Zillow is the latest nonentertainment company to make a push into original programming.
The real estate firm has tapped former Maker Studios content executive Matt Sims to spearhead its effort to co-develop and sell projects to TV and digital distributors, the company announced Friday.
A veteran of TLC and Ryan Seacrest Productions, Sims spent two years at Disney-owned Maker as the head of development and current programming. During his time there, he created a slate of digital and television projects that spanned scripted and unscripted. He left in spring 2017, after the company was integrated into Disney Digital Networks, and has spent the last year and a half consulting.
At Zillow, he will lead strategy around all premium originals, working with outside production companies to co-develop projects with an eye for selling them to television and digital outlets. He will also commission projects for various over-the-top platforms.
In the age of peak TV, more companies than ever are trying their hand at producing programming. Amazon was one of the first nontraditional companies to start financing original programming for its Prime subscribers. Then came Facebook, which now has a dedicated video tab, Watch, for original and third-party programming. Apple, too, has staffed up for its forthcoming worldwide video product. More recently, Walmart is expected to jump into the streaming video race with a service aimed at its core customer base.
