Dude Perfect
Sports and comedy group from Frisco, Texas, whose trick shots, battles and Overtime episodes made it the largest sports channel on YouTube, with tours, toys, games and a podcast around it.
YouTube sports and comedy group · 5 creators in the index · Updated Nov 2, 2026
Dude Perfect is a sports and comedy group from Frisco, Texas, known for trick shots, battles, stereotype sketches and its Overtime series. Tyler Toney, Cody Jones, Garrett Hilbert and twins Coby Cotton and Cory Cotton started posting trick shots in 2009 as students at Texas A&M, and their YouTube channel has about 62.8 million subscribers. In April 2024 the company took a nine-figure investment of more than $100 million from Highmount Capital, per CNBC, and that October hired its first CEO, former NBA executive Andrew Yaffe, who left in September 2026 with investor Patrick Hurley stepping in as interim CEO, per Axios. The $100 million Dude Perfect World theme park the group planned in 2023 has not been built; Axios reported in September 2026 that the company had shifted to smaller experiential concepts, and Dig World, a Grapevine, Texas park that announced Dude Perfect trick shot stations in 2025, opened in July 2026. As of November 2026 none of the five founders has left, and the main channel still posts new videos almost every day.
Dude Perfect members
Everyone billed as part of Dude Perfect, from the group’s Meet the Dudes page, its YouTube channel, press and the entries in our index. Status is as of November 2026.
| Name | Role | Years | Status (November 2026) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tyler Toney | Co-founder; “The Beard” | 2009 to present | Current; named in the October 24, 2026 Overtime 52 description and quoted announcing the 2026 Squad Games Tour |
| Cody Jones | Co-founder; “The Tall Guy” | 2009 to present | Current; played the NBA All-Star Celebrity Game in February 2026 |
| Garrett Hilbert | Co-founder; “The Purple Hoser”; hosts Almost Athletes | 2009 to present | Current; hosts the weekly podcast since September 2025 |
| Coby Cotton | Co-founder; “Twin 1” | 2009 to present | Current; flew on Blue Origin’s NS-22 in August 2022 and spoke for the group on the CEO change |
| Cory Cotton | Co-founder; “Twin 2”; wrote the 2011 book Go Big | 2009 to present | Current; listed on the channel’s About page |
| Kevin “Sparky” Sparkman | Crew member; co-host of Almost Athletes | Co-host since September 2025 | Current; not one of the five founders |
| Panda | Mascot (a costumed character, not a person we name) | Since the early videos | Current; listed as “The Mascot” on Meet the Dudes and featured in the 2026 Nex Playground game |
Dude Perfect bills itself as five friends: its channel description reads “Dude Perfect is Tyler Toney, Cody Jones, Garrett Hilbert, Coby Cotton, and Cory Cotton.” Staff and crew appear in videos and on tour; we list only those named in an accepted source. Sources: The Battalion via Texas A&M, September 30, 2009, Net Influencer, September 2025 and September 2026, dudeperfect.com.
Who runs Dude Perfect
The five founders stay on camera; since 2024 a hired executive team runs the company.
| Name | Role | Years | Status (November 2026) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Andrew Yaffe | First CEO; former NBA executive vice president and head of social, digital and original content | October 2024 to September 2026 | Left by mutual agreement, per Axios |
| Patrick Hurley | Interim CEO; longtime investor and advisor, principal at BP Capital Fund Advisors | September 2026 to present | Current, while the company searches for a permanent CEO |
| Not named in our sources | Chief Financial Officer; came from Fanatics | Hired under Yaffe (2024 to 2026) | No change reported |
| Not named in our sources | General counsel; came from Live Nation | Hired under Yaffe (2024 to 2026) | No change reported |
| Kevin Sabbe | First Chief Content Officer, developing shows and talent beyond the five | 2026 to present | No change reported |
Sources: Axios, September 3, 2026 and Net Influencer, September 4, 2026.
Connected creators
Creators in our index who have played alongside Dude Perfect but were never members.
| Name | Connection | Status (November 2026) |
|---|---|---|
| Matt Scharff | Played the May 2025 PGA Tour Creator Classic on a team with Tyler Toney and Paige Spiranac; the team lost a chip-off for a playoff spot | Never a member; Good Good co-founder |
Timeline
- 2009Texas A&M students Tyler Toney, Cody Jones, Garrett Hilbert, Coby Cotton and Cory Cotton post their first trick shot video, Backyard Edition, and by September their videos have 3.3 million views, per The Battalion.
- Jun 2015Miniclip releases the mobile game Dude Perfect 2 for iOS and Android, per Tubefilter; Miniclip’s support site says it published the game until June 2022.
