Venn, the company looking to be gaming’s answer to ’80s-era MTV, has revealed the first slate of shows to premier on the network when it launches August 5, 2020.
Working out of studios in Playa Vista in Los Angeles and New York’s World Trade Center (coming in 2021), Venn intends to use 1,000 square feet and 30 million pixels of LED walls and floors to create its interactive shows and narratives.
The company is planning a slate of news and talk shows, game shows and documentaries, according to a statement.
“From conception, Venn has been laser-focused on elevating the creators of this generation with production leadership, a chance to flex new creative muscles and grow their audiences via our broad distribution,” said Ariel Horn, co-chief executive of Venn. “As we close in on our August launch, we’re thrilled to pull back the curtain on the first wave of programming — and the unique blend of talent curated from the worlds of gaming and cutting edge digital storytelling.”
The first slate of shows from the company include:
- VENN ARCADE LIVE — A daily variety show centered on gaming themes (and unfortunately not inspired by the seminal Hüsker Dü album, “Zen Arcade”) to be hosted by James “Dash” Patterson, Venn Arcade will feature guest appearances, live performances, interactive gameplay and audience participation from the hottest gamers, streamers, celebrities, athletes, musicians and rising stars.
- DARE PACKAGE — An extreme challenge version of unboxing where loot crates filled with mystery challenges are delivered to streamers’ homes hosted by @AustinOnTwitter.
- GUEST HOUSE — On weekday afternoons celebrity guests will take over the Venn studios to craft their own streaming show for live audiences.
- THE SUSHIDRAGON SHOW — Hosted by the eclectic and eccentric performance artist and streamer, “The SushiDragon Show” will feature interviews, performances and entertainers alongside SushiDragon’s own signature dancing set against digital backdrops and avatars.
- LOOKING FOR GAINS — Hosted by the entertainer known as CashNasty this show will be an interactive fitness show designed to showcase guest’s ultimate quarantine workout.
“We’re disrupting the traditional television business model and giving birth to a powerful voice in GenZ and millennial entertainment. We identify and curate fan favorite talent, develop and elevate their content with a world-class TV production infrastructure, then rapidly scale it all via our universally distributed network”, said Ben Kusin, Venn’s other co-chief executive, in a statement. “There’s a currency in generational talents and a currency in generational movements, and that timeliness can’t wait for traditional TV to adapt. The time for Venn is now.”