Nine Entertainment Co. (NEC) has announced a content deal with Maker Studios, a short form online content company and a subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company, aimed to bring new audiences to live streaming and on-demand video platform 9Now.
9Now will feature five original series from Maker Studios – part of the “Short Not Sweet” package available to viewers as of Wednesday, September 14th – all aimed at the millennial audience.
Niamh Collins, general manager of product and digital operations at Nine, said, “This deal is important as it’s the first time 9Now has forged a digital only content deal. We firmly believe our relationship with Maker Studios will add new audiences to the 9Now platform, which already has more than 1.7m subscribers, and we are really excited to be an exclusive home for the premiere of Jobsworth, starring Joe Weller.
“We are thrilled to bring this group of fun, quirky original series to 9Now,” said Nick Higgins, General Manager, Maker Studios Australia and New Zealand. “We continue to look for distribution platforms that value our voice in short form and look forward to exposing these original shows to new audiences.”
The five original series now available on 9Now include:
- Jobsworth – Available only on 9Now – Take a journey with 20-year-old YouTube sensation Joe Weller as he looks to find his dream job. Watch as Joe bargains with potential bosses for a day of experience in his dream job in return for a day in the worst job they can find. With more than six million followers across social platforms, Joe has built a global audience with comedy sketches, vlogs, music videos and more.
- Now Boarding – Skateboarders and social media stars Chris Chann, Micky Papa and Jason Park embark on their first ever European adventure. Journey with Chris and friends through Paris, Munich, Vienna, Budapest, Prague, Venice, and more, as they link up with locals to skate iconic spots, sample signature dishes, check out the nightlight, and explore how skateboarding can break down barriers and connect cultures. The series is a collaboration between Maker Studios and Sweatpants Media.
- Wreck Room – YouTube star Nikki Limo hosts game night in her parents’ living room – playing games from growing up like “Never Have I Ever” and “Spin the Bottle.” The series is a collaboration between Maker Studios and Matador Content, producers of the hit Spike TV series Lip Sync Battle.
- Pretty Vacant – Two shallow, narcissistic, and oftentimes reprehensible best friends find themselves in relatable but elevated situations as they search for love. Starring creators Avital Ash and Danielle Rene, along with Adrianne Palicki (Friday Night Lights), Derek Phillips (Friday Night Lights), and Simon Kassianides (The Big C), with digital stars AlphaCat and Shameless Maya, the series is directed by Heath Cullens (It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia) and is a collaboration between Maker Studios and Steel Wool Entertainment.
- Hope & Randy – A quirky, irreverent, romantic comedy about the sweet and awkward sexual explorations of a pair of 24-year-olds in their first serious relationship. The series originally premiered on linear television as part of truTV’s “Late Night Snack” in the U.S. and is produced by Two Trick Pony in association with Maker Studios.
