Comic JB Smoove’s Company Signs First-Look Reality TV Deal With Storyville

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Converge Media Group, the management, production and branded entertainment company launched by comedian-writer JB Smoove, Rick Dorfman, Conan Smith and Adam Benowitz, has inked a first-look co-production deal with reality TV producer Betsy Schechter’s Storyville Entertainment.

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This is the first co-production deal for both companies (Coverage was founded in 2013 and Storyville launched last month) and will give Storyville access to develop and produce unscripted and branded content around Smoove and other clients, including comedians Rich Vos, Lynne Koplitz, Pete Dominic, Chris DiStefano and Carly Aquillino, producers Ryan Ling (“Guy Code,” “Girl Code”) and P.J. Morrison (“Impractical Jokers,” “Restaurant Stakeout”), and writer Frank Santopadre (“The Joy Behar Show,” “The View”).

Storyville’s Schechter and Converge’s Smoove, Dorfman, Smith and Benowitz will serve as executive producers for all sales.

“It’s an ideal business venture for both parties,” said Schechter. “Converge brings to the table brand-name comedic talent and in return we can offer first-rate development, a production infrastructure and access to both domestic and international television distribution.”

This seems like the next logical step for Coverage, which has seen success in partnering their talent with marketing campaigns for global brands like Pepsi, Gillette, Microsoft and Verizon.

“Our goal is to connect the creative dots between talent, content and distribution across traditional television, digital initiatives and branded entertainment,” said Dorfman, partner and co-founder of Converge Media. “Our partnership with a leading producer like Betsy gives us a much wider range of opportunity to service our talent as well as our corporate clients.”