Fine Brothers Entertainment, creators of the popular “React” franchises on YouTube, is hoping to grow its fanbase — and make money — by granting creators licenses to make their own versions of the shows.
The company’s React World will aggregate videos in a channel to launch later this year to promote, support and feature fan-produced programming based on their shows, which revolve around showing people reacting to viral YouTube videos. FBE said React World will also serve as an online community for discussion and entertainment around the reaction genre of shareable video content worldwide.
Besides fostering a fan community, FBE wants to be able to monetize “React”-style videos through its own channels rather than having that content appear on unaffiliated outlets. The move promises to expand the company’s presence as a multichannel network.
“By offering our shows and trademarks to the world, we will expand the Fine Family by leaps and bounds globally, and support content that can make a positive impact around the world,” FBE founders Benny and Rafi Fine (who are actual brothers) said in announcing the initiative.
FBE is providing a license to creators worldwide to 11 of its shows and trademarks in the franchise: “Kids React,” “Teens React,” “Elders React,” “Adults React,” “React Gaming,” “Do They Know It,” “People Vs Food,” “Lyric Breakdown,” “Try Not to Smile or Laugh,” “Opinions” and “People Vs Technology.” Along with the license, the company will provide ongoing production guidance, creative guidelines, format bibles, graphics and other resources to producers. Anyone can create a YouTube channel and license the “React” formats right away, and the license will also be available for other video platforms in the future.
The move comes after Fine Brothers Entertainment filed for trademark protection on “React” with the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office in July 2015. The application covers “Entertainment services, namely, providing an ongoing series of programs and webisodes via the Internet in the field of observing and interviewing various groups of people.”
“The Fine Brothers have been innovators on YouTube since day one, so it’s no surprise that they’ve created a unique way to expand the hugely popular ‘React’ series to YouTube audiences around the globe,” Kelly Merryman, YouTube’s VP of content partnerships, said in a statement. “This is brand-building in the YouTube age — rising media companies building their brands through collaborations with creators around the world.”
FBE said it is working closely with YouTube on the launch of “React World,” and is partnering with ChannelMeter to provide back-end video analytics and global payments. Matt Labate, VP of Fine Brother Entertainment’s channel group, oversees the company’s digital channels, which will include React World.
Fine Brothers Entertainment have more than 20 million subscribers across their YouTube channels and generate over 150 million monthly views. The brothers are currently in production on “Sing It,” in partnership with Mandeville Films, for the YouTube Red subscription service. FBE last summer premiered their 10-episode TV series “Six Degrees of Everything” on truTV and previously produced 12 primetime episodes of “ReactToThat” for Nickelodeon.
Watch the Fine Brothers’ video announcing React World:
