This article was co-authored by Chris Hadley, who writes for the online web series magazine Snobby Robot and for the film music magazine Film Score Monthly Online. In addition, he is the writer/creator of the cable news satire THE LATE, LATE NEWS.
With TV and digital media among the most powerful methods of communication in today’s world, exposure for new products can lead to success for their creators. The hit ABC reality series Shark Tank is the current day template for this approach: entrepreneurs vie for the support of top business professionals within the dramatic setting of a business negotiation.
MVP (Most Valuable Partner) is a new show forged in this same tradition, developed by a new business partnership, Pitchmen, as an original series for Verizon’s go90 mobile video platform. On the show, contestants earn the opportunity to team up with superstar athletes like New England Patriots superstar Rob Gronkowski on new business ventures. MVP showcases its dedication to a “content first” style that effortlessly merges entertainment with commerce. Naturally, the two men who founded Pitchmen are remarkably knowledgeable about both worlds: Emmy-winning TV and movie producer Jamie Patricof (ESPN’s 30 for 30 series, The Place Beyond The Pines, The Zookeeper’s Wife), and longtime marketing/branding expert Russ Axelrod.
With episodes averaging 8-10 minutes each, MVP’s all-star assemblage of sports luminaries includes Gronkowski (who also co-produced the series), NBA champion/Golden State Warriors forward Kevin Durant and NFL Pro Bowl wide receiver Antonio Brown of the Pittsburgh Steelers. While they’re part judging panel/part sounding board, these competitors all bid to join forces with undiscovered product creators who hope to have their wares instantly earn an on-air celebrity seal of approval.
The massive social media outreach of those legendary athletes also gives contestants on MVP an even bigger platform for their products to entice potential consumers. Yet, as Patricof and Axelrod explain, MVP is only the beginning of Pitchmen’s efforts to unite famous figures from diverse fields of endeavor with new entrepreneurs and their products.
In the following interview, we caught up with Patricof and Axelrod as they discuss their vision for Pitchmen and how this vision is realized in their show, MVP.
How did you guys first meet, and when did you conceive of Pitchmen as a company? Was there anything that inspired/influenced you to create the company, and its content?
We had a mutual friend, but it was both of our backgrounds that brought us together in the first place. I was working in branded content at Microsoft, and looking for a production partner that not only understood content, but the celebrity world, for a project I was doing with XBox and Intel.
Jamie’s history of creating award-winning content, along with his deep relationships in the sports and entertainment world were the perfect fit, and ever since we’ve been looking for the next opportunity that married both of our skillsets – Pitchmen being the perfect marriage. We both have a great appreciation for the content, celebrity, and marketing worlds, and with the interest in business-minded shows exploding everywhere, we felt now was the right time to bring the partnership to life.
Pitchmen is dedicated to a “content first” approach through MVP and its other projects. What does that entail, and in what ways does it apply to the company’s business model?
For the most part, endorsement deals have happened behind the scenes for years. Our whole goal is to showcase them for fans and viewers to demonstrate how interesting they are – and the best way we think to do that is through content. Whether we are producing content out of the initial matchmaking and deal making, following the partnerships to market, or helping our partners launch their product through branded content with their new brand ambassadors – we know we can keep consumers engaged throughout, and that’s the first step in any successful relationship for a brand.
How do you apply that approach to your content? How does it benefit viewers, entrepreneurs and celebrity influencers?
We’re giving viewers a chance to see a world they’ve never seen. For the entrepreneurs and athletes, the benefit goes well beyond the initial matchmaking. What better way to launch a partnership between the two than to expose the beginning of it to millions of fans as a part of the process. This initial exposure to potential consumers is something that would typically cost millions of dollars, and by working with us, they get it for free!
Are there plans for Pitchmen content to be streamed elsewhere, or is it all remaining exclusively on go90?
We’re actively in talks with all of the platforms, both linear and digital, that make sense for our upcoming projects. Some of our projects might target an older audience for example, or a specific genre of business or celebrity that lends itself to one platform more so than another. Ultimately, we want to reach the largest pool of consumers that will find interest in the deals because that will result in helping the celebrities and start-ups best launch their partnership.
How was MVP (Most Valuable Partner) developed, and how did Rob Gronkowski become involved with the project?
Russ and I had been tossing around the idea. I ran into Rob at the Vanity Fair Oscars Party, and he instantly loved the idea. Rob’s had some of the biggest endorsement deals for an NFL player (Madden, Monster), but he knows lots of his fellow athletes don’t always get the opportunities he has. He wanted to help create a platform that would offer those opportunities to his peers, while also letting his millions of fans in on the process.
Besides the athletes, are there any other famous names youʼll be partnering with on future projects?
We can’t say yet, but let’s just say we’re “cooking up” something special for our next project.
What are some of the other series youʼll be working on?
In addition to breaking into different genres of celebrity, we’re also looking at a variety of ideas along the deal making process, from the start (like MVP) right through a product or campaign’s launch, as well as switching up how the matchmaking process itself comes together in the first place.
All of the programs are designed to bring light to the partnerships formed between the influencers and the start-ups. MVP really just scratches the surface in showing that initial deal negotiation, but there’s so much more we can cover that we know fans will love.
How can people submit their products to be presented on MVP and other shows produced by Pitchmen?
We go through a very serious vetting process that includes bankers, VC’s (venture capitalists) and marketers looking at the deals.
Describe the services youʼre providing to entrepreneurs/businesses who have their products presented on MVP and Pitchmenʼs upcoming content.
We’ve been able to offer help across investment banking, social media, marketing, strategy and even retail development to our participating startups. Furthermore, being on MVP is a great way for young companies to raise consumer awareness by showcasing their products to millions of viewers.
What are your hopes for Pitchmenʼs success, as well as for the success of its content and partnerships linking celebrity endorsers with upstart businesses?
We want to be the foundation for the next million-dollar start-up endorsement success story. Maybe even a billion-dollar (success story) a la a George Foreman. When our partners succeed, so do we!
To watch MVP on go90, visit: https://www.go90.com/shows/8fp8xlFfU6m