Months prior to its relaunch, Viacom is partnering with Indigenous Media to produce short-form content promoting the Paramount Network, which will be rebranded out of Spike.

Viacom’s in-house branded content studio, Viacom Velocity, is working with the digital studio to develop, produce and distribute episodes of Indigenous’ short-form franchise, 60 Second Docs. Each episode will tell an untold story about one of the new network’s scripted or unscripted original series.

“This deal continues Velocity’s ongoing commitment to develop partnerships with the most relevant, socially native content creators to work side-by-side with our own creative teams to build original branded content formats,” said Thomas De Napoli, senior director, content and platform strategy, Viacom Velocity, in a statement. “Not only does the ‘60 Second Docs’ format allow us to create branded content for advertisers, but it also enables us to also promote our own networks and strategically distribute this content across social media.”

Among the partnership’s first projects will be episodes on Paramount Network’s new original series Waco and American Woman, both of which came over to the new network from Viacom-owned TV Land.

60 Second Docs already has created an online niche for itself. The format is available across social platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, YouTube and Twitter. It routinely scores more than 70 million views per month and more than 4 million views an episode.

Viacom Velocity and Indigenous Media previously worked together to promote Spike’s six-part documentary series Time: The Kalief Browder Story.

“We are constantly looking for opportunities to expand the reach of the ‘60 Second Docs’ brand and format and believe that working with Viacom Velocity we can demonstrate the power of original premium short form content as a vehicle for brand and series promotion,” said Jake Avnet, COO of Indigenous Media, also in a statement. “There is clearly a thirst for bite-sized content, and we believe the Paramount Network properties lend themselves to the creation of authentic, provocative viral video for the connected generation.”

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