Video studio FilmRise has acquired the global content licensing rights to dozens of shows produced by BuzzFeed Studios, including the popular web series “Hot Ones.”
The deal between FilmRise and BuzzFeed Studios encompasses more than 1,200 hours of content, including the full content library of Hot Ones as well as other BuzzFeed-centric shows like “BuzzFeed Unsolved: True Crime” and “Worth It.” Many of the shows, including Hot Ones, were acquired by BuzzFeed through its purchase of Complex Networks two years ago.
“This deal with FilmRise marks a milestone for our series and our studio,” Nick Wang, the senior vice president of business development and partnerships at BuzzFeed Studios, said in a statement this week. “We’re excited to expand the footprint of our series to audience across digital platforms around the globe.”
FilmRise is one of the biggest licensors of content to free and premium streaming services, with its library of TV shows and movies available on platforms like Amazon’s Prime Video and Freevee, Comcast’s Peacock, Fox Corporation’s Tubi, Crackle TV, Redbox TV, Plex, the Roku Channel, Xumo Play and Samsung TV Plus.
Some shows covered under the licensing deal were previously offered to the Walt Disney Company’s streaming service Hulu and Warner Bros Discovery’s comedy-centric entertainment channel TBS, with that agreement pre-dating BuzzFeed’s acquisition of Complex.
A spokesperson for FilmRise told the publication StreamTV Insider that “Hot Ones” and other shows will still be offered to Hulu, though the publication didn’t say if its traditional TV deals are still in place. Cable TV rights to “Hot Ones” moved from TBS to AXS TV earlier this summer.
Jonitha Keymoore, the vice president of global content acquisition at FilmRise, said the BuzzFeed and Complex content library was attractive to the company because the shows “[tap] into the zeitgeist of today’s culture by taking an innovative perspective to traditional formats — whether that be the unique way Hot Ones approaches the classic talk show format or BuzzFeed Unsolved takes on the true crime genre.”
“These titles already have a strong audience following and now, we are thrilled to bring them to everyone, worldwide.” Keymoore said in a statement.
