Maker Studios topper Ynon Kriez stressed over and over again at this week’s Variety Entertainment and Technology Summit that his online media company was not—repeat not—in the television business.

“We try to stay away from the comparison between what we do and television, in that this is really a new medium,” Kriez told the audience Monday. “Just the same way that television is different than theatrical films, and video games are a different medium. We are doing something different. The format is shorter the engagement is much more intense; You have to think differently.”

But Kriez then went on to unveil a new programming strategy for Maker that he himself said was heavily influenced by the experience of broadcast networks and cable companies that came before him.

Moving forward, Maker will organize its content, which includes everything from the online series “Conversations with My Two-Year Old” to “Epic Rap Battles of History” into one of four broad categories: Men, Women, Family and Entertainment. Those broad categories will then be broken down into 20 verticals by subject area.

“And that will basically replicate the way people are used to consuming content on television, the way advertisers are used to reaching consumers, and more importantly the way consumers themselves are used to viewing content and interacting with what they like to watch,” Kriez said.

Each of those 20 verticals will have its own distinct environment, with unique branding, design, look, feel, graphics, community and engagement.

In other words, they’ll look a lot like traditional channels: branded destinations where people know exactly what kind of content they’ll be receiving.

“There will be distinct content for each of these verticals, just like there is on television. We are now in the process of different stages of development and production of north of 100 original shows—over 85 percent of them are actually developed in house—and these shows will be scheduled. It’s different from television, because it’s VOD, but they will come available in a regular pattern.”

Kriez, a onetime-Chairman and CEO of Endemol, pointed to the history of television, moving from five or so costly and generalist broadcast networks to the hundreds or targeted, lower-cost cable channels that existed today, as part of the inspiration for Maker’s new strategy.

“We are looking at that analogy and looking to do the same thing,” he said. “We’re seeing what works in television and cable, and we’re seeing what works in magazine publishing, and we know what works in our own network.”

Culver City-based Maker uses its own in-house internet stars and personalities to churn out original content for YouTube. According to Kriez, Maker already has upwards of 330 million people subscribing to one of its channels. Kriez arrived at Maker as its new Chairman in June.

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