ITV strikes Awesome content deal

AwesomenessTV’s Freakish is heading to Hulu

UK broadcaster ITV has partnered with US youth media firm AwesomenessTV (ATV) to coproduce original series for the UK and international markets.

ITV Studios and ATV will coproduce scripted and unscripted programmes for ITV2, while the broadcaster’s distribution arm, ITV Global Entertainment, will license the content internationally.

The deal also sees ITV2 and catch-up service ITV Hub take exclusive UK premiere rights to ATV’s premium longform series, totalling 75 hours.

This will increase to 100 hours in 2018 and marks the first time ITV’s VoD service will carry exclusive original series.

Meanwhile, a show hosted by young talent and featuring the acquired scripted and unscripted ATV series will feature on ITV2 during weekends from early 2017.

ATV was founded by Brian Robbins, producer of Smallville and One Tree Hill, as a way to work with some of YouTube’s most successful content creators.

DreamWorks Animation holds a 51% stake in the company, while US telecoms giant Verizon and media firm Hearst each have minority stakes.

Series ATV has produced to date include Guidance and Tagged for Verizon’s go90 platform and the forthcoming Hulu series Freakish.

“AwesomenessTV has quickly grown into one of the most successful youth content companies in the world. The team has very successfully combined the best of YouTube with high-quality production values to create great TV shows,” said Simon Pitts, MD of online, pay TV and interactive at ITV.