MrBallen
Jonathan B. Allen | |
|---|---|
| Born | Jonathan B. Allen |
| Education | Bachelor's degree in Philosophy |
| Alma mater | North Quincy High School, UMass Amherst |
| Occupation(s) | Internet personality Storyteller Podcaster United States Navy SEAL (formerly) |
YouTube information | |
| Also known as | MrBallen |
| Channel | |
| Genre(s) | Thriller, true crime, mystery |
| Subscribers | 9.39 million [1] (August 2024) |
| Military career | |
| Service |  United States Navy |
| Unit |  SEAL Team Two |
Jonathan B. Allen (professionally known as MrBallen), is an internet personality and a former United States Navy SEAL. He is best known for his victim-oriented true crime stories and mysteries on YouTube.[2] He co-founded Ballen Studios, and the exclusive rights to his podcast MrBallen Podcast: Strange, Dark and Mysterious Stories were licensed to Amazon Music in September 2022.[3] Allen's work is also distributed through various platforms and media channels, including YouTube, Amazon Music, and TikTok, among others.[4]
Early life
Allen was born in Quincy, Massachusetts. He graduated from North Quincy High School in 2006. That year, he attended UMass Amherst for one semester before dropping out. He later returned to UMass Amherst and graduated with a bachelor's degree in philosophy in 2010.[2]
Career
Military service
After graduating from UMass Amherst, Allen visited a recruiting office in Quincy, Massachusetts and enlisted in the military. Allen joined SEAL Team Two in Virginia Beach in 2012. During his service, he was deployed to Afghanistan and South America. In 2014, his team was attacked in Afghanistan and a grenade hit Allen, with shrapnel impacting his hips and legs. He recovered, and in 2017, Allen medically retired from the Navy.[2]
YouTube and TikTok
Allen launched his YouTube channel in 2020 and began filming true crime and mysteries.[2] He attracts an audience of over 7 million subscribers on the platform.[3] The YouTube channel averages 40 million monthly views.[5] He was noted for his storytelling style that builds suspense throughout his videos.[6]
Allen started experimenting with TikTok the same year he started his Youtube channel in 2020. His first viral video was about nine hikers from the Ural State Technical University who were mysteriously killed in early February 1959, an event known as the Dyatlov Pass incident. The video gained 5 million views the same day it was posted, prompting him to make additional TikToks about other unsolved mysteries.[2]
In October 2022, Allen was nominated for four YouTube Streamy awards, in the creator of the year, breakout creator, and podcast categories. He received the most nominations for a first-time nominee.[7] Additionally, Allen and his nonprofit organization, MrBallen Foundation, was nominated for the creator for social good award.[8]
Podcast
In February 2022, Allen released MrBallen Podcast: Strange, Dark & Mysterious Stories. The podcast ranked number one on Spotify's True Crime Podcasts chart.[9] As of July 2022, the MrBallen podcast was downloaded over seven million times a month across all podcast platforms.[5]
Ballen Studios
In 2022, Allen, along with Nick Witters, opened a production company Ballen Studios, with Witters serving as the company's CEO.[10] The studio focuses on scaling existing ventures into new media forms and creating advertising streams.[11] Ballen Studios also signed with the United Talent Agency (UTA).[12]
Amazon Music Partnership
In October 2022, Allen and Nick Witters signed a licensing deal with Amazon Music to make the podcast exclusive to their platform.[13] The three-year deal also includes first-look rights to any new content from Ballen Studios, which includes TV, film, books, and games.[3]
References
- ^ "About MrBallen". YouTube.
- ^ a b c d e Barbuto, Dana. "Former Navy SEAL from Quincy tells 'strange, dark, mysterious' stories on YouTube". The Patriot Ledger. Archived from the original on November 7, 2022. Retrieved February 12, 2023.
- ^ a b c Chan, J. Clara (September 27, 2022). "Amazon Music Inks Star YouTube Podcaster MrBallen to Exclusive Content Deal". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on November 27, 2022. Retrieved February 12, 2023.
- ^ "MrBallen cuts an exclusive content deal with Amazon". Tubefilter. September 29, 2022. Archived from the original on February 12, 2023. Retrieved February 12, 2023.
- ^ a b Shapiro, Ariel (July 28, 2022). "MrBallen is YouTube's big podcast breakout". The Verge. Archived from the original on February 9, 2023. Retrieved February 12, 2023.
- ^ "A treat for horror and crime genre lovers". www.telegraphindia.com. Archived from the original on February 3, 2023. Retrieved February 12, 2023.
- ^ Chan, J. Clara (October 27, 2022). "2022 YouTube Streamy Awards: MrBeast Leads Nominations for Second Year". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on November 6, 2022. Retrieved February 12, 2023.
- ^ Grein, Paul (December 1, 2022). "Yung Gravy to Perform on 2022 YouTube Streamy Awards". Billboard. Archived from the original on February 3, 2023. Retrieved February 3, 2023.
- ^ "YouTuber Mr Ballen's podcast tops charts: Meet the ex-Navy Seal". The Focus. February 17, 2022. Archived from the original on November 7, 2022. Retrieved February 12, 2023.
- ^ White, Peter (September 14, 2022). "MrBallen, Former Navy SEAL Turned Breakout Podcaster, Launches Content Studio With Ex-WME Nick Witters, Signs With UTA". Deadline. Archived from the original on January 20, 2023. Retrieved February 12, 2023.
- ^ "Ballen Studios brings in Steven Cohen as head of sales". Tubefilter. July 28, 2022. Archived from the original on February 4, 2023. Retrieved February 12, 2023.
- ^ Spangler, Todd (September 15, 2022). "Katy Perry's 'Elizabeth the First' Series About Elizabeth Taylor Sets Premiere Date (Podcast News Roundup)". Variety. Archived from the original on February 12, 2023. Retrieved February 12, 2023.
- ^ Spangler, Todd (September 27, 2022). "MrBallen Inks Exclusive Distribution and First-Look Podcast Deal With Amazon Music". Variety. Archived from the original on November 7, 2022. Retrieved February 12, 2023.
