Versant, a collection of cable networks and digital platforms that will spin off from Comcast early next year, made news this morning with a new streaming plan for MS Now, a Fandango free streamer and the acquisitions of Free TV Networks and Indy Cinema Group.

However, for Hollywood, the company also lifted the lid on its programming strategy with President of Entertainment Val Boreland outlining its hopes and dreams in the scripted and unscripted space.

USA Network premiered the John Slattery-fronted adaptation of John Grisham’s 1995 novel The Rainmaker in August and quickly renewed it for a second season. It also has drama series Anna Pigeon, starring Tracy Spiridakos and based on Nevada Barr’s series of books, coming in 2026.

Boreland, speaking at Versant’s investor day, said that she is looking for “recognizable IP and well-known personalities”, also highlighting the third season of The Ark coming to Syfy next year.

Everything on the Menu with Braun Strowman (USA Network)

On the unscripted side, it has Everything on the Menu with Braun Strowman, a food travel show that follows the WWE wrestler as he tries everything on the menu at various restaurants. It is produced by WWE Studios and BrightNorth Studios and Boreland teased the likelihood of a second season as it prepares to launch its season finale tomorrow. “I’m pretty optimistic that we’ll pick up a second season of that show,” she said.

For Oxygen, the network is continuing to lean in on true-crime with series such as Hooters Murders and a Snapped spinoff.

E!, which is focused on fashion and awards shows such as the Critics’ Choice Awards hosted by Chelsea Handler, will also be getting further into the true-crime space. The network recenntly launched a Dirty Rotten Scandals strand, which features exposes on America’s Next Top Model, The Dr. Phil Show and The Price is Right.

Cori Abraham, SVP, Development, Unscripted Content, Versant and VP, Development Blake Levin were in London earlier today giving British producers an idea of what it was looking for.

The pair said that they have been “pitched quite a few versions” of A.I. matchmaking shows, and were even developing an AI dating show a few years ago about people who fall in love with robots.

“We’re very open to A.I. in general,” Abraham said at Content London. “The interesting thing about Versant is we’re a new company and the way we did things in the past is not necessarily what we have to do now. So we’re open to pretty much anything.”

However, don’t bring E! a straight dating show as pitches need to bear in mind E!’s MO. “It has to be very nostalgic or something celebrity-centric. We’re not like ‘everything’. If it’s a general dating show then that doesn’t feel like it 100% makes sense for E!.” 

The company is also looking for presenting talent that isn’t “earnest” and highlighted June Squibb, who hosts Killer Grannies, and Traitors presenter Alan Cummings, who fronts A Killer Among Us as examples.

“If your next-door neighbor is a great talent, then call us,” she joked. “We want a little bit of snark, fun and entertainment, but characters that make you go, ‘Oh, hey, it’s that guy who does that’.”

The other bit of news that Versant made in the content space involved Fandango, its digital movie ticketing service. The company will launch a free ad-supported streamer around Fandango at Home and the service, which will debut in the second half of next year, will have original programming.

“We’re currently developing a content strategy that leverages our substantial library assets,” Boreland said. “We’re working on strategic content acquisitions with third party studios, and eventually we’ll create original programming. Fandango at Home is going to present a valuable opportunity to reach streaming audiences, and we can effectively use our linear networks to promote back to the AVOD service.”

Talking of streaming, Boreland also revealed that it has just struck a deal with a “major streamer” for its programming after splitting from NBCUniversal streamer Peacock. “We’re currently in negotiation with multiple streamers about licensing our content library, and actually, just this week, we closed a really big licensing deal with a major streamer that we’re going to announce in a couple of days,” she said.

Boreland said that the “biggest misconception” of Versant is that it will be “challenged without NBCUniversal”. “I can’t argue that what we built as part of NBCUniversal wasn’t very successful and very profitable, but we weren’t a priority for that company,” she added. “[Now], we get to invest back into our businesses and create more opportunities to experiment and move quickly.”