Buzzfeed


Exclusive: Taking the long view on factual shortform

Shortform factual content is growing fast, but how does it fit into the kaleidoscope of other programming out there? Andy Fry finds out. There’s no lack of shortform factual storytelling in the world. With the emergence of social platforms like YouTube, Facebook, Snapchat and TikTok, the last two decades have seen an endless outpouring of […]

Universal TV inks first-look deal with Buzzfeed

Universal Television has signed a first-look deal with US news and entertainment company Buzzfeed. The agreement will see the NBCUniversal-owned company produce scripted content based upon stories published by Buzzfeed. The two companies have already set their first project together, with a series based upon Bim Adewunmi’s 2018 article Meet The Women Who Are Building […]

WarnerMedia’s TBS links with BuzzFeed for ‘The Sims’ reality show

WarnerMedia’s US cabler TBS has linked up with Buzzfeed to launch a reality show based on the classic life simulation game The Sims. The Sims Spark’d is a four-episode show that will follow 12 players as they compete in both skills and elimination challenges in a bid to impress celebrity judges and win a $100,000 […]

Netflix & Buzzfeed partner for short-form doc

Netflix is set to launch a new short-form documentary series with Buzzfeed that follows the lives of the publisher’s reporters. Follow This is a 20-episode series that will premier July 9 on Netflix worldwide. Each 15-minute episode will be released weekly. The writers featured on the series include culture writer Bim Adewunmi, senior national correspondent […]

Social content the ‘next leap’ in programming: Facebook’s Henick

Social content should prioritise personal connections, be responsive to the audience, and will be the “next leap” in programming, according to Facebook’s recently appointed head of content strategy and planning. Speaking to a busy auditorium at MIPTV yesterday, Facebook’s Matthew Henick outlined his vision of social content and drew a distinction between this and traditional […]

Jamie, FoodTube and the changing face of MCNs

K7 Media’s Clare Thompson asks what the demise of Jamie Oliver’s FoodTube tells us about the changing online channels business. In September it was announced that the Jamie Oliver Media Group was to disband its FoodTube multichannel network, launched in 2013, then expanded to include DrinksTube, FamilyTube and 14 other talent-fronted channels including River Cottage, […]

Buzzfeed staying ‘fully indie’ after NBCU investment

NBCUniversal has ploughed another US$200 million into online news and video company BuzzFeed. This is on top of the US$200 million Comcast-owned NBCU invested in BuzzFeed last year. BuzzFeed’s investors include SoftBank Capital, Hearst Ventures, New Enterprise Associates, Andreessen Horowitz and Lerer Hippeau Ventures. Buzzfeed founder and CEO Jonah Peretti (pictured) claimed, however, that NBCU’s […]

ProSieben MCN hires ex-Buzzfeed exec

ProSiebeSat.1 Group-owned multichannel network Collective Studio 71 has hired the former head of partnerships at Buzzfeed Motion Pictures. Adam Boorstin will become executive VP, global digital distribution at CS71, which was formed when Germany-based ProSieben acquired control of US-based Collective Digital Studio and merged it with its own MCN, Studio71. In the new post, he […]

Comcast debuts YouTube rival Watchable

US media giant Comcast has launched its ‘YouTube killer’, Watchable, a streaming site that debuts with videos from around 30 partners. Ad-funded Watchable has gone live in beta, with Comcast describing it as “a new, cross-platform video service that curates a selection of the best content from popular online video networks and shows in an […]

Comedy Central poaches BuzzFeed exec

Comedy Central has poached Philly Byrne from BuzzFeed to run its digital operations in the UK. As digital director, Byrne will head up the digital team at Viacom’s Comedy Central UK, creating and implementing the strategy for the Comedy Central UK website. He will report to Alison Bakunowich, vice president, creative, marketing and communications for […]