YouTube has ordered a pair of series, a comedy and a competition show, from BuzzFeed Motion Pictures, the Los Angeles studio owned by digital media giant BuzzFeed. Broke, the first project to debut from BuzzFeed Motion Pictures (BFMP), is an 11-episode comedy following the lives of best friends who are short on cash. It was created by and stars Quinta Brunson, along with Maurice Williams and Paul Dupree. Broke debuts exclusively on YouTube Red Sept. 28.
BuzzFeed’s Try Guys (Ned Fulmer, Keith Habersberger, Zach Kornfeld, Eugene Lee Yang) star in Squad Wars, which sees squads compete in outrageous tests for the chance to face off against the Try Guys and claim the honor of Top Squad. Production starts in the fall; Squad Wars will debut on YouTube Red in 2017.
"Working with YouTube to create big, global shows makes perfect sense to us,” said Matthew Henick, head of development, BFMP. “Our talent has been building loyal fan bases on the platform for years and we're excited to build premium series for the Red service."
YouTube Red, featuring original series and films and a commercial-free user experience, costs $9.99 a month.
“BuzzFeed has its finger on the pulse of social sharing, trending and keeping audiences’ entertained,” said Susanne Daniels, global head of original content, YouTube. “Quinta Brunson and the Try Guys already reach millions of fans with their popular videos, and we’re excited to introduce original series with characters and creators that fans already know and love.”
BuzzFeed Motion Pictures, based in Hollywood’s Siren Studios, produces content that generates over 5 billion video views across 30+ platforms, according to BFMP. Ze Frank is the president.
