Media giant and entertainment company BuzzFeed is looking to expand its reach in the industry.
The millennial outlet has secured a first-look deal with Universal Television this week, with a focus on developing scripted series projects based on its original published content and reporting from its journalists, Variety reports.
“We are excited to join forces with UTV, an acclaimed studio with a proven track record producing series across network, cable and streaming platforms, to tap into the vast portfolio of BuzzFeed IP and elevate underrepresented voices,” said Charlotte Simms, TV development manager at Buzzfeed, in a statement. “This partnership is the foundation for building a television presence for BuzzFeed with projects that leverage our global audiences, our award-winning journalism and engaging entertainment content, and our ability to drive awareness at scale.”
According to Deadline, the two entities have already hit the green-light on their first project inspired by Bim Adewunmi’s 2018 story, “Meet the Women Who Are Building a Better Romance Industry.”
The Hollywood Reporter reports the story behind this project focuses on “Black women who are trying to change the romance industry from the inside by challenging the old, predominantly white narratives of who gets to fall in love.”
Jenna Bans — creator/executive producer of NBC/Uni TV’s “Good Girls” — and Erika Green — writer with credits on “New Amsterdam” and “How to Get Away With Murder” — are tapped to work on the project. BuzzFeed’s Richard Alan Reid will also executive produce alongside co-executive producer Karolina Waclawiak and Simms as producer.
Buzzfeed is known for being the top source for culture news and trends for the younger generation and their latest move is proof they’re staying ahead of the curve.
“Not only is BuzzFeed the go-to source for pop culture information, their reporting on a wide array of topics continues to break new ground,” said Pearlena Igbokwe, president of Universal Studio Group’s Universal TV, in a statement. “We’re looking forward to this dynamic new collaboration.”
