Gary Vaynerchuk, Eric Wattenberg & RSE Ventures’ Matt Higgins Launch Production Studio VaynerWatt

12.01.2023 - 21:25 / deadline.com

EXCLUSIVE: Gary Vaynerchuk, internet marketing expert and Resy founder, has teamed with former CAA agent and Wheelhouse exec Eric Wattenberg and Matt Higgins, who co-founded investment firm RSE Ventures with Miami Dolphins owner Stephen M. Ross, to launch a new production studio.

The trio are launching VaynerWatt.

The company will produce original long and short-form content for linear networks and streaming services.

It marks the first TV production company for Vaynerchuk, the founder of communications company VaynerX, who is best known for his work in digital marketing.

Wattenberg, who will be CEO of the new company, joins from Wheelhouse, the company set up by Brent Montgomery, where he was Chief Content Officer. Prior to joining Wheelhouse, he was Co-Head of Alternative Television at CAA, where he represented talents including Kelly Ripa, Andy Cohen, Nick Cannon and Billy Porter. It was via CAA that Wattenberg and Vaynerchuk met.

Higgins, who appeared on two seasons of ABC’s Shark Tank, is CEO of private investment firm RSE Ventures, which he co-founded with Miami Dolphins owner Stephen M. Ross. It has investments in companies including Magnolia Bakery and Momofuku.

Vaynerchuk, an angel investor who has backed companies including Facebook, Twitter, Venmo, Snapchat, Coinbase and Uber, told Deadline that the company had been a “decade in the making”.

“This is a sector I’ve been wanting to get into at some point before I hang up my cleats in entrepreneur-land. Eric and I have a very shared vision of creativity – quality over everything,” he said.

He added that he hopes to be able to bring his marketing savvy to networks and streamers. “When you sell a show to a distributor you don’t just go to sleep but you actually