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.

Their conversation is a great learning resource if you want to build your English listening comprehension skills and expand your business vocabulary. Key points of their discussion include:

Learn the differences between a SPAC and an IPO, and why BuzzFeed opted for a SPAC in 2021.
A breakdown of BuzzFeed’s $300 million purchase of Complex Networks.
How selling Hot Ones has helped BuzzFeed reduce its debt and pivot toward new revenue streams.

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Contact Skip, Dez, and Samantha at

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