ITV to Invest in Believe Entertainment Group, a Leading Producer of Premium Digital Content
NEW YORK(10 Sep 2014)
Digital entertainment company Believe Entertainment Group today announced it has signed an investment deal with ITV plc, the leading U.K.-based television and broadcast company that is now the largest independent producer of unscripted content in the U.S. As part of the agreement ITV will also join Believe Entertainment Group’s board of directors.
As a strategic partner, ITV will contribute its own U.S. production expertise, international distribution and talent relationships to enhance Believe Entertainment Group’s existing projects and maximize its own long-form television formats.
Believe Entertainment Group is the producer behind hit short-form content including The LeBrons, an original animated series starring LeBron James on Xbox; In the Booth, a behind-the-scenes series with DJ/Producer Tiësto on YouTube; Money Where Your Mouth Is, an original game show series hosted by Jay Mohr on Hulu; and Inspired by Sabrina, a women’s lifestyle show hosted by HGTV star Sabrina Soto on AOL. Several new initiatives currently in development will be announced soon.
Co-founders Dan Goodman and William H. Masterson III’s past projects include Seth MacFarlane’s Cavalcade of Cartoon Comedy and online ventures in support of Sacha Baron Cohen’s Bruno. The company specializes in developing premium entertainment with A-list talent and matching them with global brands, including Intel, 7Up, P&G, McDonald’s and Nike. The content produced is distributed on a variety of digital platforms, including Facebook, Xbox, YouTube and Twitter, with native advertising in support of the sponsoring brand.
“As the entertainment industry continues to converge to meet the demands of consumers and how they want to view content, this partnership offers both companies a distinct competitive advantage,” said Dan Goodman and William H. Masterson III, co-founders, Believe Entertainment Group. “ITV will offer numerous opportunities for us to grow our efforts in multiple formats, channels and globally to the benefit of both our talent and brand partners.”
Paul Buccieri, Chairman of ITV Studios U.S. Group and ITV Studios Global Entertainment, said, “Believe Entertainment Group’s expertise has generated hundreds of millions of views in just under five years. This added to Dan and Bill’s combined 35 years in advertising, digital, media and entertainment, makes them a compelling strategic partner for ITV.”
About Believe Entertainment Group
Believe Entertainment Group is a New York-based digital entertainment company producing high-profile content in partnership with elite talent and leading brands through a variety of digital outlets such as web, mobile, VOD and social media. Believe Entertainment Group has launched a steady stream of recent projects including: @EpicEDM, a new, ongoing original content series featuring top electronic dance music (EDM) artists, festivals and clubs worldwide that is the first studio-originated content series designed specifically for the Twitter platform; season two of The LeBrons, an original, animated Web series with two-time NBA champion and four-time league MVP LeBron James, on Xbox LIVE (youtube.com/TheLeBrons); seasons two and three of In the Booth, a documentary-style series with DJ/Producer Tiësto (youtube.com/Tiesto); Money Where Your Mouth Is, a new, original game show series hosted by comedian, actor, radio host and author, Jay Mohr, that was ranked the top game show of the Winter on Hulu and Hulu Plus (Hulu.com/MMI); and Inspired: by Sabrina, a new women’s lifestyle show hosted by HGTV star Sabrina Soto. Previous projects include a lifestyle and entertainment news series with Jennifer Lopez and Nuyorican Productions, TBE, distributed through and in partnership with AOL(cambio.com/tbe). Believe Entertainment Group is known for its trailblazing 2011 premiere ofThe LeBrons on YouTube with brand partners HP, Intel, Bing, Sprite and Nike, distributed through LeBron’s Facebook, Twitter and a dedicated section of LeBronJames.com, with syndication through Digital Broadcasting Group (DBG).