Maximum Effort, the production and advertising company co-founded by Ryan Reynolds and George Dewey, inked a multiyear, first-look deal for unscripted content with subscription-TV streamer FuboTV.
FuboTV will issue Maximum Effort $10 million worth of shares of common stock in the company, “as part of the overall consideration for Maximum Effort’s participation in the collaboration,” per a regulatory filing Monday.
Under the pact, FuboTV has the right to obtain third-party financing to fund all original content, with both Fubo and Maximum Effort jointly owning all original content produced.
As part of the deal for an exclusive first-look for unscripted TV series, Maximum Effort will launch Maximum Effort Network — a linear channel on FuboTV over which Maximum Effort Productions will have full creative control — and will also have a blind scripted deal with FuboTV. Prior to forming Maximum Effort in 2018, Reynolds and Dewey teamed on the “Deadpool” movies. To date, Maximum Effort’s projects have included “Free Guy,” “The Adam Project” and the upcoming unscripted show “Welcome to Wrexham.” All ad sales for the Maximum Effort channel will be managed by FuboTV.
Maximum Effort Productions will maintain its three-year first-look development deal with Paramount Pictures for feature projects announced in May 2021.
“Maximum Effort’s mission is to bring people together in fun and unexpected ways and we think today’s announcement with Fubo will help do just that,” Reynolds said in a statement. “FuboTV has taken a fresh approach to developing and delivering content in the digital age and the entire team is passionate about thinking differently and taking chances. I genuinely can’t believe Maximum Effort gets to program our own network. I am beyond excited and grateful to Fubo.”
David Gandler, FuboTV’s co-founder and CEO, commented, “Ryan is not only an A-list Hollywood star but also a serial entrepreneur with a stellar track record across sports (as owner of the Wrexham soccer club), advertising, content and marketing.”
Gandler added that FuboTV plans “to leverage Ryan and George’s expertise, creativity and advertiser relationships to underwrite network programming through innovative marketing partnerships that leverage Fubo’s data capabilities and interactive technology stack.”
