MatPat facts for kids

Quick facts for kids MatPat
Patrick in 2025
Born	Matthew Robert Patrick (1986-11-15) November 15, 1986 (age 39) Medina, Ohio, U.S.
Education	Duke University (BA)
Occupation	Internet celebrity digital actor analytics strategist consultant
Organization	Co-founder, president and CEO of Theorist Media
Spouse(s)	Stephanie Cordato ​ (m. 2012)​
Children	1
YouTube information
Channels	Former host of The Game Theorists The Film Theorists The Food Theorists The Style Theorists GTLive
Years active	2009–present
Genre	Gaming
Subscribers	46 million (combined)
Views	12 billion (combined)
Last updated: January 22, 2026

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Matthew Robert Patrick (born November 15, 1986), known to many as MatPat, is a famous American internet personality. He is best known for creating and hosting several popular YouTube channels. These channels explore the hidden details and theories behind video games, movies, food, and fashion.

MatPat started the Game Theorists channel, which looks deeply into video game stories and mechanics. He later expanded his ideas to other topics with Film Theorists, Food Theorists, and Style Theorists. He also created GTLive, where he played games and reacted to videos with his wife, Stephanie. MatPat stepped down as the main host of these channels in March 2024. However, he still makes occasional appearances and helps with creative projects. By May 2024, his channels had over 40 million subscribers and more than nine billion total views.

About MatPat's Early Life and School

Matthew Robert Patrick was born on November 15, 1986, in Medina, Ohio. His friends gave him the nickname "MatPat" when he was in sixth grade. Growing up, he loved video games, theater, and school.

He was a top student in high school and earned a scholarship to Duke University. In 2009, he graduated with degrees in theater and psychology. He also focused on neuroscience, which is the study of the brain.

MatPat's Journey on the Internet

After college, MatPat moved to New York City to become an actor. He performed in theater shows but found it hard to get steady work. For two years, he was unemployed.

In 2011, he decided to use his YouTube channel to show off his skills. He wanted to prove he could write, research, and edit videos. He was inspired by a show that taught complex ideas in a fun way. On April 18, 2011, he uploaded the first episode of Game Theory. It explored ideas like time portals in the game Chrono Trigger.

His channel slowly grew, and his videos appeared on popular gaming websites. In 2015, he launched Film Theory, a new channel for movies and TV shows. This channel quickly gained over a million subscribers in just one month.

MatPat also started a Let's Play series called GTLive on August 26, 2015. On this channel, he and his wife Stephanie played video games and reacted to other videos. GTLive became very popular, with millions of subscribers and hundreds of millions of views.

In June 2016, MatPat created a show called MatPat's Game Lab for YouTube Premium. In this show, real people tried out video game challenges in real life. These challenges included things like defusing bombs and parkour. He also made guest appearances in other YouTube Premium series. In May 2016, MatPat and other YouTubers even met Pope Francis! MatPat gave the Pope a copy of the game Undertale, explaining its message of mercy.

The Growth of the "Theory" Channels

MatPat in 2020

In 2019, The Game Theorists held a special 9-hour live stream to raise money for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. They raised an amazing $1.3 million! Many other famous YouTubers joined him for this event. They held two more charity streams for St. Jude in 2020 and 2021.

The third "Theory" channel, The Food Theorists, started in July 2020. This channel uses science to explore interesting facts and mysteries about food. It quickly became popular, reaching one million subscribers in just a week.

On February 18, 2023, the fourth "Theory" channel, The Style Theorists, was launched. This channel explores the science, history, and psychology behind fashion. It also reached a million subscribers in only three days. In August 2023, MatPat hosted the Streamy Awards, a big event for online creators. The show had 15 million views in its first two days, setting a new record!

On January 9, 2024, MatPat announced in a video called "Goodbye Internet" that he would be stepping down as the main host of his channels. This change happened on March 9, 2024. Different members of his team now host each channel. MatPat explained that he and his wife had been planning this for years. He still works behind the scenes and makes occasional appearances. He also planned to work on new creative projects, like a lo-fi mystery series called LoreFi, which launched its channel in summer 2024.

Other Projects and Collaborations

MatPat has been involved in many other projects. He voiced Computron in the animated series Transformers: Titans Return in 2017. In 2019, he worked with Nickelodeon on a show called Fact or Nicktion. He also helped produce a Broadway play called Grey House.

His videos about the video game series Five Nights at Freddy's are very popular. He made 68 theory videos about the game's story. He even had a small role as a waiter in the 2023 film adaptation of the game. In 2024, he appeared in an episode of Wired's "Web's Most Searched Questions" series.

Working with Lawmakers: Creator Economy Caucus

MatPat (third from left in front line) with other content creators and Representatives Beth Van Duyne and Yvette Clarke at the Creator Economy Caucus launch in June 2025.

On June 10, 2025, MatPat announced the creation of the Creator Economy Caucus. This is a special group in the United States House of Representatives. It brings together online creators and lawmakers. The goal is to make sure that new laws understand and support the internet and its creators. MatPat shared that about 10 representatives supported this idea.

MatPat's Personal Life

MatPat with his wife Stephanie in 2018

MatPat is married to Stephanie Cordato. They met while studying at Duke University. They even created a fun parody video together called "The Epic of Stew." They got married on May 19, 2012. Their son was born in 2018. The family lives in both California and North Carolina.

Awards and Recognitions

MatPat and his channels have won several awards for their work.

MatPat's YouTube Channels

Here's a look at the main channels MatPat created and helped build:

See also

In Spanish: MatPat para niños

• List of YouTubers