Studios

• Vox Lays Off 50 Staffers, Mostly Across Social Video Teams
• Whistle Sports Inks New Deal With Dude Perfect To Develop Long-Form Shows (Exclusive)

  A new multi-year pact, signed on Jan. 1, will expand Whistle’s partnership with Dude Perfect to encompass longer-form content ventures, and will also see the Dude Perfect crew -- which includes Coby and Cory Cotton, Garrett Hilbert, Cody Jones, and Tyler Toney -- serving as brand ambassadors for Whistle.

  
• Two Top Fullscreen Execs Join Otter Media’s Senior Management Team

  Andy Forssell has joined otter as COO, Sean Kisker has been named chief strategy officer, Jennifer Cho will serve as CFO, and Alan Beard has been named chief brand officer.

  
• Viacom’s Branded Agency Teams With Beats On ‘Lit!’ Series About Viral Dance Culture

  In Lit!, which launched last fall and is distributed across MTV’s social media channels, choreographer Tanisha Scott (who has worked with Drake, Rihanna, and Beyonce) travels the country showcasing local dance talent who have risen to prominence in their communities before going wildly viral online.

  
• NBC Exec Jennifer Salke Replaces Roy Price At Top Of Amazon Studios
• Fullscreen’s ‘Direct’ E-Commerce Division Inks Deals With Justin Timberlake, Trace Adkins, More
• Kian Lawley Out At Fox Film ‘The Hate U Give’ After Clip With Racist Remarks Surfaces
• Comedy Vlogger MacDoesIt To Embark On ‘Thirst-Quenching’ Tour With Fullscreen Live
• WME Signs Lifestyle Vlogger, Author, And Podcast Host Estée Lalonde
• Majority Owner Otter Media Buys Remaining Shares Of Fullscreen, Ellation
• Maker’s Jacksepticeye, Strawburry17 To Create Exclusive Twitch Content As Part Of New Disney Deal
• BroadbandTV Launches New Division To Develop Creator-Driven Mobile Games