BBC Studios has announced it has partnered with B-Corp social media app WeAre8 on a distribution deal for BBC Earth content.
The partnership paves the way for new commercial opportunities by bringing together social media with the premium digital inventory of BBC Studios.
Launching early 2024, the three-year commitment will see BBC Studios release over one hundred clips per year on the WeAre8 social app, of which at least one-third will be newly packaged BBC Earth content.
The deal supercharges WeAre8 as the go-to destination for a more impactful social media experience and opens up opportunities for brands across the UK, USA, and Australia to both capitalise on WeAre8’s unique opt-in advertising model and explore new avenues for content marketing. Most importantly, this partnership will enable entertainment and positive collective action to co-exist in support of the planet.
BBC Earth will be providing a broad mixture of content covering nature, adventure, science and space. This will be taken from both its award-winning linear TV programming from the BBC Natural History Unit including landmark series Planet Earth, Seven Worlds One Planet and Frozen Planet, as well as its world class digital-first original series and impact campaigns such as Coexistence, Planet Fix and Our Frozen Planet.
The relationship with WeAre8 signifies a reimagining of the way social tech can work alongside a premium content provider and allows BBC Studios to commercialise their digital catalogue with other brands across WeAre8 and amplify this across BBC Studios digital platforms more widely. Content has never existed in social technology that enables collective action, and this partnership will empower audiences to become inspired changemakers at scale.
Jasmine Dawson
Jasmine Dawson, SVP, Digital from BBC Studios, said of the deal: “We’re excited to be joining forces with WeAre8 on this unique publishing deal for BBC Earth content. Our two brands are aligned in our values and offer wide-ranging views of the world often through the lens of climate change, conservation and sustainability. We hope the content we provide will educate as well as entertain the community as well as encourage new partners into our digital business.”
Billed as a sustainable social media app, WeAre8 has set about reimagining the role social media can play in the community, in a way that is transformational for people, charity and the planet.
WeAre8 is built around two content feeds, the 8Stage and a private friends feed. The 8Stage is an open feed of content from verified creators and publishers from around the world that is free-from-hate, ads and algorithms and is dedicated to positive uplifting content. WeAre8’s transformational ad model shares 60% of every advertising dollar with people, charities and the planet, enabling collective micro donations at a level the world has never seen.
Unique to WeAre8, people using the app can choose to watch opt-in brand videos and receive payments into their 8Wallet on the app. When you watch brand videos, a share of the advertising money is given to you in appreciation for your time. These micropayments can be transferred out of WeAre8 via PayPal or citizens can pay it forward to charity directly in the app – which 54% of its citizens choose to do.
Sue Fennessy
Sue Fennessy, founder and global CEO of WeAre8, said: “When it comes to aligning with the values of WeAre8 and our commitment to protecting the natural world, I couldn’t envision a better content provider than the BBC Studios team. This partnership not only brings an exceptional library of content for our community to be inspired by, but also marks a groundbreaking commercial collaboration that will set a new benchmark for the way broadcasters and social technology deliver impactful solutions for brands in a way that is better for people, the community and the planet.
“When people are reconnected with our beautiful planet in a way that enables them to immediately make tangible positive impact through micro-donations, we fundamentally shift the power of media. We move from a world of passive social entertainment to a new level of immersive entertainment with actionable impact that leaves people feeling valued and connected. This is how we unite to solve the world’s biggest problems.”
BBC Earth Content will be available on WeAre8 from January 2024.