Liongate's Pilgrim Media Group And World Surf League Studios Team Up

Trailblazing production company Pilgrim Media Group and the World Surf League's (WSL) newly established studio arm, WSL Studios, have teamed up for a landmark co-development deal to produce a variety of surf-centric sport and lifestyle content across all formats and platforms. The endeavor is the first to be announced by WSL Studios and will involve live and non-live unscripted projects, as well as a range of distinct scripted opportunities.

Pilgrim, a Lionsgate Company, and WSL Studios have two major undertakings in the pipeline already – a feature documentary and a fresh nonscripted competition format for which the parties partnered with the UFC's Dana White – with several other programs in active development. The venture will feature traditional surf content like contests and clip shows, and will also shed light on surf culture – spanning its roots to the worldwide emergence of its own language and literature; music, film, fashion and other art; lifestyle; social impact; as well as environmental and conservation efforts.

"Partnering with Pilgrim from the onset of WSL Studios sets the bar for the level of quality we are endeavoring to achieve," said WSL President of Content and Media, Erik Logan. "Their talent for producing top-notch unscripted programming, particularly when it comes to emerging sports, and their unmatched ability to capture the inaccessible for audiences around the world make Pilgrim an incredible partner for the WSL."

No stranger to producing the unproduceable, Pilgrim founder and CEO, Craig Piligian, added, "This collaboration embodies the true intent of media in breaking ground and erasing boundaries. It's about bringing to new audiences a sport and a way of life that has been geographically confined to ocean coastlines. We're really excited to collaborate with WSL in this truly unique space."