UpStream Media, the digital-first media company owned by Tinopolis Group, has secured its first studio licensing agreement, acquiring 25 hours of factual programming from Paramount Global brands, including Smithsonian Channel.
The agreement, brokered by Marmalade Sky on behalf of UpStream Media, will see the content launched across UpStream’s YouTube channels Naked Science and Origin. The programmes will be available to audiences in the US, UK, Australia, New Zealand and Scandinavia.
Titles included are Project Artemis, Space Disasters, Space Voyages, Making Tracks on Mars, Apollo’s Moon Shot, Shuttle Discovery’s Last Mission, and V-Day: Volcanic Planet, which will be distributed through Naked Science. My 10 Kids & Me: Mega Families will appear on Origin.
Don McGregor, president, Paramount Global Content Licensing, said: “Digital platforms have created a genuine market for premium factual content, and UpStream has built the scale to serve this highly engaged audience. With Paramount as their first studio partner, this deal opens up real opportunity to extend the reach of our premium factual library through a distribution model that is only going to grow.”
Joe Elliott, head of UpStream Media, said: “Partnering with such a respected studio is a major milestone for UpStream and a strong validation of the scale and quality of our digital channels. This deal demonstrates that digital-first publishers can be trusted custodians of premium, long-form content.”
He added: “This is just the beginning. We see this as the foundation of a long-term relationship with Paramount, as we continue to bridge the gap between traditional studio content and the next generation of global audiences consuming premium programming on digital platforms.”
