Netflix signs deal with teenage content creator Salish Matter and her dad

YouTube star Salish Matter, pictured, and her dad have signed a deal with Netflix

Montgomery Sheridan

Netflix has signed a deal with teenage content creator Salish Matter and her dad Jordan, through which they will develop, produce and star in new projects for the streamer.

From this spring, Netflix will relaunch the duo’s existing archive of content in addition to new projects exclusive to the streamer across scripted, unscripted and animation. The deal also includes consumer products and experiential offerings.

Sixteen-year-old Matter rose to fame as a pre-teen when she began appearing on her dad’s YouTube channel, which had previously been a photography vlog.

The viral success encouraged the father-daughter team to create more content together, going on to develop a family-oriented channel with over 34.1 million subscribers and 13.3 billion lifetime views.

Matter is also a competitive gymnast and co-founded skincare line Sincerely Yours in partnership with Sephora.

It marks the latest online star the global streamer has linked with recently, following match ups with the likes of NASA engineer-turned-social media personality Mark Rober and children’s content phenomenon Ms Rachel.

John Derderian, Netflix’s VP of animation series, kids and family TV, said: “At Netflix, we are committed to working with the best creatives in the world, and Salish and Jordan Matter are unparalleled creators with a massive fandom and a vibrant, high-energy storytelling style that kids and family audiences instantly love.”

In related news, Netflix has renewed its young-adult (YA) ice-skating drama Finding Her Edge for a second season.

The Canadian project, which is produced by Vancouver-based WildBrain, has been a strong performer on Netflix since its release on January 22, debuting among the streamer’s top 10 TV titles globally and rising to number three this week. It now has more than 12 million views and has reached the top 10 in more than 80 countries.

Finding Her Edge comes from showrunner and executive producer Jeff Norton (Geek Girl, The Small Hand). Shelley Scarrow (Wynonna Earp, Degrassi: The Next Generation) serves as head writer alongside Sabrina Sherif (The Summer I Turned Pretty, Wild Cards), Norton and Jacqueline Pepal.

Based on Jennifer Iacopelli’s novel of the same name and inspired by Jane Austen’s Persuasion, it follows three sisters who are heirs to a struggling figure skating dynasty.

The cast includes Madelyn Keys (A Mother’s Life, The Exchange), Harmon Walsh (Gossip Girl) and Alexandra Beaton (Overcompensating), with WildBrain’s Scherba, Stephanie Betts and Angela Boudreault among the executive producers.

“I set out to make a show about love, featuring characters navigating a particularly difficult path in their lives and in their sport,” said Norton.

“It’s a true gift to be able to work with such a talented cast to extend these characters’ journeys in season two, with the support of Netflix and WildBrain. I’m certain fans will be delighted as we delve deeper into the two love triangles that anchor our show – the romantic one and the familial one. There’s plenty of drama to come both on and off the ice.”