄

They really thought going to World Tour, eating expensive food, and buying luxurious products out of our struggling af pocket was a good idea. 💀

I really appreciated the link to the Try Guys and watching their TryPod over their main videos because I am the same way. I much prefer the dynamic between cast members in videos over high production rates

It's the fact that if your not American you can't get the content paid or un paid which really annoys me not to mention they already had a patreon.

genuinely like WHO is making their financial decisions? who is advising them? why are they not budgeting at ALL with what they have? out of the 25 employees they have PLEASE TELL ME THEY HAVE A DECENT ACCOUNTANT !!!!!

The comments under their video are savage. These guys are wealthy influencers who have become so out of touch and now the people are done. Fumbled the bag big time.

They could've done a simple poll about this and found out nobody wants another Netflix but only their stuff in it.

the biggest comparison to this is GMM it has ALWAYS been free, it has always been focused on youtbe and the mythical society is OPTIONAL and not being subscribed to it doesnt makeme feel like i miss out on any rhett and link content

"The you left youtube" such a true statement Never thought id see them here

Imagine being a patron member and being told your subscription isn't lucrative enough.

The thing that gets me is Dropout is the same price as Watcher. Dropout I’ve been subscribed to for over a year and a half and I have watched hundreds of hours of content and still have a backlog of things to watch- and there is new content coming every week. It is absolutely worth the money bc of the sheer amount of quality content they are producing. Watcher doesn’t have that- and by them not having that/ also not announcing what NEW series they will bring to the table, it’s really hard to make an informed choice on if buying it will be good. It also really rubs me the wrong way that they are removing all the previously free shows. This whole move stinks of greed and entitlement tbh :((

I kinda stopped watching them when their stuff got too professional and well produced. We dont need fancy sets and setups, all we need is 2 dudes on a couch, filming themselves with their phone. I mean...there's a reason why I prefer youtube over TV ;;

I’m sure we were all thinking “Wait, is this a joke?” when we saw the title of their video. Ugh, such a dick move. I’ve supported these guys for years now but I’m not going to financially support them to enable their own shitty business decisions.

I haven't watched them in a while but this still makes me so sad, I get that there's a high cost of living atm but this still feels really bad. even the "unproblematic" youtubers seem to almost always end up doing something like this... edit: this channel is great, idk how you're so fast at making these videos haha

Even Mr.Beast would get backlash from this. What makes them think they’ll big enough for this to be viable?

$5.99USD in my currency is close to $18. That extra $18 could do so much more for me than spending it on a streaming service.

What's with "TV quality show" obsession? I don't get it. I don't even watch TV nowadays. Netflix yes, but that's more cinematic than TV. Their current content still feels like KZfaq. The good kind of KZfaq video. Maybe just me. Their move doesn't makes sense.

I haven't watched them in a while but this still makes me so sad, I get that there's a high cost of living atm but this still feels really bad. even the \

The question is what is wrong with patreon that they needed a paywall? It’s highly suspicious that they have 25 employees and complained about not making enough when they rack in at least a million views per video??? They should cut down their employees and look into what they could budget. Majority of us don’t need this quality production sht from them. Their content from the unsolved videos was what made them have a huge audience in the first place… they dun fcked up now… sigh

Also, the fact they had a countdown to a big and exciting announcement... And the announcement is a paywall when they post less than weekly on average

imo Steven is absolutely horrible CEO because he seems keener on making himself a big name like Shane and Ryan (like getting his own series on the new platform) than making sure the business thrives and is cost-effective. but it's not like Shane and Ryan had no say in this and i bet that the two could overrule Steven's decision if they wanted

I've seen that Steven guy around on YT and always had a funny feeling about him..

omfg i was waiting for this. It makes me so sad that this is happening. I watched them on buzzfeed unsolved and also on watcher and i have been a long time fan. This is just so unfair honestly like nobody has 5.99.

What a shitty move. I’m actually beyond bummed out

First Charlie, now Tea Spill… if Coffeezilla makes a video about this, then Watcher is truly doomed.

I actually liked their previous production better. The time when Ryan and Shane was just chilling in a dark room with a mannequin in the background and their text on screen

never click so fast ( im just bored)

I was planning on binging all their stuff when they finished their season and now I can’t 🌝

I have been a fan of Ryan and Shane since 2016. I followed them from Buzzfeed to Watcher. I even watched their Podwatcher and now it feels like they are abandoning their loyal audience all for more money. The thing is though, I can’t afford it and even if I could I wouldn’t buy it out of principle. $5.99 is not adorable for everyone, they were already making money and had a patreon and now they are being radio silent as their fans are hurting and upset. It’s completely embarrassing and upsetting to see how Watcher is handling this. I truly believe the main person behind this terrible and detrimental business decision is Steven Lim. I thought the ghoul boys were better than this but it’s looking like I was wrong

Also, unless one of them personally built this…they’ve already taken a huge loss on website design. This was such a foolish move.

It’s wild because they have Patreon, they have other means of making money without a subscription streaming service. The content doesn’t justify the means of the streaming service they have two specific niches of content and that’s food and scary. At least the Try Guys attempt to diversify their content while finding things that make them money. The channel thats most similar to Watcher in terms of production costs is Korean Englishman/Jolly. Their main thing is Korean Culture and Food. They fly out people to Korea multiple times in one year and vice versa to other countries, yet the only thing they’ve done is memberships on YT! They have provided consistent quality videos showing people Korean Culture and them exploring different areas of the world. They’re not struggling with money the way Watcher has..

