Nat Geo Introduces Its First-Ever Late-Night Series

National Geographic and creative platform Tongal are expanding their multiplatform content partnership to include linear TV, with a new late-night series set for Nat Geo WILD.

WILD After Dark (working title) will premiere this summer. It will feature short-form content created entirely by the Tongal community and will consist of six 30-minute episodes featuring off-the-wall and experimental animal-centric short stories from storytellers around the world. The project launches today with an open call for submissions.

The content partnership between National Geographic and Tongal gives filmmakers everywhere the chance to co-create content for Nat Geo’s digital and linear TV platforms. The partnership has already resulted in more than 20 projects over the past three months on the Tongal platform.

“National Geographic strives to inspire curiosity, ignite imaginations, and push boundaries when it comes to creative storytelling, and we think Tongal is the perfect partner to cultivate unique and innovative stories that align with our brand,” said Jill Cress, the chief marketing officer for National Geographic Partners. “We’re looking forward to leveraging the incredible creative community that Tongal has fostered. This growing partnership allows National Geographic to tap into creative minds across the world, scale our content output, and connect with younger audiences through energized, imaginative stories created by the Tongal community.”

“For over 130 years, National Geographic has set the high bar for content and I’m thrilled they’ve recognized the creative potential and power of the Tongal community,” commented James DeJulio, co-founder, president and chief creative officer at Tongal. “We’re excited to explore the future of content creation with them.”

“Nat Geo WILD is thrilled to collaborate with the creative minds at Tongal on this fun, out-of-the-box new concept,” added Geoff Daniels, the executive VP and general manager for Nat Geo WILD. “We are always looking for ways to redefine the natural-history genre, and WILD After Dark is an opportunity to give storytellers a platform to do just that. We are excited to see what wild ideas the Tongal community has in store for us.”