Tommy McCubbin launches ‘ShowStarter’ to redefine branded entertainment

ShowStarter, a creative production studio that develops entertainment to empower brands to produce their own show formats and build long-term audience engagement has officially launched.

Founded by Tommy McCubbin, a creative industry leader with more than 20 years’ experience at leading agencies such as Clemenger, CHEP Network and Ogilvy London, ShowStarter has already developed a series for Sportsbet, ‘Australian Football Fan League’, which attracted an audience of over one million viewers on Fox Footy, Kayo and YouTube during the 2024 AFL Grand Final Week.

Says McCubbin: “We’re here to help brands be entertainers, not advertisers. We want to create shows with them their audience chooses to watch, not more ads they’re desperate to skip.”

Australian broadcasters are increasingly turning to prime-time brand funded productions as total TV advertising revenues declined by 8.1% in the 2024 financial year. Brands are also finding large, mainstream audiences on digital platforms such as YouTube, which according to Nielsen, has been the most-watched streaming platform for two consecutive years, surpassing traditional TV viewership in the US.

Says McCubbin: “Although we’ve had success on broadcasters and streamers in Australia and globally, our studio is doubling down on YouTube. With more people watching YouTube content on their TVs than any other device, a series needs to be written and produced differently, with the ‘clipbait’ as important as the show itself.”

ShowStarter has developed ‘Concept to Culture’, a process to help brands develop shows with cut through by understanding their audience’s screen behaviour to find the gaps in their world of entertainment. This enables brands to accelerate from pilot to series, building an owned audience and leveraging interactive features to drive sales, sign ups and subscribers.

Adds McCubbin: “The media landscape has opened up for brands to produce shows and reach massive audiences with much lower barriers to entry than ever before. Algorithms are mimicking TikTok now, where they serve up content based on the audience’s interest, not necessarily who they follow, unlocking massive potential views regardless of whether you’re an established channel.”

McCubbin has launched ShowStarter after producing successful shows for brands including Telstra, Shopify, Microsoft and the Transport Accident Commission across online, broadcast, and streaming channels in Australia and globally, building an owned audience that traditional advertising is unable to do.

To explore how the process can work for your brands, email team@showstarter.com.au.

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