- Apr 2016The Dude Perfect Show debuts on CMT, and in February 2017 Nickelodeon picks it up for a second season of 20 episodes, per Tubefilter.
- Jul 2019Dude Perfect starts its first live tour, the 20-city Pound It Noggin Tour, running July 11 to August 11, per Tubefilter, with 40.9 million subscribers at the time.
- Aug 4, 2022Coby Cotton flies to space on Blue Origin’s NS-22 mission in a seat sponsored by MoonDAO, per Blue Origin and Space.com.
- Feb 2023The Wall Street Journal reports the group’s plan for Dude Perfect World, a $100 million theme park and headquarters, with bid requests sent to Frisco and other cities, per Dallas Innovates.
- Apr 9, 2024Dude Perfect takes a nine-figure investment of more than $100 million from Highmount Capital to build a store, a streaming platform, toys and games and a theme park, per CNBC.
- Apr 25, 2024ESPN Films’ 30 for 30 documentary Dude Perfect: A Very Long Shot has its world premiere at the Dallas International Film Festival, per Texas A&M Today.
- Oct 2024Former NBA executive Andrew Yaffe becomes Dude Perfect’s first CEO, per Net Influencer.
- May 2025Tyler Toney plays the PGA Tour Creator Classic at the Philadelphia Cricket Club on a team with Paige Spiranac and Matt Scharff, which loses a chip-off for a playoff spot, per the PGA Tour.
- Jul 16, 2025Dig World, a construction-themed adventure park, announces Dude Perfect trick shot stations and family challenges for its Grapevine Mills location, per Dallas Innovates; the park opened July 11, 2026, per KRLD.
- Sep 10, 2025The weekly podcast Almost Athletes with Dude Perfect launches, hosted by Garrett Hilbert and crew member Kevin “Sparky” Sparkman, per Net Influencer, which also reports the tour film Dude Perfect: The Hero Tour opening in more than 800 theaters on September 26.
- Nov 14, 2025Dude Perfect announces the 2026 Squad Games Tour, 22 arena shows from June 25 to August 2, 2026 on a 360-degree stage, per CultureMap Dallas.
- Jan 5, 2026Nex announces a Dude Perfect motion game for its Nex Playground console, featuring Panda, set for summer 2026, per Business Wire.
- Sep 3, 2026CEO Andrew Yaffe leaves after the board and he “developed different perspectives on the company’s next phase,” and investor Patrick Hurley becomes interim CEO, per Axios.
- Oct 24, 2026Dude Perfect posts Overtime 52: PIRATE EDITION, whose description names all five founders; it has about 3.8 million views as of November 2, 2026.
Questions people ask
Who is in Dude Perfect now? Dude Perfect members and names (2026)
As of November 2026, Dude Perfect is the same five friends who started it: Tyler Toney (“The Beard”), Cody Jones (“The Tall Guy”), Garrett Hilbert (“The Purple Hoser”) and the twins Coby Cotton and Cory Cotton, billed as “Twin 1” and “Twin 2” on the group’s Meet the Dudes page. The description of Overtime 52, posted October 24, 2026, reads “Dude Perfect is Tyler Toney, Cody Jones, Garrett Hilbert, Coby Cotton, and Cory Cotton.” The same page lists Panda, the costumed mascot, as a sixth character. Crew member Kevin “Sparky” Sparkman co-hosts the group’s podcast, and in 2026 the company hired its first Chief Content Officer, Kevin Sabbe, to develop talent beyond the five, per Net Influencer.
Who left Dude Perfect? Did anyone leave Dude Perfect?
As of November 2026, no member of Dude Perfect has left: all five founders are named in the group’s October 24, 2026 Overtime 52 and still appear in its daily uploads. The one departure on the record is off camera: Andrew Yaffe, the company’s first CEO, left in September 2026, per Axios. We found no accepted outlet reporting a crew member or intern leaving or being fired, so we name no one.
When did Dude Perfect start, and who were the original members? How did they meet?
Dude Perfect started in 2009 at Texas A&M University in College Station, Texas, founded by Tyler Toney, Cody Jones, Garrett Hilbert, Coby Cotton and Cory Cotton. Per Texas A&M, it began when Toney bet Hilbert he could make a basketball hook shot from behind a tree in a College Station backyard, made it, and the group filmed harder shots and posted Backyard Edition. The Battalion reported in September 2009 that the roommates had been betting sandwiches on backyard baskets, that a Ranch Edition followed at Toney’s family ranch, and that the videos had 3.3 million views. Jones met the Cotton twins playing pickup basketball at the campus rec center and, a week later, their roommate Toney, per the Texas A&M Foundation. We could not source how they chose the name.
