YouTube supergroup in the market for format rights
YouTube creators the Sidemen are exploring further IP deals with Fremantle after a successful partnership on Supermarket Sweep, Broadcast understands.
The group boasts 22m subscribers on the Google-owned video platform and their Sidemen Supermarket Sweep has already garnered 5.4m views after it dropped a month ago.
The deal follows similar agreements between Sidemen and the BBC and ITV, which has led to the influencer and content creation supergroup making their own versions of The Wheel and The Chase, according to Jordan Schwarzenberger, co-founder of Arcade Media and Sidemen’s manager.
Sidemen, which is made up of YouTubers and influencers KSI, Miniminter, Zerkaa, TBJZL, Behzinga, Vikkstar123 and W2S, approached Fremantle to strike the deal “when the boys decided they wanted to do Supermarket Sweep on the channel”.
Importance of IP licensing
Schwarzenberger added that “proper licensing is important” as YouTube content becomes more formalised and that a format’s assets, such as logos, music and branding, adds value to Sidemen’s offering.
Schwarzenberger said the deal marks another “step forward” in the relationship between indies and YouTube. He added the group’s dedicated Sunday video drop is “always looking to push boundaries on what’s possible”.
He continued: “One of the best ways to do that is to bring iconic IP into the Sidemen universe. Working with Fremantle we were able to license the beloved Supermarket Sweep format, using proper logos, music and branding, which makes such a difference to the final product.
“We worked with Charlie Irwin [managing director of Fremantle label TalkbackThames] and the team to ensure all was on point – whilst fitting for the Sidemen style – and found a really nice meeting point in the middle.
“It feels like another step forward in the coming together of production houses and YouTube - which is only going to grow over time and is long overdue. I’m excited to see where it goes.”
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