Bryan Smiley, former President and Chief Content Officer of Kevin Hart’s Hartbeat, has launched Hard Carry Media, a Los Angeles-based digital-first media company targeting Gen Z men across sports, entertainment, comedy, and lifestyle verticals. Hard Carry Gaming, Inc., a privately held entertainment company, is backing the venture.

Smiley brings nearly two decades of entertainment experience to the role, having overseen more than $500 million in production at Hartbeat, where he helped build the studio into a global operation with projects for Netflix, Peacock, Audible, and SiriusXM. 

Before Hartbeat, he held an executive role at Columbia Pictures and consulted for Fox Digital Studio.

“We see a real gap between how Gen Z men live and the breadth of content that is made for them,” Smiley said. “Our vision is to grow our digital-first brands into streaming, audio, live events, and products so they meet Gen Z men wherever they are.”

Full Squad Anchors Entertainment Vertical

As part of the launch, “Full Squad,” a variety and social entertainment channel with more than 11 million YouTube followers and 260 million monthly views, joins Hard Carry Media as its flagship brand. 

The channel generates more than 450,000 daily engagements across YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram, and has executed branded content partnerships with Ford, Rockstar Energy, Samsung, and Energizer, according to the announcement.

Andy Miller, Chairman of Hard Carry Media, said that “Full Squad” has been “pumping out billions of views a year,” and cited new capital as a catalyst for expanding content properties.

Hard Carry Media plans to expand its digital brands into FAST (Free Ad-Supported Streaming Television), SVOD (Subscription Video On Demand), audio, live events, and products. The company operates out of a 20,000-square-foot studio in Los Angeles and will announce additional digital brands in 2026.