Former Buzzfeed employees’ Watcher Entertainment retracts decision to quit YouTube

YouTubers Steven Lim, Ryan Bergara, and Shane Madej are reconsidering the plan which some critics called a money grab.

The three founders of Watcher Entertainment have apologized to fans for their initial announcement to leave YouTube and move their new shows exclusively to their own subscription-streaming service.

In response to a wave of negative feedback, Steven Lim, Ryan Bergara, and Shane Madej of Watcher Entertainment have announced a change in plans. They will now release their content for free on YouTube one month after subscribers can access it.

“We messed up,” said Watcher CEO Steven Lim in a YouTube video posted on Monday.

Madej added, “We’ve been reading the things you’ve been saying, and we’re sorry for the way we handled this, as well as the way we communicated it. We understand where you’re coming from — and we’re making immediate changes.”

Previously, Watcher had planned to release only the first episode of new seasons on YouTube, with viewers needing a paid subscription to watch full seasons. However, all past videos from Watcher Entertainment’s shows over the past four years will remain on YouTube.

The group initially posted a goodbye video on YouTube, which Bergara later admitted was "insensitive." He acknowledged, “We didn’t properly express how much we appreciate all of you, and we did a really bad job of explaining the reasoning behind this transition.”