Cineverse and Lloyd Braun's Banyan Ventures Form JV to Launch MicroCo, a New Studio and Platform for Microseries - a Market Projected to Reach $10B by 2027
Rhea-AI Summary
Cineverse (NASDAQ: CNVS) and Banyan Ventures have formed a 50/50 joint venture called MicroCo, a pioneering studio and AI-native platform focused on Microseries content. The venture aims to tap into a market projected to reach $10B by 2027 outside of China.
The company has assembled an elite leadership team, including Jana Winograde as CEO and Susan Rovner as Chief Content Officer. MicroCo will produce short-form, mobile-first content running 1-3 minutes per episode, leveraging Cineverse's Matchpoint™ technology and extensive content library of 71,000+ assets.
The platform will utilize AI technology for creator enablement, intelligent discovery, and revenue diversification, targeting multiple genres from romance to horror. The venture builds on the success of the microdramas market, which has already reached $7B+ in China.
Positive
- Strategic partnership between established entertainment leaders Cineverse and Banyan Ventures
- Targeting rapidly growing $10B market opportunity by 2027
- Elite leadership team assembled from major networks including Showtime, NBCUniversal, and ABC
- Access to Cineverse's extensive 71,000+ asset library and 150M+ fan base
- Built-in technological advantage with Matchpoint™ AI-powered infrastructure
- Multiple revenue streams through advertising, in-app transactions, and premium options
Negative
- Entering highly competitive market with established international players
- Platform name and launch date not yet announced
- Significant investment required in content production and technology development
- Unproven market demand for premium short-form content in US market
News Market Reaction
On the day this news was published, CNVS gained 5.10%, reflecting a notable positive market reaction. Argus tracked a trough of -19.2% from its starting point during tracking. Our momentum scanner triggered 8 alerts that day, indicating moderate trading interest and price volatility. This price movement added approximately $5M to the company's valuation, bringing the market cap to $107M at that time.
Data tracked by StockTitan Argus on the day of publication.
Former Showtime President Jana Winograde Named Co-founder and CEO
Former Chairman of NBCUniversal Television and Streaming Susan Rovner to Join in October as Chief Content Officer
MicroCo to Leverage Team's & Cineverse's Unmatched Hollywood Expertise + Advanced Streaming and AI Tech Development to Create the Defining Microseries Experience
A Studio for Quality Content, a Home for Creators to Explore Narrative Storytelling, and Community Building Tools for Active Fan Engagement
Commonly known as "Microdramas", this vertical format has exploded internationally, becoming a
MicroCo sets itself apart with a leadership team that combines world-class storytelling expertise with cutting-edge, proprietary technology that together will target the untapped potential of a market that has been projected to reach
In addition to producing original Microseries, MicroCo will collaborate with today's most compelling content creators to support them in expanding their creative footprint, giving them new ways to tell stories and deepen connections with their audiences.
"The average person scrolls through hundreds of feet of content a day, but almost none of it is built to last," said Braun. "We're merging the storytelling rigor of series television with the pace, energy, and intimacy of short-form—creating addictive, emotionally rich, quality series that are developed specifically for this format and speak directly to how people consume content now."
Said Cineverse Chairman and CEO Chris McGurk, "MicroCo will combine a new style of storytelling that engages fans and creators alike, with state-of-the-art technology that we have spent years developing, and an elite leadership team that includes some of our generation's most successful media and content executives. The end result will be a category defining studio and platform. Early results in the space have underscored the massive strategic upside of this new format, including the opportunity to build an original IP engine with global monetization opportunities, to integrate brand partnerships, and support a robust creator economy flywheel."
MicroCo is led by a uniquely accomplished team of media executives and innovators:
- Lloyd Braun, Chairman of the Board for MicroCo: Co-Founder and Partner (with Sarah Bremner & Noah Oppenheim) of independent production studio Prologue Entertainment (backed by Jeff Zucker and Redbird Capital). Former Chairman of ABC Entertainment, Chairman of WME and President of Brillstein-Grey. A visionary strategist with deep experience in both creative and operational leadership, Braun is behind some of the most iconic and successful series in television, including The Sopranos, Lost, Desperate Housewives, Grey's Anatomy, and Jimmy Kimmel Live!
- Chris McGurk, Chairman and CEO of Cineverse: A respected studio executive and entrepreneur with decades of leadership experience, McGurk has served as President and COO of Universal Pictures, CFO and President of The Walt Disney Motion Picture Group, Vice Chairman and COO of MGM, and Founder and CEO of Overture Films. At Cineverse, he has spearheaded a transformation into a next-generation entertainment and technology powerhouse.
