AOL’s Announces Content 365 Strategy, Distribution Deal With NBCU

AOL used its newfront in NYC this week to showcase originals with top-tier talent including James Franco, Jared Leto and Steve Buscemi, a “content 365” creative strategy and a distribution partnership with NBCU.

NBCU chairman of ad sales and client partnerships Linda Yaccarino announced to advertisers Tuesday evening that this summer AOL will stream video clips and segments of select NBCU content from cable, broadcast and digital nets on AOL On (on.aol.com), its mobile app and on 16 OTT platforms offering the app. The two companies will also co-develop original web video series for distribution on NBCU and AOL platforms and team up to create weekly live programming.

If you’re in the business and you’re not collaborating with cross-platform, “you might be lost,” Yaccarino said. “It doesn’t matter where the content is… it matters that the content is good.”

Former Viacom exec and current AOL president of video and studios Dermot McCormack discussed the company’s new “content 365” strategy, which is “about creating content of all shapes and sizes, every day.” The shift is from a newfront season to a newfront all year round, with video programming ranging from short-form, snack-able content to mid-form to long-form. Rather than TV bashing digital and vice versa, McCormack said, they ought to be working together. “We believe in both here. Consumers love their smartphones and they love their televisions.”

Renewals of AOL original series include second seasons of “Park Bench With Steve Buscemi” and “Making a Scene With James Franco” (this time focused on TV scene reenactments rather than film). Among the new shows are “Beyond the Horizon With Jared Leto,” a documentary interview series featuring the most innovative and visionary minds of our day; the NFL draft documentary “Journey to the Draft”; and “Act Like a Musician,” in which A-list celebrities get to play music with their musical idols. Nearly a dozen new video series were announced with Huffington Post as well, including “Now What With Ryan Duffy,” a look at the innovation and creativity happening around the world that’s often overlooked by the media.