• by Sara Guaglione , April 20, 2020

GroupNine brands NowThis, The Dodo, Thrillist, PopSugar and Seeker will develop and distribute 10 new series for Facebook Watch. 

Six of the 10 new shows in this programming slate are part of Facebook’s publisher and creator program, where media organizations and influencers collaborate on exclusive video content for Facebook Watch.

"Group Nine was among the first publishers to develop custom shows for Facebook Watch when it launched in August 2017 and we've since expanded our original programming to multiple platforms spanning linear, OTT and beyond," Mickey Meyer, president of network at Group Nine, told Publishers Daily. 

Meyer added that Group Nine’s brands have built “massive, highly engaged audiences” on Facebook. 

The Dodo, for example, has 26.3 million followers on Facebook, and NowThis is followed by 15.8 million people.

“We're confident that viewers across different passion points will find something they'll love in our new slate,” Meyer added.

Three series have already premiered: Thrillist’s “Acquired Taste” with influencer Tim DeLaGhetto debuted in December, PopSugar’s “K-FitSugar” in March, and the weekly “NowThis Nerd Presents: Fantasy” on April 10.

Season 2 of The Dodo’s “You Know Me...Now Meet My Pet” will premiere on May 1, featuring social media influencers and their pets. (Season 1 premiered in July 2019 as an IGTV series.)

On May 10, Seeker will debut “Seeker Baby,” which shares up-to-date, researched information on pregnancy, childbirth and newborns, hosted by Olympic gymnast Shawn Johnson.

Seeker’s “Tusks to Tails” will premiere in June. Wildlife veterinarian Evan Antin will answer questions about animal physiology.

NowThis’ “Faces and Heels” will premiere in Q2. It will focus on seven different women in wrestling.

In Q3, Seeker, Thrillist and NowThis will come out with “Wild Crimes” (investigative stories on wildlife crime), “Wrestling with Wine” (sommeliers teach professional wrestlers about wine) and “Wrongful Conviction” (Jason Flom’s popular podcast turned into weekly interviews with formerly incarcerated men and women), respectively.