NBCU, Pants Inc link up with Turkey’s Merzigo to expand Letterman late-night library

NBCUniversal Global TV Distribution and David Letterman’s Worldwide Pants Incorporated have partnered with Turkish distribution and monetisation outfit Merzigo to expand the digital footprint of two late-night properties fronted by the legendary host.

David Letterman

Under a multi-year deal, Merzigo will use its proprietary technology to distribute library episodes of The Late Show with David Letterman and Late Night with David Letterman, spanning more than 6,000 episodes, across digital platforms including YouTube and Facebook.

The former is owned by Worldwide Pants and aired on CBS from 1993 to 2015, while the latter is owned by NBCUniversal Global TV Distribution and ran on NBC from 1982 until 1993.

The companies said Merzigo will “enhance archival footage for today’s viewing experience” in addition to expanding the digital footprint of both talkshows.

Merzigo manages more than 6,000 channels, which generate over 17 billion monthly views, according to the company. It has other deals with Hearst Media Production Group and Steve Harvey Global and recently tapped former CBS executive Wendy McMahon as a senior advisor.

“As we continue to expand our distribution of these iconic moments on YouTube and Facebook, partnering with Merzigo will enable us to better reach fans and new viewers across every platform and device, delivering our thousands of videos in the best quality they have ever been seen,” said Walter Kim, Worldwide Pants’ executive producer for digital.

Dilip Bala, Merzigo’s managing director for the Americas, added: “By combining Merzigo’s advanced technology and algorithm expertise with this iconic content, we aim to significantly enhance discoverability and deepen audience engagement across YouTube and Facebook.”