By Jonathan Webdale
C21 Media

MIP NEWS: RDF USA is licensing re-cut programming from it catalogue to Hulu, the internet TV joint venture from NBC Universal and News Corp, and is also making an original web show for the latter’s MySpaceTV.

The first arrangement will initially see RDF supplying some 200 shortform webisodes of one to four minutes each to Hulu, drawing on existing titles in the Wife Swap and Faking It producer’s library.

The tie-up is likely to lead to RDF licensing its full-length programming to Hulu as well as developing original web series for the internet TV venture, which publicly launched last month.

RDF USA already has five original web series either produced or in development, one of which is an unnamed project for MySpaceTV, which the social networking site is for the first time part-financing.

RDF USA digital media manager Max Benator was unable to give details of the series but confirmed MySpace contributed to initial funding, with others such as Turner’s SuperDeluxe, NBCU, HBO and Viacom’s Comedy Central beginning to make similar moves.

The UK-based production company has seen rapid growth in the US since launching in the territory two years ago and Benator said that on the digital side significant momentum was now also gathering.

About a year ago the budgets for web series were really small and they still are small but they’ve grown dramatically in the US," he told C21 at MipTV. “Original content budgets have emerged.”

Benator’s hope is that RDF USA’s relationship with Hulu will also head in this direction but wouldn’t go into the terms of the licensing arrangement agreed with the company, whose CEO Jason Kilar is in Cannes today courting European content partners.

“The deal we’re doing with them is extremely experimental and as we continue to create premium content for the web and the MySpaces, NBC Universals, HBOs, SuperDeluxes continue to pay for that content, that’s going to be a real factor down the road making deals with somebody like Hulu,” said Benator.

Hulu will sell the advertising around the RDF content on its site and Benator said having the commitment of a dedicated ad sales team to promote it was a key factor in securing the deal – one that was preventing the company from coming to a similar arrangement with YouTube.

While RDF USA has relationships with other internet TV start-ups like Joost, Benator warned that such companies would have to start handing over hard cash for premium content or else focus outside the mass market.

“The thing about Joost and all those guys is if you want The Simpsons you’ve got to pay a licence fee. If they don’t pay the licence fee they’re not going to get it and Hulu’s got it,” he said.

“Another direction they could go is to find a niche audience and find success within that but if they want to become a US$10bn company and scale up in that way they face a huge challenge against companies like Hulu.”

Benator’s comments come as Joost yesterday strongly denied a report suggesting that it was cutting back on its international ambitions and would focus solely on the US. The company admitted to cutting back on staff.