When the comedian became CEO of his media venture in 2025, he promised he would lay out a clear strategy. That hasn’t happened.
Kevin Hart built his media company to grow beyond him. However, a new Bloomberg report suggests it may not survive without him.
According to the report, Hartbeat, the comedian’s media company, has struggled with mismanagement and rising tension between the demands of its star and the needs of the company.
In 2017, Hart launched Laugh Out Loud, an online video comedy venture that expanded into branded entertainment. Five years later, in 2022, Hart united his various endeavors under one company: Hartbeat. At the time, he sold a 15 percent stake in the business to Abry Partners, a private equity firm, in a deal that valued Hartbeat at roughly $650 million.
Initially, Hart appeared to be concerned with the longevity of his business. “The focus is about the entity. Creating what we would hope will be the pieces of IP that people will hold on from this generation, and refer back to in 20 years,” Hart told Variety in 2024. “Because building a business is hard. But building a successful business is harder.”
The company was built on three pillars: film and TV, short-form video, and advertising. While Hart would star in Hartbeat projects, the goal of the business was ultimately to develop projects and new business that didn’t involve its namesake founder.
However, in November 2024, Hartbeat laid off approximately 20 people. Shortly after, the company’s CEO, CFO, and chief content officer all resigned. While the exits were described as “amicable,” they reportedly followed a disagreement over the company’s direction.
Shortly after, in January 2025, Hart announced that he would step into the position of CEO—making him the company’s third leader in less than two years. The comedian promised to lay out a clear strategy in the weeks ahead. However, that vision never materialized. Sources told Bloomberg he rarely made it into the office, often not showing up for weeks at a time.
As Hart appeared to remove himself from the business, the company also took a hit. In recent years, revenue from its YouTube channels dropped and new content development stalled, the report said.
Recently, the company laid off the heads of its TV division. During the announcement, which was held over Zoom, Hart reportedly stayed off camera until it was his turn to speak briefly about the changes. He took no questions.
Not long after, he announced a deal with Authentic Brands Group—a New York City-based firm—using the proceeds to buy out Abry Partners and route his brand deals through Authentic rather than Hartbeat.
“This partnership is about acceleration, growth, and diversification. I’ve spent years building businesses and creating opportunities, and joining Authentic gives me the platform and global infrastructure to take my brand to the next level,” Hart said in a press release.
Hartbeat employees told Bloomberg they fear a deal with Authentic signals the beginning of the end for the business. For now, it’s unclear whether the comedian will continue in his position of CEO, dissolve the company, or hand the reigns over to someone else.
This post originally appeared at inc.com.
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