New York – NBCUniversal announced on April 15 the launch of a robust, original video programming initiative that will be promoted across the company’s unique portfolio of television networks and featured on its extensive collection of digital platforms as well as on national video-on-demand.
Debuting first on various digital platforms including channel websites, Hulu and video-on-demand, this companywide initiative is designed to connect advertising brands with consumers in the most engaging and immersive ways. In many cases, the development of these digital series will be in direct collaboration with advertising partners.
“This original, digital-first programming, scaled with the unmatched resources of our company and our production partners, underscores the unparalleled opportunities we can create,” said Linda Yaccarino, President, Advertising Sales, NBCUniversal. “The combination of digital video alongside television content is extremely powerful and becoming an increasingly important part of the connection advertisers make with consumers. We want to offer our partners the unique ability to harness the power of our creative assets along with our distribution capabilities including the video-on-demand platform like no other company can do.”
NBCUniversal’s creative teams from across its portfolio of cable entertainment and broadcast networks as well as its Creative Innovation Agency will work closely with top production teams from around the industry to create high quality programming for the vast number of viewers who frequent its digital platforms every day.
“Much of the uncaptured value in the online world can be unlocked with smart collaborations between creators and clients. This year, we’re making a big push to building that bridge,” said Jeff Wachtel, President and Chief Content Officer, NBCUniversal Cable Entertainment.
Universal Cable Productions (UCP) will unveil more than a dozen scalable, original digital video projects including new series Tesla and Twain and Last Single Girl. UCP is also developing additional original series in collaboration with 72 and Sunny Productions.
Tesla and Twain is a comedic series loosely based on the real friendship between the great author and the great inventor… if they were suddenly transported to modern day Los Angeles. Last Single Girl tells the story of a single, over-educated and under-employed young woman who is coming to terms with being a grown-up while all of her best friends are getting married.
The first series from Universal Television to launch on NBC.com will be Saturday Night Line, in conjunction with Broadway Video’s Above Average Productions, a leading online comedy network and digital studio, and a Heroes Reborn: Digital Series from executive producer Tim Kring’s Tailwind Productions.
“It’s exciting to bring original content to the forefront on all of our digital platforms,” said Robert Hayes, Executive Vice President, Digital Media, NBC Entertainment. “We are lucky to once again be in business with some of the top producers in Hollywood making new content to further engage fans.”
Saturday Night Line is a socially interactive digital series featuring the super fans who wait in the Saturday Night Live standby line outside of 30 Rock.
Heroes Reborn: Digital Series is the online prequel to the previously announced Heroes mini-series and will satisfy existing fans while enticing a whole new generation of Heroes viewers.
