BET will partner with new microdrama platform aTwist, formerly known as MicroCo, to develop and produce original content.
The partnership will see the two platforms develop microseries that are designed to be viewed across mulitple platforms. BET will have a limited first-run window for the long-form versions of the episodes before they are re-edited as microdramas for aTwist’s mobile-first viewing.
“The microseries format represents one of the most significant shifts in how content is created, distributed and consumed, and we’re positioning BET at the forefront of that evolution,” Aisha Summers-Burke, EVP and head of creative at BET Studios, said in a statement. “Our partnership with aTwist brings a best-in-class team and a format built for the future. Together we’re creating a pipeline that reflects Black culture and drives the conversation.”
The U.S.-based company aTwist, co-founded by former Hollywood executives Jana Winograde, Susan Rovner and Lloyd Braun, has yet to launch. Though the executives come from the traditional entertainment world, they have said they are committed to the low-cost programming that has made other platforms successful in the microdramas space.
“This collaboration reinforces that microseries aren’t just a format, they’re a scalable pipeline for cross-platform storytelling,” said Winograde, Rovner and Braun in a join statement for aTwist. “BET is a true cultural cornerstone, with one of the most loyal and engaged audiences in media, and we feel incredibly fortunate to partner with a brand that has consistently championed authentic storytelling.”
aTwist will be the first microdrama platform that utilizes windowing in its distribution. This model likely comes from the founders’ extensive experience in traditional entertainment — Winograde formerly served as president of Showtime, Rovner was formerly chairman of NBCU content and president of Warner Bros. TV and Braun served as chairman of ABC Entertainment Group, studio and network and chairman of WME.
Together, aTwist and BET will collaborate on programming that super-serves Black audiences, a demographic that has remained largely underserved within the emerging microdrama ecosystem.
The aTwist leadership team plans to create a home for original verticals in a multitude of genres, curated acquired microseries and creator-led innovative narrative storytelling. The platform also intends to create a diverse slate of original content that spans comedy, drama, unscripted, horror and romance.
“I personally feel like there’s a lack of respect sometimes for the audience of these and you hear things like, ‘They’re cheesy,’” Rovner said in March. “That bothers me to no end. There is a really big fandom here that needs to be respected, and that should be respected.”
The chief creative officer of aTwist insisted that the new venture is not attempting to reinvent the wheel. She clarified that, while aTwist hopes to elevate the content by expanding genres and reach, its budgets are low in order to compete with leading platforms like ReelShort, GoodShort and MyDrama.
aTwist has not yet set a launch date, and BET has not announced when its first microdrama collaboration will debut on cable.
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