Fremantle & Viral Nation Pact for Creator-Led Formats

Fremantle has struck a content partnership with Viral Nation to develop a slate of creator-led social-first formats.

Led by the Fremantle label Beach House Pictures, the partnership is designed to build IP that sits natively in the creator ecosystem while leveraging Fremantle’s global production and distribution infrastructure. It will harness Viral Nation’s creator network. Beach House Pictures has several projects already in development.

The projects in development span unscripted formats and genre hybrids aimed at YouTube audiences and direct-to-audience vertical platforms. They include the social star-making competition Model Creator (MxC) and the true-crime series Cr1me C0de.

Model Creator (MxC), developed in partnership with Ford Models, sees contestants compete in creative challenges led by mentors from Ford’s international network, with the winner earning representation with Ford Models and Viral Nation.

Cr1me C0de, a new format and true-crime series for YouTube, is rooted in access to real cases from around the world and fueled by AI. Viral Nation is directly engaged on audience growth strategy, providing data-driven insights, SEO and digital marketing support, while Fremantle brings global scale and its AI production toolkit to provide creative solutions and accelerate production.

“At Beach House Pictures, we’ve always believed in storytelling that pushes boundaries, and the creator economy is one of the most exciting frontiers today,” said Donovan Chan, co-founder and creative director at Beach House Pictures. “Our partnership with Viral Nation signals the start of a collaboration all about empowering new voices, new stories and new ways of connecting with global audiences. Developing several trailblazing new projects together, like Model Creator and Cr1me C0de, we’re taking some of the most popular themes for young audiences today and actively building them from within creator culture.”

Danny Rowlands, senior VP of global development at Fremantle, commented, “Fremantle has always been at the forefront of global format innovation, and partnering with Viral Nation gives us a social-first lens on understanding, creative development and audience engagement. Digital creators are fast becoming today’s cultural drivers—shaping tastes, trends and conversations across platforms. This collaboration is the latest step in bringing together Fremantle’s legacy of world-class formats with the immediacy and authenticity of the creator ecosystem.”

“The most exciting formats today are born from the creator community,” noted Paul Telner, head of programming at Viral Nation. “They set the tone for what audiences care about and how they connect. Fremantle shares our belief that creators belong at the center of entertainment, and together we can develop shows that are relevant, fearless and built for the platforms where culture is happening.”

Décio Restelli Ribeiro, president of Ford Models, added, “At Ford, our purpose has always been to empower exceptional individuals—not just as models, but as storytellers and entrepreneurs. Model Creator embodies that vision. It reflects how today’s generation merges creativity, influence and individuality to shape culture in real time. This partnership allows us to celebrate that evolution and expand what representation means in the modern era.”