Their thumbnail looks like the Try Guys "What Happened" video 😂

If they wanted more pay for their content they don't need to create a whole new streaming platform, there's Nebula for example, you can join a platform that already exists that does better revenue share with the creators and still get your fans to join you.

we don't need another subscription in a world that even the smallest things that don't need one have one, even if it's for watcher. bad and tone deaf move from them. i'm surprised because shane always seemed to lean to an eat the rich kind of person. many people can't afford to waste that money on something for pleasure and something that doesn't fit as much variety/effort as other streaming services. especially for content that was once free and doesn't need more money put into it because the fan base would still love it if the content was made with dollar store crafts. i loved watching shane and ryan, but this is greed. i'll have to step back from watcher as someone who can't treat themselves to even a drink at a fast food place most of the time.

I just... Why couldn't they do both? Release less Yt content, Yt teasers for full length videos?

Why couldn’t they do a collaboration with tubi or another free platform.

Tbh the first point should have been to cut costs, because the fans are ultimately there for three core elements: Ryan, Shane, Scary stories This is why you need business people as well as creatives, sometimes you gotta sacrifice the overall vision if youre not hitting bottom line

Steven Lim ruined their channel

Cannot express how disappointed I am that they have completely thrown away their fans due to financial greed. I resent financially well off people tell me what constitutes affordable. The theatrical video making this seem like a thoughtful decision rather than another money grab is infuriating. I always wanted Charlie to react to their videos, but I hate that it's because of this.

other streaming services are around the same price or slightly more for many many shows and movies but this is just for one series??

It’s giving “we’re butthurt that no networks want to pick us up so…”

They used to be my absolute favourites at Buzzfeed. Their “Unsolved” videos were an essential part of my childhood. So sad to hear this turn of events.

My grandma always said that any amount of money is a lot of money if you don’t have it. Some people can’t afford to feed their families and keep a roof over their head. I went off Watcher when a by one of them, I can’t remember who, said during the BLM movement that they had racist friends….yeah not people I wanna support

To say the quiet part out loud. Nobody ever liked Steven.

They got to Shane and Ryan too 😭

What really bothers me is how some people have actually forgiven them for this, kinda like how a victim makes excuses for their abuser

When I saw the thumbnail and title of their video I thought they were retiring, little did I know it was WORSE than that. Such a stab in the back to their audience and it came out of nowhere. I never expected them to be so greedy. So disappointed.

KZfaqrs/Content Creators always need to remember who their core audience is. It seems like these guys got so caught up with “keeping up with the Joneses” and wanted to be on par with higher-level production companies that other companies became their new focus, not the audience anymore. To start a subscription service where subscribers only get 4 new videos a month at $6/month, is absolute lunacy. I already pay $6/month for my Peacock subscription. Yes, it’s $6, but I have access to 100s of TV shows and movies every month, NOT four.

3:15 Steven's idea of making things affordable for "anybody and everybody" forgets that not everyone lives in the USA. In Latin America, for instance, lots of folks earn less than $1000 a month, and in Venezuela, the average salary is just $145. It's a reminder that not everyone has the same financial privileges, especially in different parts of the world.

It really looks like a move by people who have really forgotten what being an average, everyday person is and means. It really screams "over indulgence" to me. The only one putting these high production costs on their work is themselves. The extra bells and whistles aren't needed and speak of a loss of touch with reality. As if "This is beneath me, my work must be Oscar worthy material, I am an artiste after all." For people who talk about quality of production so much, it's a really bad look.

This is so unfortunate, I used to love their dynamic so much!! Buzzfeed unsolved was such a great show.

Not Spill covering the Watcher controversy 😂

It's an insane move. Their content (as good as it can be) doesn't justify a whole ass streaming service. Like what???

I could’ve NEVER imagined in a million years the ghoul boys would be in a TEA SPILL TODAY NOOOOO🤧

I've been watching their contents since their buzzfeed days and really love shane & ryan so when they moved to watcher, i subscribed the channel as well, but oh boy with $6 in my country currency i can buy a whole week worth of grocery, so no thanks 😢😢

If 10% of their subscribers pay that 5,99 they will get 1,8M every month. So probably this will be worth it for them.

I had the honor of watching this video as soon as it came out. Not gonna lie I was pretty sad when I first saw the title and I thought they were actually leaving for good. I cannot believe how strongly my opinion changed in only a few minutes of watching a video, and I cant believe they would do this. I always took them for the good soft guys like what the TryGuys are, but this? This is just evil and bad. Im gonna have to say goodbye to their humor and content cause I absolutely cannot afford to pay moeny just for a couple of videos KNOWING that they were already earning more than enough on KZfaq and that they just chose to be more greedy

People need to stop talking like Shane and Ryan were forced to do this by Steven 😂 I know he's the least popular one but let's not get delusional from our parasocial relationship with them. We don't know them behind the scenes. "Ghoul boys would never 😢" What? Shane and Ryan are co-founders and owners of this company too. There's literally no way Steven alone could push this. I'm disappointed by all 3 of them.

They’re literally charging the same amount I pay for SHUDDER!🙄