The Mediapro Studio has launched a new production partnership with Emmy Award-winning showrunner and producer Charles Wachter.
Stopwatch Media will be headquartered in Toronto, expanding Mediapro’s production footprint in Canada.
Wachter – who has helped bring reality series to air like Netflix’s Million Dollar Secret, Prime Video’s Beast Games, Hulu’s Got to Get Out, and Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution for ABC, as well as upcoming Netflix competition series Win the Mall – will lead the new studio, which will specialize in unscripted formats, tapping into “Mediapro Studio’s international reach, resources, and partnerships to develop premium, scalable formats for both the U.S. and international audiences.”
“Capitalizing on the trend of U.S. shows coming to Canada, this is about putting a flag in the ground and building out the production infrastructure to deliver ambitious, globally relevant shows,” said Wachter, in an announcement. “With The Mediapro Studio behind us, we have the scale, freedom, and ambition to chase ideas that can break through in the U.S. and beyond.”
“The Mediapro Studio has always sought to partner with bold creative voices who can push the industry forward, and Charles Wachter is exactly that,” said Pam Healey, Head of Unscripted, at The Mediapro Studio U.S. “His track record of delivering premium original formats with international resonance makes Stopwatch Media a natural extension of our global content strategy. With this launch, we are cementing our presence in Canada with one of the very best.”
Mediapro says the launch of Stopwatch Media comes at a “pivotal moment in the industry,” as networks and platforms seek high-impact, franchise-worthy formats that cut through a crowded marketplace.
“Backed by The Mediapro Studio’s infrastructure and production expertise, and Wachter’s creative leadership, Stopwatch Media aims to fill that demand with big ideas, fast execution, and premium production value,” the company said in its announcement.
