Tastemade launches new DIY channel with Michaels
Tastemade is getting crafty this holiday season.
The digital production company is launching a DIY/craft channel called "Crafted," Mashable has learned.
The channel, created in partnership with craft retailer Michaels, marks the company's latest efforts to branch out beyond just food programming.
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"Tastemade is committed to creating high-quality, addictive video for mobile consumption across the world's largest social networks," Oren Katzeff, Tastemade's head of programming, told Mashable. "Our launch of a DIY / craft channel fits naturally with this blue print."
Joe Perez and partners Steven Kydd and Larry Fitzgibbon launched Tastemade in 2012.
"Our launch of a DIY/craft channel fits naturally with this blueprint."
It quickly evolved into the equivalent of Food Network for mobile-first viewers, with a handful of cooking-related shows across several social networks and streaming services. The company averages roughly 1.5 billion views monthly and has about 100 million monthly active viewers.
Six months ago, the company announced its expanded list of programming, including a handful of travel shows.
Around the same time — in early July — Tastemade approached Michaels with the idea of a DIY show.
The retailer saw the partnership as an opportunity to expand its reach.
"The Maker community is growing rapidly and is increasingly more hungry for inspiration, content and new DIY mediums," Carrie Walsh, Vice President of Brand Marketing at Michaels, told Mashable. "Crafted will be another great platform to complement these growing needs."
Crafted will be a home for quick hitting how-to's, with Tastemakers across the globe sharing their tips and stories, and longer form narrative storytelling within the DIY category.
"We know from our experience in creating content around food and travel that people want relatable, inspirational, shareable content," Katzeff said. "We believe that the same tenets hold true for DIY / crafts content."
UPDATE: This post has been updated with the name and title of a Michaels executive.
Saba was a Los Angeles-based reporter who covers all things digital entertainment, including YouTube, streaming services and digital influencers. Prior to that, she spent two years at the Los Angeles Times covering entertainment for the Calendar and Company Town sections. Saba grew up in Santa Monica and graduated from Boston University with a B.S. in journalism and B.A. in political science. When not reporting, she is usually binge watching shows online or looking for new coffee shops to frequent.
