MICHAEL STRAHAN AND ITV AMERICA SET OVERALL DEAL
Michael Strahan, and Producing and Business Partner Constance Schwartz-Morini to Create and Produce Projects for Television, OTT and Digital Platforms through their SMAC Entertainment
NEW YORK - (May 23, 2017) - NFL Hall of Famer, TV and media personality, and producer Michael Strahan, and his producing and business partner Constance Schwartz-Morini, have inked an exclusive overall production partnership with their company SMAC Entertainment and ITV America through which they will create a range of unscripted projects for television, OTT and digital platforms that will be produced under the ITV America banner.
Two-time Emmy award-winning Strahan - co-host of Good Morning America, host of ABC's The $100,000 Pyramid and an Emmy-nominated FOX NFL Sunday analyst - made today's announcement with Schwartz-Morini and ITV America CEO Brent Montgomery. ITV America's Chief Creative Officer Adam Sher and ITV America's Executive Vice President, Business Development & International, Ed Simpson, helped broker the deal. SMAC Entertainment is repped by WME.
Under the partnership, Strahan and Schwartz-Morini will develop unscripted programming for television and digital platforms, working across ITV America's robust roster of production labels that includes ITV Entertainment, Leftfield Pictures, Loud TV, Outpost Entertainment, Sirens Media, DiGa, Gurney Productions, High Noon Entertainment and Thinkfactory Media.
Said Strahan, "Constance and I have an enormous amount of respect for the team at ITV America and the group's spirit of creative risk, support and collaboration, which is key for us as producers and entrepreneurs. We are eager to develop projects across reality, competition, documentary and more and are truly excited to call ITV America home for SMAC Entertainment."
Montgomery added, "In addition to his incredible talent, Michael is a total class act: kind, engaged and authentic, whether he's speaking to an assistant or to a network president. His expertise and ability to navigate everything from sports and game shows to docs and competition, along with his and Constance's keen instincts for what resonates with audiences, make SMAC an amazing partner for ITV America. SMAC joins ITV America with an incredible talent roster and we are all truly excited to roll up our sleeves and push our mutual creative boundaries in this partnership."
ITV America and SMAC Entertainment already are in business together on the series Tackle My Ride for the NFL Network (produced by Leftfield Pictures and currently in production on season two) as well as projects in development including Spark the Future with Wiz Khalifa (with ITV Entertainment), Pros vs. Kids and Not For Primetime (with Leftfield Pictures), and Guinness World Records (with High Noon & ITV Entertainment).
About ITV America
ITV America, ITV's US group of businesses is the largest independent producer of non-scripted content in the US, producing more than 100 programs, totaling over 800 hours of content, in partnership with more than 40 networks. Hit series include Fixer Upper (HGTV); Hell's Kitchen and American Grit with John Cena (FOX); Killing Fields (Discovery); Tiny House Nation and Food Porn (FYI); The Real Housewives of New Jersey (Bravo); The First 48 and Duck Dynasty (A&E); Pawn Stars, Alone and Forged in Fire (History); Cake Boss (TLC); Marriage Boot Camp (WE tv); and the new Queer Eye (Netflix). Companies under the ITV America banner include ITV Entertainment, Leftfield Pictures, Loud TV, Outpost Entertainment, Sirens Media, DiGa, Gurney Productions, High Noon Entertainment and Thinkfactory Media, as well as numerous talent-driven production pods.
About SMAC Entertainment
Founded in 2011, SMAC Entertainment, a multi-dimensional talent management, music, branding and production company, founded by Michael Strahan and his producing and business partner, former NFL strategist and marketing executive Constance Schwartz-Morini, has created a major presence in the sports and entertainment arena. In addition to representing dynamic and globally recognized talent, SMAC produces strong and diversified content such as Nickelodeon's Kids' Choice Sports Awards, State of Play: Happiness (HBO), Play It Forward (Showtime), $100,000 Pyramid (ABC), Tackle My Ride (NFL Network) and Religion of Sports (AUDIENCE Network on both DIRECTV and AT&T U-verse). SMAC is also teaming up with TBS and entertainment icon and actor Snoop Dogg to refresh and update the classic game show "The Joker's Wild", which will be airing later this year. Outside of television, SMAC engineered the launches of Collection and MSX by Michael Strahan, two men's clothing and accessory lines with J.C. Penney.
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