Ottawa-based e-commerce company Shopify Inc. (TSX: SHOP) is getting into TV and film production.
The company announced Thursday that it is launching “Shopify Studios,” and will develop, produce and finance projects for both streaming platforms and traditional TV networks and film studios.
The first content that Shopify will release is a series of 30-minute films on entrepreneurs, examining the relationship between where they live and what they choose to create, as well as a podcast exploring secret economies.
The Shopify Studios team will be headquartered in Toronto, but will also operate out of offices in New York and Los Angeles. The company said it has already signed deals with Anonymous Content, Spoke Studios and Saville Productions to develop entrepreneur-focused documentaries.
Anonymous Content is behind hit films and TV shows such as 13 Reasons Why, Spotlight, Boy Erased and Mr. Robot. Spoke Studios was created by former ITV America chief executive Brent Montgomery, while Saville Productions has worked with Crash director Paul Haggis and Barry Levinson, who directed movies such as Rain Man and Good Morning Vietnam.
