Studio71 Focuses on Talent and Brand Safety at NewFronts

Media company and content studio Studio71 unveiled its 2018 lineup at its NewFront, which includes new partnerships, as well as an expansion of what it called its most engaging and culturally relevant franchises. The lineup includes new original content from creators like comedian and actress Lilly Singh. It will also continue popular shows like Rhett and Link’s Good Mythical Morning and This Might Get, a variety show starring comedians Grace Helbig and Mamrie Hart (“the Kathie Lee [and] Hoda for the YouTube generation”), which Studio71 called the “most fun show on the Internet.” Helbig and Hart were on hand at the Times Center on Tuesday, along with the AsapScience duo and Rafi Fine of media company Fine Brothers Entertainment to shill for brand partners. Or, as Rhett and Link said in a video, “[selling] ourselves to you so we can someday sell you to others.” (This followed John Cozart serenading the audience on ukulele with an original song about influencers and brands, which are “quite the kooky couple, indeed.”) Peter Leeb, evp and head of U.S. partnerships and operations, likened Studio71’s upcoming programming to ABC’s TGIF lineup in the ‘90s in that it provides a known quantity and consistency. He called it “TGID,” where the D stands for Digital. Studio71 also unveiled new content pillars from Seven Bucks Digital Studios, the digital arm of Dwayne Johnson and Dany Garcia's multi-platform production company Seven Bucks Productions: "courage," "strength and discipline," "gratitude" and service." (Johnson didn’t make to the presentation.) “Content will continue to provide audiences with authentic access, capturing the unique culture, passion, camaraderie and experiences that encompass this ever-expanding global brand,” Studio71 said of the Seven Bucks partnership in a release. “Programming will include a body transformation series anchored by Dwayne Johnson's strength, conditioning and nutrition coach as he gives audiences a behind-the-scenes look at the workouts and diet regimens that help Dwayne transform his body for each new role.” Studio71 also stressed brand safety, saying its Studio71 Context tool uses both machines and humans to review videos for quality and objectionable content. “NewFronts is an exciting time for us to show how Studio71 remains to be a leader in space that moves at such a high speed,” said Reza Izad, chief executive and co-founder of Studio71. “Our premium slate, commitment to brand safety and remarkable talent roster is the crux of our business and we … [delivered] a presentation that fully embraces that.” [kickout id="1"] Studio71 content can be found on more than 30 video platforms, including Amazon Prime, Roku, Facebook Watch, Instagram, PlutoTV and YouTube. Studio71 said it is one of the largest producers and distributors of social video globally, with one in three Americans online watching Studio71 content every month.