The H3 Podcast is a live commentary podcast hosted by Ethan Klein. The show airs on YouTube and started in 2016.

H3 Podcast
H3 Podcast logo
Presentation
Hosted byEthan Klein
StarringHila Klein
Daniel Swerdlove
Ian Slater
Zach Louis
AB Ayad
Olivia Lopes
Lena Ayad
Love
Nate
Tom Ward
GenreVariety
Format
  • Audio
  • video
Created byEthan Klein
Hila Klein
LanguageEnglish
Production
Video formatYouTube
No. of seasons5
No. of episodes968
Publication
Original releaseDec 20, 2016[1]
Related
Related showsh3h3Productions
Frenemies
Leftovers
YouTube information
Channel
Subscribers2.79 million[2]
Total views1.4 billion[2]
100,000 subscribers
1,000,000 subscribers

Last updated: December 19, 2024

The H3 Podcast is among the most listened-to podcasts in the United States. According to the 2023 U.S. Podcast Report by Triton Digital, the podcast was among the 100 most downloaded podcasts in 2023.[3] The podcast ranked 22nd in Edison Research's list of shows with the largest weekly audience in the third quarter of 2023.[4]

History

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Origins

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The H3 Podcast was originally hosted on YouTube, then streamed on Twitch before being moved back to YouTube on May 19, 2018.[5] Its first episode featuring Justin Roiland, co-creator of Rick and Morty,[6] was uploaded to the h3h3Productions YouTube channel on December 20, 2016, before being re-uploaded on the H3 Podcast channel on April 7, 2017. The podcast began with conversational interviews with notable internet personalities such as PewDiePie, Post Malone, and Jake Paul.[7][8]

In 2017, the Kleins created the channel H3 Podcast Highlights which posts highlights of podcast episodes.[9] The podcast grew alongside Hila Klein's clothing line Teddy Fresh, promoting the brand to the audience which became popular among fans.[10]

Shows

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The H3 Podcast airs four live video podcasts episodes per week, three available to the general public and a members-exclusive show See You Next Thursday.[11] The show originally consisted of a mix of live and pre-recorded episodes with separate formats but has since evolved to a fully live format.

Past shows

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Frenemies and Families

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Frenemies was a show hosted by Trisha Paytas and Ethan Klein on the H3 Podcast channel. The podcast focused on discussing personal experiences, pop culture, internet drama and mental health.[12] It consisted of 39 episodes and two accompanying vlogs. Paytas' and Klein's friendship was occasionally tumultuous, leading to episodes that were incomplete due to a verbal argument.[13] The podcast came to an end during its 39th episode, after a dispute with Paytas and Klein about podcast revenue[14] and production ownership.[15] Despite this, Frenemies gained recognition in the podcasting realm and found a place in numerous Top 50 lists,[16][17] frequently pulling in millions of viewers per episode.[18][8]

The Families podcast was created in response to Paytas unexpectedly quitting Frenemies.[15] Families, which also discussed internet drama as well as focused on Ethan's relationship with his parents, was co-hosted by his mother, Donna Klein and featured his father, Gary Klein.[19][20] Families aired its last official episode in August 2021 and reunited for a special holiday episode in December 2021.[21][22]

Leftovers

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Leftovers, a left-leaning political podcast co-hosted by Hasan Piker and Ethan, was launched in September 2021.[8] Tubefilter reported that the first episode reached 1 million views a day after being published.[23] This podcast ended after its 61st episode, which was a nearly four-hour discussion of the Israel-Hamas war.[24]

H3TV, Off The Rails and H3 After Dark

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H3TV, Off The Rails and H3 After Dark are shows that were hosted on the H3 Podcast channel and aired on Monday, Wednesday and Friday respectively. All three came to an end on the same week and were merged into a single show, the H3 Show, which airs three times a week.

Controversies and lawsuits

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Triller Fight Club II LLC v. The H3 Podcast

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In May 2021, Triller's event company filed an updated lawsuit to the US District Court for the Central District of California against the H3 Podcast and the Kleins, seeking $50 million in damages. The lawsuit alleged copyright infringement in the now deleted podcast episode titled Jake Paul Fight Was a Disaster, which aired five days after the Jake Paul vs. Ben Askren fight and featured knockout footage along with Ethan's commentary on the event.[25]

YouTube suspensions

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In May 2022, the channel was suspended when Ethan joked on air that someone should bomb the National Rifle Association of America (NRA) convention.[26] In October 2022, it received a strike and one week suspension following comments directed at Jewish conservative political commentator Ben Shapiro, in which Ethan stated he hoped "Ben gets gassed first. Or last" in the event of a second Holocaust. In a statement, a YouTube spokesperson said that the channel was given a strike for "violating the platform's harassment policy". Ethan responded later that "[a] few white supremacists successfully lobbied YouTube to suspend me, a Jewish dual citizen of Israel & USA, for antisemitism."[27][26][28]

