AOL unveils original UK content
October 17, 2014
By Nik Roseveare
AOL has unveiled its first UK Originals series at the inaugural IAB Digital Upfronts at BAFTA.
Produced in association with 40 Partners, AOL is developing two new original series featuring home-grown talent including Richard Bacon and Tess Daly. The programmes will bring a range of stories and voices to new and existing audiences across the AOL On Network. These new shows will be the first Originals to be produced by AOL in the UK and will add to the one million pieces of premium content already available through the AOL On platform.
“At AOL we are committed to creating original premium content that resonates with consumers and advertisers, ” said Mark Melling, Director of AOL Video, Europe. “The lines between traditional and digital video are blurring and through the AOL On platform we are disrupting how premium video is created, curated, distributed and monetised. We’ve had fantastic success with our Originals series in the US with two Emmy nominations this year and one show picked up by VH1. We’re hugely excited today to announce our first slate of home produced commissions and look forward to replicating that success in the UK.”
“Tess Daly, Richard Bacon and Rochelle Humes are some of the UK’s most loved on-screen talent and front shows that we believe will compliment AOL’s success in the US with content led by Gwyneth Paltrow, Steve Buscemi and Nicole Ritchie, to name but a few”, said Geoffrey Goodwin CEO of 40 Partners. “AOL’s commitment to deliver smart and authentic programming for audiences across the AOL On network makes them a terrific brand partner to work with and very much in line with 40 Partners’ ethos.“
AOL UK also announced it will be partnering with VivaKi exclusively for commercial partnership across four shows – namely City ballet, Inspired, Win/Win and The Future Starts Here.