(credit: Getty Images | Jonathan Nackstrand)
Netflix has big plans for 2017. After recently announcing it plans to have half of its content consist of original programming over the next few years, the company also stated it would come out with 20 unscripted shows in 2017. First reported by Variety, Netflix plans to double its amount of original content in 2017 to 1,000 hours, and will include new unscripted series like the global competition show Ultimate Beastmaster, produced by Sylvester Stallone and The Biggest Loser executive producer Dave Broome.
Netflix Chief content officer Ted Sarandos spoke about his company’s plans at Monday’s UBS Global Media & Communications Conference in New York. Sarandos said unscripted content is a “very interesting business,” and Netflix will focus on shows that have the potential to reach an international audience. A specific example is the planned show Ultimate Beastmaster, which will feature athletes and announcers from the US, Brazil, South Korea, Mexico, Germany, and Japan. Each country will record its part of the show, in its own native languages, and follow athletes competing across an obstacle course called “The Beast.” At the end of the 10-episode series, one athlete will be crowned Ultimate Beastmaster.
Sarandos cited the company’s hit show Stranger Things as a milestone in Netflix’s original programming journey. It was the first series Netflix produced and developed in-house, and thanks to its popularity, the company is already working on season two. However, Netflix doesn’t want to be an all-originals streaming company. While the company continues to develop unique show and movie ideas, it still only plans to have 50 percent of its content be totally original programming. Sarandos mentioned the recent reboot of Gilmore Girls as an example where licensing and collaboration made for the best result. “Warner Bros. owned the IP. There was no model I could do that myself,” Sarandos said, according to Variety. “We had a unique ability to do it.”
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Source: Ars Technica – Netflix plans to debut 20 original, unscripted shows in 2017