CTV Orders Shaftesbury Digital Series

CANNES: CTV has placed an order for the digital-only series Backpackers, produced by Shaftesbury’s digital media division, Smokebomb Entertainment. 

Backpackers will be the first stand-alone digital series ordered by CTV. It will go out across the full suite of CTV and Bell Media digital platforms. The show follows two friends who are on a wild goose chase across Europe in search of one’s fiancé. It was shot on location in Europe and features an interactive choose-your-own-adventure-style app. Backpackers runs as six-minute episodes, with eight slated for delivery in Q2 2013. 

“Our order of Backpackers speaks to our strategy to conceive, commission, and deliver new and innovative stand-alone content to the
full spectrum of Bell Media’s digital platforms, for advertisers and young audiences alike,” said Mike Cosentino, the senior VP of programming at CTV Networks.

“How fortunate we are in Canada to be able to create groundbreaking digital content through the continued support of the CMF’s Experimental Fund,” added Jay Bennett, the VP and creative director for Smokebomb Entertainment. “CTV’s extensive digital platforms powered by Bell Media makes them the perfect partner for Backpackers, and the first of many international media partners that we hope will bring this series to territories around the world.”