Who owns Dude Perfect now? Did Dude Perfect sell their company?
As of November 2026, Dude Perfect is a private company, and it has not published who owns how much of it. The five founders built it, and on April 9, 2024 CNBC reported a nine-figure investment, between $100 million and $300 million, from the private investment firm Highmount Capital, which said it planned to be a long-term partner. Highmount co-founder Jason Illian said the group had “built such a tremendous business.” The size of Highmount’s stake was not reported, and no outlet has reported a sale of the company. Dude Perfect Outdoors is one of the company’s own channels, not a separate owner. Day to day, the company is run by interim CEO Patrick Hurley, a longtime investor and advisor, per Axios.
Why did Dude Perfect’s CEO leave? Who is the leader of Dude Perfect?
Dude Perfect’s first CEO, Andrew Yaffe, left in early September 2026 because he and the board “developed different perspectives on the company’s next phase and the best path forward,” per a joint statement reported by Axios on September 3; both sides called it mutual and neither described the disagreement. Yaffe, a former NBA executive, had joined in October 2024 and wrote on LinkedIn that “the company and I decided to go our separate ways,” per Net Influencer, which tied the exit to a shift away from a full theme park toward smaller experiences. The statement said revenue grew substantially under him, without a figure. Patrick Hurley, a principal at BP Capital Fund Advisors, is interim CEO while the company searches for a permanent one, per Net Influencer. On camera there is no single leader: the five founders appear as equals, and Coby Cotton spoke for “The Dudes” on the change.
What happened to Dude Perfect World? Is the Dude Perfect theme park built or open?
As of November 2026, Dude Perfect World, the $100 million theme park the group planned, has not been built, and no site or opening date has been announced. The group presented it in a video, Dude Perfect’s $100 Million Theme Park, and in February 2023 the Wall Street Journal reported it as a $100 million theme park and headquarters designed by Overland Partners, with a 330-foot tower for an “Impossible Shot” and bid requests sent to Frisco and other cities, per Dallas Innovates. The park was still in the plans when Highmount invested in April 2024, but in September 2026 Axios reported the company had shifted to smaller experiential concepts. The closest thing so far is a partnership: Dude Perfect trick shot stations and family challenges at Dig World, a construction-themed park at Grapevine Mills, per Dallas Innovates, which opened July 11, 2026, per KRLD. Dig World is another company’s park, not Dude Perfect World.
What happened to Dude Perfect? Is Dude Perfect still together and still making videos?
Yes, as of November 2026 Dude Perfect is still together and still making videos: the main channel posted at least 15 videos between October 16 and November 1, 2026, including Overtime 52 on October 24, so Overtime has not stopped. The channel has about 62.8 million subscribers, up from 40.9 million in April 2019, per Tubefilter, and more than 60 million in April 2024, per CNBC. What has changed is the business around it: an outside investor, a hired executive team, a CEO exit in September 2026 and a theme park plan scaled back to smaller attractions. In 2023 Coby Cotton told the Wall Street Journal that at some point “we will not be making videos as consistently as we are now,” per Dallas Innovates, but as of November 2026 the five are still on camera. Videos are also on Dude Perfect Plus, Dude Perfect Outdoors, Dude Perfect Gaming and the Almost Athletes podcast, with early, ad-free videos in the DP All Access app.
Who is Sparky in Dude Perfect? Who is Panda, and who is in the Panda costume?
Sparky is Kevin “Sparky” Sparkman, a Dude Perfect crew member who has co-hosted the weekly podcast Almost Athletes with Dude Perfect with Garrett Hilbert since it launched on September 10, 2025, per Net Influencer; he is not one of the five founders, and we found no accepted source on how he joined. Panda is Dude Perfect’s mascot, listed as “The Mascot” beside the five on the group’s Meet the Dudes page as of November 2026, and the star of the Nex Playground game announced in January 2026, per Business Wire. Dude Perfect has not said who wears the costume, and we do not guess.
Dude Perfect tour 2026: what was the Squad Games Tour, and is there a new tour?
Dude Perfect’s 2026 Squad Games Tour played 22 arena shows from June 25 to August 2, 2026, on a 360-degree stage where the Dudes competed against athletes, creators and Dude Perfect staff, per CultureMap Dallas when it was announced on November 14, 2025. Tyler Toney said “getting to bring Dude Perfect straight to the fans is one of the best parts of what we do,” per the tour’s arena release. It was the group’s latest in a line of tours that began with the 20-city Pound It Noggin Tour in 2019, per Tubefilter; a 20-city arena run became the film Dude Perfect: The Hero Tour, released in more than 800 theaters on September 26, 2025, per Net Influencer. As of November 2026 we found no announced dates for a 2027 tour.
