Home / Business and Economy / Old TV Shows Find New Life Online
Old TV Shows Find New Life Online
7 Oct
Summary
- Merzigo invests $200 million in digital distribution of old TV shows.
- Partnerships include Steve Harvey and David Letterman's extensive archives.
- Significant growth seen in YouTube watch time and Facebook views.
Merzigo is making a substantial $200 million investment to transform legacy television libraries into profitable digital ventures. The company plans to expand its partnerships with studios, broadcasters, and producers, focusing on content that can reach new audiences on platforms like YouTube. Wendy McMahon, formerly of CBS, is spearheading Merzigo's U.S. media strategy and growth, emphasizing the role of digital platforms as distribution and monetization engines.
This investment will cover rights licensing, U.S.-based production, and new YouTube-first projects. Merzigo is leveraging existing content from partners such as NBCUniversal, Banijay, Steve Harvey, and David Letterman's vast catalog, which spans thousands of episodes from 1982 to 2015. The goal is to ensure valuable intellectual property finds new life and revenue streams.
Merzigo has already demonstrated significant success. For instance, the company's work with Steve Harvey's official channels saw a 407% increase in YouTube watch time and billions of views on Facebook since April 2025. Similarly, expanding their work with Banijay added 9,000 hours of content, leading to a substantial rise in views and doubled revenue across managed channels.
The company manages over 6,000 digital channels and 600,000 hours of content. Merzigo will highlight its U.S. expansion at MIPCOM Cannes, co-hosting the opening night party with YouTube. McMahon believes great storytelling and iconic IP deserve to be rediscovered and reborn for contemporary viewers.
