By Andy Fry
Blue Ant Media’s natural history channel Love Nature has greenlit a second season of Wildlife ER and will premiere the first season of the series across its global linear pay TV channels and US FAST platforms simultaneously. This is the first Love Nature original production to premiere in the FAST space and is another indication of the increasing emphasis that content owners are placing on the emerging sector.
Global general manager, Love Nature, Carlyn Staudt said: “Premiering this original commission concurrently on Love Nature FAST channels in the US and global linear PayTV channels is a major milestone that signals our commitment to investing in our brand to deliver new programming to audiences across all platforms.”
The ad-supported FAST business has been the surprise success story in 2022, with content owners launching new channels almost on a weekly basis. The US FAST market is the most advanced, and is reckoned to have generated around $4bn in ad revenues this year. Key platform operators include Pluto TV, Tubi, Amazon Freevee, Roku and platforms launched by connected TV manufacturers.
Wildlife ER, produced by WildBear Entertainment, will premiere on January 14, 2023 across Love Nature channels. In the US on FAST, the series premieres during a week-long Outback Week programming event, which runs from January 9 to 15. The series will also air on Sky Nature in the UK, Germany and Italy.
