Cowshed Ventures, a division of Cowshed Collective, has joined with programme financing specialist Krempelwood to launch digital-first true crime channel; It’s Criminal.
Bringing together licensed hits and original IP, It’s Criminal launches with a broad slate of crime programming, including series from production companies Woodcut Media and Flicker Productions, alongside formats featuring top creator talent.
Chloe Taylor (pictured), with a TikTok following of over 2.7million and rapidly growing YouTube presence, will front the new true crime format First Hand Files.
She said: “Each week, I’m going to be bringing a new story, and together we will dig into the jaw-dropping details of each case: family secrets, missed forensic evidence, and weird loose ends. I am excited to be bringing this new digital-first format to life.”
Mehreen Baig, whose credits include hosting the BBC Radio 4 podcast The Secret Life of Teachers, will delve into cases in The Unsolvable, whilst real life detectives and prosecutors will recount details of cold cases and mysteries in The Case I Couldn’t Crack, giving first hands accounts and previously unheard insights.
Alongside these two formats, It’s Criminal will commission film-makers to produce crime documentary films for digital-first and worldwide, all media distribution.
“The opportunity to partner with Cowshed Collective, master creators and promoters of digital content, combined with the true crime genre, presented us with the ideal first step as we transition from a programme finance business to a content finance business,” said Blair Krempel and Mark Wood, “It’s Criminal is the new home for premium, stranger-than-fiction true crime content.”
“It’s Criminal aims to disrupt how true crime IP is produced, distributed and scaled by delivering digital-first storytelling which appeals to multimedia audiences and commercial partners,” added Luci Sanan, head of Cowshed Ventures.
It’s Criminal will be managed and optimised by Cowshed, which will oversee day-to-day channel operations, content strategy, and audience development and brand activations as well as producing original content. Krempelwood will co-produce and both partners will collaborate on developing original IP designed to scale across platforms from streaming services to social media to brand partnerships and beyond.
It’s Criminal’s creative producer is Fraser Goodwin, the channel manager is Rosa Pointer-Mackenzie and the lead editor is Jess Aston.