- Erick Opeka, President and Chief Strategy Officer of Cineverse: A pioneer in streaming and digital entertainment, Opeka has launched more than two dozen streaming channels, overseen a robust indie studio business that released the most successful unrated film of all time, Terrifier 3, less than a year ago, and has been integral in the development of Cineverse's award-winning Matchpoint™ streaming infrastructure and AI initiatives. He brings unmatched insight into audience behavior, content discovery, and monetization across emerging formats.
- Jana Winograde, CEO of MicroCo: Former President of Entertainment for Showtime Networks, where she greenlit and launched the network's most successful streaming series including the zeitgeist hit Yellowjackets. Previously Head of Business Operations for ABC's Network and Studio, Winograde has built her career at the intersection of creative excellence and strategic execution. Her hybrid expertise across content, strategy, and operations uniquely positions her to lead MicroCo as a premium, scalable platform and studio for the mobile era.
- Susan Rovner, Chief Creative Officer of MicroCo: A veteran studio and network executive with one of the most decorated résumés in television, Rovner served as Chairman of Entertainment Content for NBCUniversal Television and Streaming, and as President of Warner Bros. Television. She has overseen more than 18 series that reached the 100-episode milestone, including Shameless, Gossip Girl,
Riverdale , The Flash, Supernatural, and The Voice. She will join MicroCo in October while continuing to lead her production banner, AHA Studios.
MicroCo's original Microseries — running approximately 1–3 minutes per episode and designed for binge-watching — aim to expand upon the currently-available short-form content that has made vertical scrolling ubiquitous. It will span multiple genres, from romance to horror, and will feature both live action and animated series.
"As viewing habits shift towards fast, social, and mobile-first experiences, our Microseries will deliver high-impact storytelling meant to be shared," said Winograde. "Whether it's leaning into genre or the creator community, we have the tools to meet fans in their native ecosystems and pull them into this new format and platform built just for them."
MicroCo is AI-native from day one. Its technology backbone will drive:
- Creator enablement, including tools, templates, and analytics to streamline storytelling.
- Intelligent discovery and personalization for fans, designed to help them find programming that matches their mood and interests; and
- Revenue diversification, with MicroCo exploring varied revenue models, including a mix of advertising, in-app transactions and other premium options for superfans.
"While the need for great stories never changes, viewing habits do, and microdramas have proven that short-form storytelling can attract and engage an audience," added Rovner. "But what's been missing is the quality, creative passion, and fun that our team will bring to this format."
MicroCo's deep integration with Cineverse provides significant strategic advantages:
- Tech stack leadership: Matchpoint™, the AI-powered streaming infrastructure, driven by Cineverse India's 100-plus person engineering team, and developed over several years, supports fast, efficient content delivery and the ability to quickly launch a streaming platform built for scale;
- Massive data engine: of more than two million titles, including proprietary AI-generated metadata, enabling smart discovery and curation;
- Expansive library: 71,000+ assets, including films, series, and podcasts—some of which may be adapted into Microseries;
- Fandom reach: 150M+ fans across genres including horror and sci-fi (Screambox, Midnight Pulp, BloodyDisgusting.com), anime and Asian entertainment (RetroCrush, AsianCrush), true crime (Crime Hunters), and romance (Dove Channel); and
- Proven marketing machine: Cineverse's "Moneyball" approach turned Terrifier 3 into a
$90M $1M marketing spend, thanks to the ability to leverage its top 10 podcast network, FAST channels, social media, C360 ad network and more.
"By bringing
About Cineverse Technology Group
Cineverse develops proprietary technology that powers the future of entertainment, leveraging the Company's position as a pioneer in the video streaming industry along with the industry-leading strength of its development team in
About Cineverse
Cineverse (Nasdaq: CNVS) is a next-generation entertainment studio that empowers creators and entertains fans with a wide breadth of content through the power of technology. It has developed a new blueprint for delivering entertainment experiences to passionate audiences and results for its partners with unprecedented efficiency, and distributes more than 71,000 premium films, series, and podcasts. Cineverse connects fans with bold, authentic, independent stories. Properties include the highest-grossing unrated film in
About Banyan Ventures
Banyan is the private investment and incubation company for Lloyd Braun (with partners Sarah Bremner and Noah Oppenheim). Banyan backs innovative media ventures, original storytelling platforms, and visionary founders across film, television, digital media, and emerging technologies.
CONTACTS
For Media, The Lippin Group for Cineverse
cineverse@lippingroup.com
For Investors, Julie Milstead
investorrelations@cineverse.com
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SOURCE Cineverse Corp.
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