On the eve of its NewFront presentation, Maker Studios signed ​Comedy Central sketch duo “Key and Peele” (Keegan-Michael Key and Jordan Peele) to create a short-form comedy series called “Ithamar Has Nothing to Say,” likely aimed at a young audience similar to the one that tunes in to the pair’s network sketch show.

Disney recently bought Maker in an attempt to use homegrown talent to capture the studio’s young audiences, and in the quest to attract those same millennial eyeballs, big media companies are following suit. DreamWorks acquired AwesomenessTV last year and gamer network Machinima was recently snatched up by Warner Bros. According to The Wall Street Journal, AOL and Yahoo! are seeking similar deals, possibly trying to acquire Fullscreen, a content producer for the YouTube video market. Music video site Vevo may also be looking to sell, reportedly discussing an acquisition with DreamWorks.

The value put on these video producers by big media companies such as AOL and Disney signals the importance of YouTube to the millennial viewing habit. Short-form video like Maker Studios produces, and like Key and Peele specialize in, is increasingly popular with teenagers and 20-somethings who fall among the oft-labeled “cord cutters,” and online video also serves as a talent hub where personalities and ideas can pass the litmus test (and often get made on the cheap).

With that small producing budget also comes very little in profits, but YouTube brands’ value may lie more in their potential than in solid ad revenue. Companies such as Disney and AOL are able to use studios’ talent and short-form production experience in order to influence their own programming decisions as well as use the platform as a test to see what types of content is getting views. Maker Studios’ PewDiePie, for example, has more than 26.5 million subscribers and often holds its own on the list of most-viewed YouTube channels worldwide. YouTube makeup and beauty star Michelle Phan recently signed a multi-platform development deal with Endemol - the production firm’s biggest agreement with a YouTube personality.

Read more at The Wall Street Journal and Variety.

Brief Take: While their profitability might not be definite, big media is starting to realize the potential behind YouTube networks that can grow talent and attract loyal millennial fan bases very quickly. It’s up to conglomerates like Disney to use that content within their larger brands to keep those audiences engaged.

[Image courtesy of Comedy Central]

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