Fox Creator Studios is partnering with seven creator channels as part of the studio’s latest major development. The studio will help these creators make a new slate of projects that range from longform entertainment to shortform unscripted series.
Fox’s new creator lineup includes comedian and entrepreneur Josh Richards, automotive creator Emelia Hartford, education creator Speed Co, food creators Sorted Food and MyHealthyDish, digital content company Mad Realities and creator and director Christina Richardson. Together, these seven creators have a reach of over 65 million followers. Previously, the studio announced that culinary icon Gordon Ramsay and comedian Tom Segura would also be part of its lineup.
Unlike other studio-backed creator ventures, the goal of Fox Creator Studios isn’t necessarily to make more content for Fox-owned distribution channels; it’s to help creators develop premium intellectual properties by leveraging Fox’s ad sales, brand partnership, global distribution and production infrastructure.
“I’ve been working in the creative economy, both as an investor and as a programmer, and working with brands for north of 15 years,” Billy Parks, executive vice president and head of Fox Creator Studios, told TheWrap, referring to his time with Slow Ventures and The Chernin Group. “All of us at Fox think that there is a real ecosystem these creators are building on their own channels, and we love that they’re doubling down on that. Wanting to grow them, that’s the focus for us.”
Fox Creator Studios was launched in January. Since its creation, the team has spent time analyzing the current creator ecosystem so that they can better understand the best way to partner with this new generation of talent. For Parks and his team, it was important to let the creators take the lead, both on the content they want to produce and where it makes the most sense for that content to live.
“We have some creators who we’re working with who are doing reality formats. Some of the creators that we’re working with are doing scripted formats. Some of them are doing them on shortform, some of them are doing them on longform. Some of them are starting new channels with new IP, and some of them are very established and are building on what they built before,” Parks said. “We wanted to try a lot of different things with a lot of great people.”
“Creators are no longer just part of the media ecosystem — they’re helping shape where it is headed. What makes this partnership with Fox Creator Studios so exciting is that we’re aligned around that initiative,” Josh Richards said. “Through CrossCheck, we’ve built a company focused on understanding culture, audience behavior and the next generation of storytelling. By combining that perspective with Fox’s scale and legacy, we’re creating a blueprint for what modern media can become.”
“I’m thrilled to partner with Fox Creator Studios as we continue to grow the ‘Besties’ universe,” Christina Richardson, the creator and director of the viral microseries comedy, added. “This partnership is an incredible validation of the work we’ve built and the audience we’ve cultivated, and I can’t wait to continue pushing the boundaries of creator-led storytelling while bringing fans even more of the characters and stories they love.”
Here’s the full lineup of creator-led projects coming from Fox Creator Studios:
Josh Richards’ “Read the Room”: Fox Creator Studios will partner to co-produce Seasons 2 and 3 of Richards’ (42 million followers) sketch series. The show also comes from Richards’ production company CrossCheck Studios and his business partner Chris Sawtelle. The first season of “Read the Room” secured over 60 million views in only four weeks. Season 2 will premiere in August.
Emelia Hartford’s “Hot Laps”: A leading automotive and motorsports creator with 8.2 million followers, Hartford will be helming the celebrity interview show “Hot Laps.” The show will pair high-speed track driving with candid conversations with Hollywood stars, athletes and cultural icons. Her production company, Running Lean Productions and Justin Killion of Bright Bay will also produce the series.
Speed Co’s “Then vs. Now”: The upcoming educational series from Speed Co (3.5 million followers) will compare products, experiences and cultural habits across generations to determine what improved, what declined and what history got right. The series will feature and be produced by James Pumphrey, Zach Redpath and Jesse Wood.
Sorted Food “In Bad Taste”: The upcoming comedy food entertainment show turns a dinner party into a game of deception. As guests navigate a tasting menu packed with hidden surprises, they’ll need to bluff, accuse and outwit one another to win the game. The series comes from The Sorted Food (3.4 million followers) and was part of the launch announcement of Fox Creator Studios in January. Led by Jamie Spafford, Barry Taylor, Mike Huttlestone and Ben Ebbrell, it’s the first project from FCS in production.
MyHealthyDish aka My Nguyen “My Daughters: Cooked”: The family cooking series follows creator My Nguyen (13 million followers) as she teaches her twin teenage daughters how to cook before they leave for college. The series will be produced by Emmy Award winning Mike Duffy of YumCrunch.
Christina Richardson’s “Besties”: After two successful seasons independently produced by Richardson, Fox Creator Studios will produce Seasons 3 and 4. The scripted vertical series is created and directed by Richardson and follows a group of friends navigating relationships, identity, ambition and the challenges of adulthood.
Mad Realities’ “The Love Tank” and “Picky Eaters”: Fox Creator Studios will be partnering with Alice Ma’s Mad Realities on two series. “The Love Tank” is a fast-paced dating series where singles compete in real time for a chance at romance. The second show is the culinary competition show “Picky Eaters,” which is hosted by rising food creator Mehreen Karim. Chefs will battle to impress notoriously selective guests.
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