AustinAspen Network

AustinAspen Network is an American network that was formerly co-owned by autistic YouTubers Thomas Blazier (based in the USA) and Sam Wilkes Sr. (based in Australia) before they resigned and these two gentlemen have uploaded videos on YouTube under the names of AustinAspen Network Livestreams, with Wilkes Sr. also uploading on the official Island Life YouTube channel since the AustinAspen Network Livestreams channel has various Island Life episodes in the Island Life TV playlist. In addition, they also had a TV channel, broadcasting hours of content from the "Aspen" side of the channel as well as a few programs from the "Austin" side of the network. The TV channel started broadcasting 24 hours from July 1, 2023. A few months later, the channel was taken over by the angry co-founders and transferred it to a new network that rebranded the AustinAspen Network TV channel in to a furries-oriented channel Furry Kupa TV. Furry Kupa TV launched later that month and drastically modified the schedule that just reveals exclusive Thomas Blazier content.

After losing their TV channel, YouTube channels and their co-founders, AustinAspen Network have changed their logo to a short-lived livery as they have plans to change their network name starting next year.

## Island Life (2021 - 2023)

AustinAspen Network is the main sponsor of Island Life since July 2021 (and from July 2022 until July 2023 is the longest serving sponsor) and various other YouTube projects originating from Austin Network.

AustinAspen only managed to acquire roughly 90% of Austin Network's Island Life portfolio. Austin Network had gone to great lengths to destroy several episodes in an effort to ensure AustinAspen Network do not have the entire Island Life episodes portfolio. AustinAspen Network had reported that 24 episodes were missing. Private Collectors, Sam's Island Life Office and the now defunct Sam's New VIP Office 2020 had handed over reconstructed, re-rendered or off-air recorded episodes to AustinAspen Network, in an attempt to complete the portfolio. By the time their sponsorship ended, only six minutes of one episode was still missing.

To commemorate the updates in Island Life, AustinAspen Network got a new logo facelift on June 7, 2022. In February 2023, AustinAspen Network renewed Island Life for the month of March with the promise that the network co-owner Thomas Blazier was to return to Island Life as Uncle Thomas. Wilkes Sr. has until the end of the month to bring Uncle Thomas back as a regular character. In March, they are thinking of ending the sponsorship deal in July of the same year after they had an amount of certainty that Wilkes Sr. is likely to fail bringing back Uncle Thomas as a regular in Island Life.

However they have said that until then, production will continue as normal. In an official statement by the network, they announced "*Island Life* will no longer air on AustinAspen Network beyond this winter (July). It's been a much-loved part of our schedule since 2021, and we'd like to thank the cast, Island Life Productions, Sam's Island Life Office and the now-defunct Sam's New VIP Office 2020 for their fantastic work on this iconic series." The network's spokesperson confirmed that they want to increase their investment in American programming.

## YouTube Channels (2021 - 2023)

AustinAspen Network had gotten hold of AustinAspen Network Livestreams in May 2021 and not long after, began management of Island Life in July after Austin Network had divested a majority of its assets owing to problems with both YouTube and Dailymotion. AustinAspen Network also sponsored Island Life for two years at the same time.

In May 2023, they announced that their current sponsorship contract expires in mid-July 2023 and despite the renewed lease, AustinAspen Network had decided to pull Island Life from the network in mid-July due to budget reasons and reluctantly returned the Island Life channel back to Austin Network (Austin Network immediately returned the Island Life channel back to the cameraman), leaving AustinAspen Network with Thomas Blazier's channels in their portfolio.

In September, Austin had hired an acting CEO to temporarily take over AustinAspen Network while he was away to see the second Paw Patrol film he had been enthusiastic about since 2021. In October, one day before Austin's return, the acting CEO and Blazier had a disagreement and Blazier had pulled out from the network with Wilkes Sr. doing the same thing hours later. Furry Pride Network took management of the channel briefly before Austin Network swooped in.

Austin returned the next day, fired the acting CEO, announced his resignation and hired a succeeding CEO for AustinAspen Network before exiting at the end of the day, leaving AustinAspen Network with no co-founders or co-founder management.