What happened to the Dude Perfect game and Dude Perfect 2? Why did The Dude Perfect Show end?
Dude Perfect 2, the trick shot mobile game Miniclip released for iOS and Android in June 2015, per Tubefilter, is no longer published by Miniclip: its support site says it published the game between June 2015 and June 2022, without giving a reason. The group’s newest game is a motion-powered title for the Nex Playground console, featuring Panda, announced January 5, 2026 for a summer 2026 launch, per Business Wire. The Dude Perfect Show debuted on CMT in April 2016 and moved to Nickelodeon for a 20-episode second season, per Tubefilter. We found no announcement of a third season and no statement from the group or the network on why it ended.
Did Dude Perfect really go to space? Did Dude Perfect win an Emmy?
Yes, a Dude Perfect member went to space: Coby Cotton flew on Blue Origin’s suborbital NS-22 flight on August 4, 2022, in a seat sponsored by MoonDAO, whose members voted for him to fly, per Blue Origin and Space.com; the full story is on his entry. Dude Perfect also won the 2024 Sports Emmy for Outstanding Interactive Experience and holds more than 30 Guinness World Records, per Texas A&M, and ESPN Films made a 30 for 30 documentary about the group, Dude Perfect: A Very Long Shot, which premiered in Dallas on April 25, 2024.
Is Dude Perfect real or fake?
Dude Perfect’s shots are real enough for Guinness: the group holds more than 30 Guinness World Records, including the highest basketball shot, made from 856 feet atop the Strat Tower in Las Vegas in 2023, per Texas A&M. The question is as old as the channel. In September 2009 Cody Jones told The Battalion that the group loved “the mystery of knowing whether it’s real or fake.”
What is Dude Perfect’s net worth? What are the members worth?
Dude Perfect does not publish a number and neither do we. What is public: in April 2024 the company took a nine-figure investment from Highmount Capital that CNBC put between $100 million and $300 million, but no valuation was reported, and the September 2026 statement on the CEO change said revenue grew substantially without a figure, per Axios. No outlet we accept has published any member’s personal share.
Is Dude Perfect Christian? Dude Perfect members’ wives, kids, houses and heights
Not something we cover.
Our read
Ames Create does not work with Dude Perfect. This is our view, from a team that works on creator brands for a living.
The format. Dude Perfect is friendly competition with a scoreboard: a trick shot, a battle or an Overtime punishment, five friends keeping score, and a family-safe tone that has not moved since 2009. Short videos come out almost daily, the numbered Overtime episodes are the long-form anchor, and the podcast gives fans an hour of talk between them.
Why it travels. What travels is the impossible shot, which needs no language, and the five fixed characters around it, the Beard, the Tall Guy, the Purple Hoser and the twins. The group has carried that format from YouTube to cable TV, arena tours, a theater release, a console game and a construction park in Texas, with the shots and the cast unchanged.
Brand fit. Family brands, sports, snacks, toys and games, which the company already sells to: State Farm, Disney, BODYARMOR and McDonald’s are among its partners, per Net Influencer and Axios, with Hasbro on the podcast and Nex on games. Deals run through a company with its own executives, and in late 2026 a brand would want to know who the next permanent CEO is before signing anything long term. Anything edgy cuts against the brand.
Related
- PGA Tour Creator ClassicShort televised golf event the PGA Tour staged for YouTube golf creators on the eve of its biggest tournaments, four times between August 2024 and August 2025.
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Sources: Dude Perfect on YouTube and its About page, Overtime 52, Dude Perfect’s $100 Million Theme Park, Dude Perfect Plus, Dude Perfect Outdoors, Dude Perfect Gaming, Almost Athletes and the Meet the Dudes page; The Battalion via Texas A&M, September 30, 2009; Texas A&M, April 18, 2024 and September 12, 2025; Texas A&M Foundation, September 2021; Tubefilter on Dude Perfect 2, June 2015, The Dude Perfect Show, February 2017 and the Pound It Noggin Tour, April 2019; Miniclip support; Blue Origin, July 2022; Space.com, August 4, 2022; Dallas Innovates on Dude Perfect World, February 28, 2023 and Dig World, July 16, 2025; KRLD, July 10, 2026; CNBC via NBC Los Angeles, April 9, 2024; PGA Tour, May 2025; Net Influencer, September 5, 2025 and September 4, 2026; CultureMap Dallas via AOL, November 14, 2025; Benchmark International Arena tour release, November 14, 2025; Business Wire, January 5, 2026; Axios, September 3, 2026. Subscriber counts read from YouTube, November 2, 2026; other follower counts from dudeperfect.com.
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