AOL renews slate of original series

AOL has renewed several of its original series. The internet firm is pushing into original content and is taking a quartet of shows into a second season.

Sarah Jessica Parker (Sex and the City) will executive produce another run of city.ballet, which is made by her prodco Pretty Matches alongside Zero Point Zero Production.

Socialite Nicole Richie will make another season of #CandidlyNicole. The reality series was recently ordered as a long-form project for US cable net VH1 but AOL said its online version will have exclusive content not included in the TV series. It is produced by Warner Bros.’ Telepictures and World of Wonder.

The other shows renewed were tech series Hardwired 2.0 and The Future Starts Here. Telco Verizon will sponsor these shows.

AOL says the four shows garnered 75 million views across their first seasons placing them in the same league as top pay TV programmes, according to Charles Gabriel, AOL’s senior VP of Global Video Sales.

“The success these series have seen is on par with top tier cable programs reaching sizable audiences who are highly engaged, making them incredibly attractive for advertisers and establishing a viable alternative to place dollars,” Gabriel said.