Electus adds 5×5 to equation

Ben Silverman’s multimedia outfit Electus is to develop unscripted programmes with 5×5 Media, a prodco run by the producers behind Survivor, Extreme Makeover: Home Edition and Mythbusters.

5×5 is helmed by co-founders and executive producers Craig Armstrong, Rick Ringbakk and Tod Mesirow, who have produced some of the US’s most watched formats. Armstrong recently picked up an Emmy nomination for ABC series Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution.

Silverman said the trio were “fantastic storytellers” that “have been connected to the best shows on television and our initial slate shares that same ambition.”

The partnership will see the pair working to create and coproduce new projects across a variety of different platforms. Electus will retain exclusive distribution rights for both TV and digital to 5×5 programming and seek to ship the products internationally.

Additionally, Electus will link 5×5 with its marketing and advertising partners to push the shows.

Electus – backed by InterActive Corp and set up by Silverman following his departure from NBC in July 2009 – has content partnership deals with Yahoo!, Jason Bateman’s comedy prodco DumbDumb and Israel’s Abbot Reif Hameiri Production Company.

Silverman also launched Electus Distribution in February, after linking up with former Reveille colleagues at Shine International.