Wattpad and Sony Pictures Television Partner for First-Look TV Deal to Develop Original Programming
TORONTO - April 17, 2019 - Wattpad, the global multi-platform entertainment company for original stories today announced a partnership with Sony Pictures Television (SPT), one of the television industry's leading content providers, to co-produce original programming for television, giving Sony a first-look at up-and-coming Wattpad stories. Wattpad and Sony will work together to identify and develop popular narratives from the half a billion story uploads that have been shared on Wattpad, bringing diverse and emerging voices to screens around the world. The deal will be overseen by Eric Lehrman, Wattpad’s Head of Content Development and Production.
Sony will benefit from the billions of daily data insights generated on Wattpad, where 70 million monthly users engage with stories from every genre. With its Story DNA Machine Learning technology Wattpad is able to identify new IP and storytellers with exceptional potential, creating a data-to-development process that is transforming the industry with audience insights.
The deal follows the recent announcement that Wattpad, Sony Pictures Television, and Stampede are developing “Death Is My BFF” for SYFY. The popular “Death is My BFF” series of stories from Katerina E. Tonks has more than 62 million reads to date on Wattpad. Lindsey Rosin (Cruel Intentions) is slated to write the series.
Wattpad is represented by UTA, who helped broker the deal.
“Our entertainment partners all over the world have seen the power of our data-backed approach to IP discovery and development.” said Aron Levitz, Head of Wattpad Studios. “Wattpad stories are some of the most innovative and creative that have ever been written. The stories and diverse voices on Wattpad deserve to be heard all over the world. And our partnership with Sony does just that: bringing Wattpad stories to new and existing fans all over the planet.”
“By helping some of the largest entertainment companies advance the way they use data, Wattpad has solidified itself as a powerful platform to identify new content, spot emerging trends and help Wattpad creators transition IP into film and television. This new partnership with Sony will competitively position both companies in the ever changing content ecosystem,” stated UTA Head of Emerging Platforms, Oren Rosenbaum.
Wattpad’s deal with Sony comes on the heels of recent success with international entertainment partners including iflix, eOne, Huayi Brothers Korea, SYFY, and many others. Some of Hollywood’s biggest recent success stories have started on Wattpad. Wattpad produces the Emmy-nominated series Light as a Feather with AwesomenessTV and Grammnet for Hulu. The show’s second season is currently in production. Wattpad’s film After is currently in theatres around the world. Based on Anna Todd’s international Wattpad sensation and best-selling novel, the film opened at #1 in key territories across Europe. Netflix’s smash hit The Kissing Booth started on Wattpad, where it accumulated 19 million reads and built an international fanbase.
To date, nearly one thousand Wattpad stories have been turned into books, TV shows, films, and digital projects.
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About Wattpad
Wattpad’s vision is to entertain and connect the world through stories. Using the power of community and technology, the global multiplatform entertainment company is unleashing the full potential of stories to the world -- in any format. Wattpad’s flagship app is the world’s leading social storytelling platform, home to a community of more than 70 million people who spend over 22 billion minutes a month engaged in original stories. Wattpad’s Story DNA Machine Learning technology allows the company to understand and discover stories among the more than 565 million uploads that have been shared on the platform. Wattpad Studios and Wattpad Books are transforming entertainment and publishing, using data-backed insights to turn Wattpad stories into books, films, TV shows, and digital projects. Wattpad Brand Partnerships offers a full suite of advertising products to help brands build deep engagement with Millennial and Gen Z consumers. Tap by Wattpad, the company’s second storytelling product, offers immersive interactive entertainment experiences in over a dozen languages. The company is proudly based in Toronto, Canada. Learn more at: company.wattpad.com