Fremantle and Viral Nation team up for creator-led shows

EXCLUSIVE: Fremantle and Viral Nation team up. Production and distribution giant Fremantle and social media specialists Viral Nation will join forces for creator-led shows. The deal was announced here in Cannes, at MIPCOM, as the market shifts towards everything related to the creator economy.

The deal will position Viral Nation’s creator network alongside Fremantle’s stable of labels and talent and make the most of its international sales infrastructure. On the Fremantle side, the deal is being led by label Beach House Pictures, which has several unscripted projects in development for the first time on YouTube.

These include the social star creation competition format Template Creator and true detective series Cr1me C0deboth of which were announced at MIPCOM. Template Creator is a modeling format developed in association with the Ford Models agency. Taking place in New York, the series will see contestants compete in creative challenges led by mentors from the Ford Network, with the winner being represented with Ford Models and Viral Nation.

“At Ford, our goal has always been to empower exceptional individuals, not only as role models, but also as storytellers and entrepreneurs,” said Décio Restelli Ribeiro, president of Ford Models. “Template Creator embodies this vision. This partnership allows us to celebrate this evolution and expand what representation means in the modern era.

Cr1me C0de meanwhile, will delve into unsolved mysteries, exploiting obscure but shocking true crime cases.

Viral Nation will bring its audience growth intelligence to the new partnership, providing data, SEO and digital marketing insights, while Fremantle will bring scale and said its AI toolkit will accelerate production.

Paul Telner, head of programming at Viral Nation, said: “Fremantle shares our belief that creators belong at the center of entertainment and together we can develop shows that are relevant, fearless and made for the platforms where culture happens. »

Speaking about the partnership, Donovan Chan, co-founder and creative director of Beach House Pictures, said: “Together develop several innovative new projects, such as Template Creator And Cr1me C0dewe take some of the most popular themes with young audiences today and actively build them from creator culture.

Danny Rowlands, senior vice president of global development at Fremantle, added: “Viral Nation gives us a social-first view of audience understanding, creative development and engagement. Digital creators are quickly becoming today’s cultural drivers, shaping tastes, trends and conversations across all platforms.”