How NBCUniversal Plans To Develop Creators As Next-Gen TV Talent With Its New Creator Accelerator Program
Source: NBCUniversal
The TikTok community is home to some of the most creative people on the planet. The video-first, audio-second format is particularly advantageous for visual storytelling and entertainment. Because of this, it is an ideal breeding ground for top talent and creativity.
NBCUniversal recently launched its Creator Accelerator Program. The 12-month program aims to develop the next generation of premium content creators for television and streaming.
How The Program Is Structured
For the inaugural program, it signed a diverse group of 11 TikTok creators with a total following of 10 million, including Katie Florence, Erika Priscilla, and Charlie Curtis-Beard.
Each creator will be assigned a development mentor to support the development of original scripted and unscripted series. They will also go through the greenlight process, including pitching to Peacock executives and business leaders. The creators whose pitches are greenlit will then produce their original content.
A New Pathway To Talent Development
Through NBCUniversal’s deals with notable creators in the short-form video landscape, it taps into next-generation talent that is pushing the boundaries of entertainment, media, and even culture.
The popularity of TikTok has significantly impacted people's viewing habits, especially younger generations. Traditional television and streaming have taken a backseat to TikTok. According to recent research by Omdia, TikTok is now the second most popular app in the U.S. among people under 35, surpassing Netflix. This comes two years after Netflix acknowledged TikTok as a major competitor along with traditional powerhouses like Disney, WarnerMedia, and NBCUniversal itself.
With creators and their TikTok content eating into television and streaming watch time, NBCUniversal is wise to build relationships and develop some of the individuals that are contributing to this shift. This is particularly important for legacy entities like NBCUniversal, who are trying to reach the elusive Gen Z.
The Opportunity For Creators
Participating creators will gain firsthand experience and knowledge of what it takes to make a show for television and streaming. Because of TikTok, these creators, especially those from marginalized groups, can bypass some of the gatekeeping that typically exists in the entertainment industry.
TikTok's enormous scale and ability to reach millions of people help level the playing field. Creators are less limited by whether they went to film school, who they may know, or traditional work experience. Instead of needing a script and an industry connection to get looks from a company like NBCUniversal, creators’ TikTok videos serve as their pilots, and their followers are their endorsements.
One thing that has yet to be revealed is whether creators will receive monetary compensation. This component is often how people decide whether something is a good opportunity for creators or not. Of course, as with other lines of work, creators should be compensated financially for their time and effort. However, some opportunities are more valuable than a paycheck, depending on the creators' specific situations.
Will It Be Successful?
Most wouldn't argue that there’s a big difference between making a great TikTok and a great television show. Even though creators have built audiences on TikTok in the millions, it doesn't necessarily mean their skills will transfer to television or their audiences will follow. It shouldn't be the end-all, be-all measurement of success for whether all creators get their shows greenlit or not.
Hopefully, future intellectual property (IP) emerges from the program for both parties, but more importantly, is how they work together. Is this another example of companies exploiting young talent for cheap, or does it result in more diverse voices in the room?
Just The Beginning
NBCUniversal isn’t the first to launch a Creator Accelerator Program, and it won’t be the last. These programs are becoming a popular way for companies to discover and develop talent with the potential of becoming part of their business in a form. The WWE, Hubspot, ESPN, Duracell, and others are just a few examples.
What if Bon Appetit launched one to turn food creators into its next writers or IKEA launched one to help DIY creators launch a furniture collection? We will see more of this in 2023 as more companies see creators as a must-need talent pool.
