The Canadian expertise present is exploring distribution choices within the U.S. and different territories for season 2.
The second season of The Launch, the Canadian-made unsigned expertise search co-created and government produced by Big Machine Label Group founder/CEO Scott Borchetta in partnership with Canadian media big Bell Media, debuts Sept. 26 on CTV in Canada and on French-language specialty channel VRAK in early 2019.
Bell Media president Randy Lennox tells Billboard they’re “in discussions with a number of international locations, together with the U.S.” for the present.
Sarah McLachlan, Ryan Tedder and the Arkells frontman Max Kerman, whose band simply headlined a stadium in his hometown of Hamilton, Ontario, are the one visitor mentors introduced so far.
The first season featured Fergie, Shania Twain, Alessia Cara, Boy George, Nikki Sixx, Julia Michaels and Jennifer Nettles as mentors. Borchetta was the one fixed.
This season Québec pop icon Marie-Mai, herself a former finalist on the primary season of Quebec expertise search Star Académie again in 2003 and a coach on the primary season of La Voix (The Voice) in 2013, will be part of the sequence as a everlasting mentor alongside Borchetta.
“Marie-Mai is an incredible artist and performer, and her huge business know-how will present a strong counterpoint to Scott’s experience, bringing a brand new and interesting dynamic for each artists and viewers,” mentioned Lennox in a press assertion.
The different change is the addition of leisure reporter Liz Trinnear from Bell’s leisure information present eTalk, as host. “We additionally welcome the excellent power that Liz brings as a bunch as she guides the performers and the viewers by means of the emotional journey of launching new artists and new songs every week,” mentioned Lennox.
The casting name to search out the unsigned acts to look on the present began in May. Each episode contains an on-air on-stage audition earlier than the judges, who then choose two acts to document an already written music by the established songwriter/producer. Immediately after the published, the winner’s single is serviced to Bell Media’s radio properties, together with iHeartRadio Canada.
Last season yielded a sequence of No. 1 Canadian hits — amassing greater than 21 million streams internationally so far, in keeping with Bell — and led to a worldwide distribution deal (excluding Canada) for The Launch with Sony Pictures Television (SPT).
Tedder created the present’s greatest hit “Ain’t Easy,” recorded by Elijah Woods x Jamie Fine, who gained the iHeartRadio MMVA for greatest new Canadian artist.
“I’m actually so excited to kick off Season 2 of The Launch,” mentioned Borchetta in an announcement. “We have nice creative expertise from all throughout Canada, a brand new everlasting second-seat mentor with the amazingly proficient Marie-Mai, and we have landed the host with absolutely the most, Liz Trinnear. Ryan is coming again and is so fired up about producing one other Launch winner, Sarah McLachlan will likely be wonderful to work with as will my new good friend Max Kerman.”
