Continuing an industry trend of networks looking to reduce the number of commercials, History is launching a mid-day Saturday block sponsored by outdoor equipment maker Yeti, which will run short-form branded content videos during the block.
The “Wild History” block will air from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. ET/PT for four weeks starting July 9 and feature reruns of History series Alone, Mountain Men and Ice Road Truckers.
“As we increasingly strive to connect our partners with audiences in less intrusive ways, we couldn’t be more proud of our partnership with YETI,” said Mel Berning, president and chief revenue officer, A+E Networks, History’s parent. “The deal allows us to provide premium, inspirational content both on-air and on our digital platforms to keep our audience engaged in a longer and more meaningful way.”
The Yeti films will also appear in a dedicated playlist on History’s YouTube channel and History.com.
“Our goal with branded content is to tell character driven stories about people who live a life built around their passions,” said Scott Ballew, executive producer at YETI. “Finding innovative and authentic ways to distribute these stories is a fun challenge and we’re thrilled to test the waters of TV with HISTORY by buying media where media hasn’t historically been for sale.”
Financial terms were not disclosed for the deal, which was engineered by Mediavest/Spark.
The block will also feature 45-second vignettes created by History featuring Troy and Jacob Landry from Swamp People. The vignettes will tell stories, tease and wrap the Wild History content.
