Universal TV inks first-look deal with Buzzfeed

Universal Television has signed a first-look deal with US news and entertainment company Buzzfeed.

The agreement will see the NBCUniversal-owned company produce scripted content based upon stories published by Buzzfeed.

The two companies have already set their first project together, with a series based upon Bim Adewunmi’s 2018 article Meet The Women Who Are Building A Better Romance Industry in the works.

The article is about black women who are trying to change the romance industry by challenging old white-dominated narratives about love.

New Amsterdam’s Erika Green will write the project, while Good Girls creator Jenna Bans is attached to executive produce, alongside BuzzFeed’s Richard Alan Reid, while Karolina Waclawiak is co-executive producer and Charlotte Simms will produce.

“Not only is BuzzFeed the go-to source for pop culture information, their reporting on a wide array of topics continues to break new ground,” said Pearlena Igbokwe, president of Universal Television. “We’re looking forward to this dynamic new collaboration.”

“We are excited to join forces with UTV, an acclaimed studio with a proven track record producing series across network, cable and streaming platforms, to tap into the vast portfolio of BuzzFeed IP and elevate underrepresented voices,” added Simms, TV development manager at Buzzfeed.