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EXCLUSIVE: Little Dot Studios and its streamer, History Hit, have struck an exclusive deal with Rishi Sharma, a doc maker known for interviewing thousands of World War II veterans.
For the past eight years, digital content creator Sharma has been interviewing WWII vets around the globe, with each lasting between 2-4 hours. His repository of videos now numbers more than 2,000 video and audio interviews, making Sharma’s the almost certainly the largest, unexplored personal archives of its kind in the world.
The multi-year content agreement will see All3Media-owned digital studio Little Dot provide an upfront funding pot for further filming for Sharma, whose mission began when he was a teenager.
Little Dot will take on channel management and publishing of Sharma’s YouTube, Facebook, Instagram and TikTok channels, and the Dan Snow co-founded History Hit will acquire exclusive FAST, broadcast, AVOD and SVOD rights to the library. This will be made available through the streamer’s media network, including the Timeline, War Stories, Real History and The American Story channels, FAST channels and SVOD and podcast networks.
Furthermore, History Hit has commissioned a 30-minute documentary following Sharma across the U.S. as he meets more veterans.
Snow, co-founder and Creative Director of History Hit, said: “History Hit was founded on the belief that there is a huge appetite around the world for stories and people like these. These are the accounts of people who were there when history was made, when our present and future were shaped. Witnessing Rishi Sharma’s dedicated efforts to capture the firsthand experiences of WWII veterans reaffirms the urgency of our mission and as time marches on, their voices become even more precious.”
The deal comes nearly eight decades after the events of the crucial final years of World War II, including Iwo Jima, D-Day, the liberation of Paris and VJ Day. Sharma has detailed interviews with survivors who fought in those battles, with most having never been seen before.
Dan Jones, CEO of Little Dot Studios, said: “Rishi Sharma’s dedication to preserving the firsthand accounts of WWII veterans is a testament to the power of storytelling and the importance of remembering history.
“As we approach the 80th anniversary of pivotal moments in the war, his exhaustive archive of interviews stands as a remarkable tribute to those who served on the frontlines. The partnership between Little Dot Studios, History Hit, and Rishi Sharma not only ensures the continued documentation of these invaluable stories but also paves the way for millions around the world to connect with the personal narratives that shaped our world. These stories, once hidden, now have the opportunity to inspire and educate for generations to come.”
Sharma, who has a GoFundMe page that has allowed him to continue with his interviews, added: “WWII veterans are not just personal heroes; they are heroes for us all. Their incredible courage, unwavering tenacity, and immense sacrifices paved the way for the comfortable lives we enjoy today, often taken for granted. I am hugely grateful to Little Dot Studios and History Hit who are supporting my journey to capture the stories of every single living WWII veteran on camera, creating the world’s largest archive of eyewitness accounts.
“These first hand testimonies from WWII combat veterans are invaluable treasures that should be shared with the world in perpetuity. I’ve dedicated a substantial part of my life to ensuring that these interviews are recorded for posterity, ensuring that their sacrifices all those years ago were not in vain and that future generations will never forget the true price of our hard-fought freedoms.”
Little Dot Studios is represented for television by CAA.
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