{"id":330737,"date":"2025-12-04T21:09:15","date_gmt":"2025-12-04T21:09:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/330737\/"},"modified":"2025-12-04T21:09:15","modified_gmt":"2025-12-04T21:09:15","slug":"versant-lays-out-original-content-strategy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/330737\/","title":{"rendered":"Versant Lays Out Original Content Strategy"},"content":{"rendered":"

\n\tVersant<\/a>, 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<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\n\tHowever, 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.<\/p>\n

\n\tUSA Network<\/a> premiered the John Slattery-fronted adaptation of John Grisham\u2019s 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\u2019s series of books, coming in 2026.<\/p>\n

\n\tBoreland, speaking at Versant\u2019s investor day, said that she is looking for \u201crecognizable IP and well-known personalities\u201d, also highlighting the third season of The Ark coming to Syfy<\/a> next year.<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\"\"<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\tEverything on the Menu with Braun Strowman (USA Network)<\/p>\n

\n\tOn 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. \u201cI\u2019m pretty optimistic that we\u2019ll pick up a second season of that show,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

\n\tFor Oxygen<\/a>, the network is continuing to lean in on true-crime with series such as Hooters Murders and a Snapped spinoff.<\/a><\/p>\n

\n\tE!<\/a>, which is focused on fashion and awards shows such as the Critics\u2019 Choice Awards hosted by Chelsea Handler, will also be getting further into the true-crime space. The network recenntly launched a Dirty Rotten Scandals\u00a0strand, which features exposes on\u00a0America\u2019s Next Top Model, The Dr. Phil Show\u00a0and\u00a0The Price is Right.<\/p>\n

\n\tCori Abraham, SVP, Development, Unscripted Content, Versant<\/a> and VP, Development Blake Levin were in London earlier today giving British producers an idea of what it was looking for.<\/p>\n

\n\tThe pair said that they have been \u201cpitched quite a few versions\u201d 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.<\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cWe\u2019re very open to A.I. in general,\u201d Abraham said at Content London. \u201cThe interesting thing about Versant is we\u2019re a new company and the way we did things in the past is not necessarily what we have to do now. So we\u2019re open to pretty much anything.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tHowever, don\u2019t bring E! a straight dating show as pitches need to bear in mind E!\u2019s MO. \u201cIt has to be very nostalgic or something celebrity-centric. We\u2019re not like \u2018everything\u2019. If it\u2019s a general dating show then that doesn\u2019t feel like it 100% makes sense for E!.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

\n\tThe company is also looking for presenting talent that isn\u2019t \u201cearnest\u201d and highlighted June Squibb, who hosts\u00a0Killer Grannies,\u00a0and\u00a0Traitors\u00a0presenter Alan Cummings, who fronts\u00a0A Killer Among Us as examples.<\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cIf your next-door neighbor is a great talent, then call us,\u201d she joked. \u201cWe want a little bit of snark, fun and entertainment, but characters that make you go, \u2018Oh, hey, it\u2019s that guy who does that\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tThe 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.<\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cWe\u2019re currently developing a content strategy that leverages our substantial library assets,\u201d Boreland said. \u201cWe\u2019re working on strategic content acquisitions with third party studios, and eventually we\u2019ll 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.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tTalking of streaming, Boreland also revealed that it has just struck a deal with a \u201cmajor streamer\u201d for its programming after splitting from NBCUniversal streamer Peacock. \u201cWe\u2019re 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\u2019re going to announce in a couple of days,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

\n\tBoreland said that the \u201cbiggest misconception\u201d of Versant is that it will be \u201cchallenged without NBCUniversal\u201d. \u201cI can\u2019t argue that what we built as part of NBCUniversal wasn\u2019t very successful and very profitable, but we weren\u2019t a priority for that company,\u201d she added. \u201c[Now], we get to invest back into our businesses and create more opportunities to experiment and move quickly.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Versant, a collection of cable networks and digital platforms that will spin off from Comcast early next year,…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":330738,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[54],"tags":[3523,88,12559,167708,92,41539,16352],"class_list":["post-330737","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-tv","tag-e","tag-entertainment","tag-oxygen","tag-syfy","tag-tv","tag-usa-network","tag-versant"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/330737","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=330737"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/330737\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/330738"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=330737"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=330737"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=330737"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}