Nominations

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Year Ceremony Category Work Result Refs
2018 Streamy Awards Best Podcast H3 Podcast Nominated [29]
2019 Nominated [30]
2020 Nominated [31]
2022 Nominated [32][33]
2023 Nominated [34]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "H3 Podcast #1 - Justin Roiland (Co-Creator of Rick & Morty) - YouTube". YouTube. 2016-12-21. Archived from the original on 2016-12-21. Retrieved 2024-02-08.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  2. ^ a b "About H3 Podcast". YouTube.
  3. ^ 2023 U.S. Podcast Report (PDF) (Report). Triton Digital. 2023. p. 28. Retrieved February 6, 2024.
  4. ^ Edison Research (November 6, 2023). "The Top 50 Podcasts in the U.S. Q3 2023 from Edison Podcast Metrics". Retrieved February 6, 2024.
  5. ^ "H3H3 Calls Twitch Out for Unfair Practices in an Interview With VTuber Codemiko". USTechReport. March 24, 2021. Archived from the original on October 28, 2021. Retrieved October 28, 2021.
  6. ^ Harris, Hunter (September 7, 2017). "Rick and Morty's Justin Roiland Prank Called Joel Osteen's Prayer Line As Rick, and It Devolved Into Everyone Speaking in Tongues". Vulture. Archived from the original on January 18, 2021. Retrieved October 27, 2021.
  7. ^ Langrish, Josh (February 22, 2017). "On PewDiePie and the Importance of Context". VultureHound. Archived from the original on March 26, 2018. Retrieved October 28, 2021.
  8. ^ a b c Polhamus, Blaine (September 27, 2021). "Hasan, Ethan Klein debut political podcast The Leftovers". Dot Esports. Gamurs. Archived from the original on October 28, 2021. Retrieved October 28, 2021.
  9. ^ "H3 Podcast Highlights". Youtube. Retrieved December 14, 2022.
  10. ^ Tenbarge, Kat. "Inside the Teddy Fresh pop-up in LA, where hundreds of 'H3 Podcast' fans waited in the heat despite Hila and Ethan Klein canceling their appearance". Insider Inc. Retrieved March 17, 2023.
  11. ^ "All episodes of H3 Podcast". chartable.com. Retrieved January 24, 2022.
  12. ^ Dodgson, Lindsay. "A podcast hosted by 2 of YouTube's most controversial personalities is creating new conversations about mental health". Insider. Retrieved 2023-05-31.
  13. ^ "'Frenemies' Is The Most Unexpectedly Cathartic Podcast on the Internet". Junkee. 2021-04-13. Retrieved 2023-05-31.
  14. ^ Hampton, Rachelle; Kircher, Madison Malone (2021-06-12). "The Inexplicable Saga of Internet Provocateur Trisha Paytas, Explained". Slate. ISSN 1091-2339. Retrieved 2023-05-31.
  15. ^ a b Bergman, Lindsay Dodgson, Sirena. "How 'Frenemies,' one of YouTube's buzziest podcasts, crashed and burned in less than a week". Insider. Retrieved 2023-05-31.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  16. ^ "Podcasting Hasn't Produced A New Hit in Years". Bloomberg.com. 2022-01-09. Retrieved 2023-05-31.
  17. ^ "Edison Research Top 50 Podcasts". www.edisonresearch.com. Retrieved 2023-05-31.
  18. ^ "Trisha Paytas steps down from 'Frenemies' podcast after tense dispute on the show". Mashable. 2021-06-08. Retrieved 2023-05-31.
  19. ^ "H3H3 reveal why they ended 'Families' podcast after Frenemies drama". Dexerto. August 27, 2021. Retrieved January 24, 2022.
  20. ^ Colombo, Charlotte. "How controversial influencer Ethan Klein rose to fame, from feuds and Frenemies to being banned from YouTube for a week". Insider Inc. Retrieved April 8, 2023.
  21. ^ The Final Families Episode - Families #10, 25 August 2021, retrieved 2024-02-07
  22. ^ Families Reunion Holiday Special, 9 December 2021, retrieved 2024-02-07
  23. ^ Weiss, Geoff (September 27, 2021). "Ethan Klein, Hasan Piker Launch 'Leftovers' Podcast Following Dissolution Of 'Frenemies'". Tubefilter. Archived from the original on October 15, 2021. Retrieved October 21, 2021.
  24. ^ Israel vs Gaza - Leftovers #61, 12 October 2023, retrieved 2024-02-07
  25. ^ Asarch, Steven (May 13, 2021). "Triller is suing YouTuber Ethan Klein's podcast for $50 million, claiming he illegally distributed Jake Paul's fight". Insider. Retrieved October 28, 2021.
  26. ^ a b "If another Holocaust, 'I hope Ben Shapiro gets gassed first' – YouTuber". The Jerusalem Post.
  27. ^ "After 'Ben Shapiro gets gassed first' joke, YouTuber's account suspended". The Jerusalem Post.
  28. ^ Thalen, Mikael (October 21, 2022). "'They are the ones platforming dangerous anti-semites': Ethan Klein blames Ben Shapiro and 'white supremacists' for YouTube suspension". The Daily Dot.
  29. ^ Spangler, Todd (September 25, 2018). "2018 Streamy Awards Nominations Unveiled, YouTube Signs as Sponsor". Variety. Archived from the original on November 9, 2020. Retrieved November 9, 2021.
  30. ^ Drysdale, Jennifer (December 5, 2019). "2019 YouTube Streamy Awards: The Complete List of Nominations". Entertainment Tonight. Archived from the original on November 25, 2020. Retrieved June 16, 2021.
  31. ^ Ramos, Dino-Ray (October 21, 2020). "YouTube Streamy Awards Nominations Unveiled With David Dobrik, Emma Chamberlain And James Charles Leading The Pack". Deadline. Archived from the original on December 3, 2020. Retrieved June 16, 2021.
  32. ^ Chan, J. (October 27, 2022). "2022 YouTube Streamy Awards: MrBeast Leads Nominations for Second Year". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved October 30, 2022.
  33. ^ "12TH ANNUAL NOMINEES". streamys.org. Archived from the original on October 30, 2022. Retrieved October 30, 2022.
  34. ^ "13th Annual Streamy Winners". The Streamy Awards. Retrieved 2024-01-04.
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