CBS and Aaron Kaplan’s Kapital Entertainment will enter into a new strategic partnership, the companies announced on Friday.
As part of the agreement, CBS has acquired an ownership stake in Kapital Entertainment. CBS will provide co-financing for Kapital to invest in its future programming and serve as its worldwide distributor. Kapital will continue to operate as an independent production company, separate from CBS Television Studios and the CBS Television Network, and maintain its ability to sell to all buyers in the television marketplace.
Kaplan will continue to run Kapital Entertainment as its chief executive officer, with CBS chairman and CEO Leslie Moonves joining Kapital’s four-person board of directors.
“CBS is a content company, and this new venture immediately establishes another source to create more programming assets for our distribution pipeline,” Moonves said. “Aaron is a talented and creative producer, a skilled program packager and a very smart businessperson. We’re excited to build this partnership together.”
“This venture enables Kapital to continue matching a creator’s vision to the broadcast, cable or streaming home best suited for their project. And we will continue to work with all of our valued studio partners in the process,” said Kaplan. “At the same time, I have the support of an incredible media company at CBS Corporation, led by Leslie Moonves, whose creative and business accomplishments are unmatched.”
The first new project in the partnership is the Dana Klein and Marc Feuerstein pilot “9J, 9K and 9L,” which is being co-produced by Kapital with CBS Television Studios for CBS.
Kapital is a prominent independent production company with current series such as “Santa Clarita Diet” (Netflix), “Divorce” (HBO), “American Housewife” (ABC), “Secrets and Lies” (ABC), “The Chi” (Showtime) and “Life in Pieces” (CBS). For the upcoming television season, the company is currently producing seven pilots across broadcast and cable networks.
Kaplan has operated Kapital as a self-funded company since 2009. Prior to Kapital, Kaplan was head of scripted content at the William Morris Agency, where he also served on the board of directors.