Viacom International Media Networks (VIMN), a division of Viacom Inc. (NASDAQ: VIA, VIAB), recently unveiled a partnership with Facebook for an upcoming slate of eight original shortform series created for Facebook Watch. The series will be created by MTV Asia as part of the publisher and creator video incubation program for Facebook Watch. With genres ranging across music entertainment, pro-social and reality, the series will feature popular social influencers in Asia. Four shows will premiere later this year while the remaining four will be developed in 2020.
Paras Sharma, Senior Vice President and General Manager for Southeast Asia, VIMN, said, “Creating original content is a key focus for us in Asia. We have a diverse portfolio of original content – from hip hop show YO! MTV Raps and the Comedy Central Stand-Up, Asia! series, to Nickelodeon shorts and eSports branded content – that lives on our linear and digital platforms. Working with Facebook further amplifies the content creation opportunity as with this partnership, there is the potential to bring the power of MTV’s original ideas and storytelling to new audiences whenever and wherever they are consuming content.”
Saurabh Doshi, Director of Entertainment Partnerships Facebook Asia Pacific, “We are proud to partner with Viacom International Media Networks to bring the best of Asia’s creator content to Facebook through new show formats that will engage their community and inspire conversations. On Facebook Watch, publishers and creators connect with people in meaningful ways. We are excited to bring this to life with MTV Asia.”
Each series will comprise of eight episodes, with each episode running up to eight minutes. Additional programming and talent partnerships will be announced soon. This collaboration is driven by VIMN’s digital studios arm, Viacom Digital Studios International (VDSI), which focuses on creating and distributing digital content for VIMN’s flagship brands outside of the U.S.
With a strong global footprint, VDSI’s collaboration with Facebook taps on our production hubs around the world. In October 2018, MTV Studios and Facebook Watch announced a partnership to produce MTV’s The Real World in Thailand, Mexico and the United States. MTV The Real World: Bangkok premiered exclusively on Facebook Watch from June 13.