Fifth Season partners Sugar23 to co-finance $100m of content via branded studio JV

L-R: Michael Sugar, Chris Rice and Graham Taylor
LA-based studio Fifth Season is partnering with US production and management company Sugar23 to launch a branded content studio that plans to co-finance more than US$100m of content over the next three years.
The joint-venture will see the companies producing content spanning scripted and non-scripted television, documentary and feature films, bringing together Fifth Season’s development, production and distribution infrastructure with Sugar 23’s brand connections.
Michael Sugar, who founded Sugar23 in 2017, said the partnership “represents a groundbreaking way to support brands’ ambitions in Hollywood.”
The deal represents a significant expansion of its business model for Fifth Season, which produces big-budget scripted dramas including Severance (Apple TV+), Nine Perfect Strangers (Hulu) and Lady in the Lake (Apple TV+), as well as premium docs such as Being Mary Tyler Moore (Max), and has a global distribution arm.
In addition to launching the brand-focused content studio, Fifth Season and Sugar23 said they would develop and produce series and films under “more traditional models” outside of the branded space.
The launch of the as-yet-untitled studio comes as multiple brands step into the original content arena, including Toys“R”Us Studios, Starbucks Studios, Chick-fil-A and Crayola. It also comes amid a global pullback in broadcaster and streamer commissions that has left producers across the globe scrambling to find new revenue streams.
“This is not about traditional sponsorship or ‘branded content’ – it’s about brand-funded entertainment that allows brands to play an active role in shaping the future of storytelling at the highest level, with brand purpose and audience impact at the centre of the proposition,” said Sugar, whose company has already partnered with Starbucks Studios and Chick-fil-A.
“Michael Sugar is not only an incredible producer but also has proven himself to be a true innovator in how filmmakers, creators and brands can work together,” said Fifth Season co-CEOs Chris Rice and Graham Taylor.
“In addition to traditional TV and film development, we are excited to build a new avenue of content creation where brands actively participate alongside us in funding and shaping productions from the ground up. We are thrilled to collaborate with Sugar23 to redefine what’s possible in brand-funded entertainment and deliver exceptional stories that connect with viewers around the world.”