Colin Petrie-Norris kickstarted a new model of free, ad-supported television through his company Xumo before its reported $100 million-plus sale to Comcast. Now, in the era of AI, he’s aiming to reclaim the model with a FAST channel devoted to AI-generated content.
Fairground Entertainment, Petrie-Norris’ AI studio and distribution platform, is debuting a dedicated FAST channel to what he proclaims is the first to exclusively showcase AI shows and films. Dubbed “Fairground AI Creator TV,” the company plans to launch the channel across five TV and FAST platforms with a 24-hour slate supported by several AI creators, including Kelly Boesch, Kavan the Kid’s Phantom X Studio, filmmaker Ryan Phillips, Wonder Studios and Massive Studios, all of whom Petrie-Norris discovered on social media. (Petrie-Norris would not disclose which platforms are distributing the channel, but promised they’re “the biggest.”)
Petrie-Norris said in an interview that the channel, which will launch next month, merged his passions for television and AI, providing an avenue for creators to showcase the “gorgeous things” they’re creating through a “curated experience.”
“It’s got massive reach, it’s on a big screen TV,” he said. “It’s not the only thing that we’re doing, but it’s a very powerful way to get massive distribution for all of these creators that, up until now, have had gatekeepers and things get in the way.”
