Blue Ant rebrands Omnia, preps Facebook trio

BADS Facebook Watch shortform series Grade A Kitchen

Canadian producer, distributor and channels operator Blue Ant Media has rebranded its digital producer Omnia Media and launched three new series on Facebook’s Watch platform.

Now named Blue Ant Digital Studios (BADS), the production arm of the Los Angeles-based studio creates original shortform and longform content and aims to combine Omnia’s expertise with Blue Ant’s global reach.

Dan Lubetkin, BADS’s chief content officer, will continue overseeing production and development, reporting to Sam Sniderman, executive VP of production at Blue Ant.

BADS has also unveiled three new Facebook Watch shortform series: Grade A Kitchen, Family of Champions and Pixville Nightly.

Grade A Kitchen (5×10’) follows executive chefs as they leave their restaurant and take viewers into their own homes to prepare a meal with them.

Family of Champions (5×10’), coproduced by BADS and Omnia Media’s nascent digital gamers’ channel Arcade Cloud, educates parents on how to play their children’s favourite video games while strengthening family relationships. It is produced by CJ Schmidt and Brent Lydic.

Finally, parody satire series Pixville Nightly (5×10’) involves video game content presented as live news footage from the fictional title town. Created by Kip Madsen and Geoff Bunch, the series is also exec produced by Lydic.

Distributor Blue Ant International oversees the licensing and sales for BADS, with all three Facebook Watch series being added to Blue Ant’s digital slate for MipTV.

“Blue Ant Digital Studios combines the originality and innovation of Omnia Media’s digital roots with the proven production, distribution and broadcasting expertise of Blue Ant Media,” Lubetkin said.

“With this rebrand, we are expanding our genres and interests beyond our original hyperfocus on gaming to millennial-driven, compelling content that spans unscripted to scripted, live-action to animation, comedy to drama.”