CarbonTV Turns to Original Series to Hook Outdoor-Lifestyle Viewers
Carbon Media Group has been fishing for viewers interested in content centered around outdoor lifestyles, baiting the hook with original video programming.
The Michigan-based company just released its new tentpole original series, “Mounted: Chuck Testa and Friends,” which stars viral meme sensation and prolific taxidermist Chuck Testa.
Carbon started out with more of a network model, explained Daniel Seliger, executive VP of content and marketing, before switching recently to an owner-operator model with over 120 sites under its control and more than 500 in its ecosystem.
“We work across three primary verticals, one of which is Outdoors, which includes hunting, fishing and shooting sports, Seliger said. “Another is Action, which includes things like mountain biking, camping and water sports and then the third is Agriculture, which is our fastest-growing vertical. We’re currently the largest publisher of outdoor related content online.”
In late 2014, the company launched CarbonTV, a streaming site which creates original TV-style programming, but for an online audience. The move, Seliger explained, was about satisfying viewers and advertisers.
“Because of the massive shift to digital on video consumption, viewers are consuming less linear TV and looking to find content online,” said Seliger. “Then on the advertising side there was also an unmet need and our advertisers were looking for more video opportunities, whether it was typical advertising or content integration, product placement, they were looking for more video.”
Testa rose to internet stardom in 2011 when his “NOPE!” video commercial for his business went viral on YouTube. In the video, Testa poses with a series of dead animals and encourages viewers to “call Chuck Testa for the most lifelike dead animals around.” The video now has nearly 17 million views and transformed Testa into a wildly popular meme. He has subsequently appeared on Funny or Die, Buzzfeed and CBS.
“Mounted” is a miniseries with six episodes, each running 8-10 minutes long. Seliger said the format of the show and the Internet gives Carbon a flexibility with how they create and deliver the programming.
“We’ve had a strain of success with our profile series “American Elements,” and ‘Mounted’ in a way came out of that because we first met Chuck when we did his profile,” said Seliger. “We got such an incredible response and we just knew there was such a fascination around him and that his story was so much deeper than just the meme. The internet loves Chuck Testa, he’s a very authentic, very natural guy.”
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