PitchingPartnershipsVideo

How to Pitch Your Creator Series to AI-First Vertical Video Platforms

aadvices

2026-02-10

11 min read

Copy-paste spec sheet, pitch flow, and budget templates to sell your vertical series to AI platforms like Holywater.

Cut through the noise: a ready-to-send pitch and spec sheet for AI-first vertical platforms

You're a creator with a serialized idea that performs on mobile, but you don't have time to stitch together a research-heavy pitch package. Platforms like Holywater are spending millions to buy and fund vertical series — and they expect crisp, data-driven, ready-to-produce proposals. This guide gives you a step-by-step pitch flow, a copy-paste series spec sheet, an actionable budget template, and outreach language you can use today.

Why pitch AI-first vertical platforms in 2026?

Two trends collide in 2026: rapid growth of mobile-first episodic viewing and platforms using AI to optimize discovery and commissioning. Holywater — backed by Fox and recently raising an additional $22M in January 2026 — is a prime example of this category. These platforms prioritize short, serialized vertical content, data-driven IP, and programmatic personalization.

“Holywater is positioning itself as the mobile-first Netflix built for short, episodic, vertical video.” — Forbes, Jan 16, 2026

What this means for creators: platforms will fund fewer risky concepts and favor shows that are designed for retention, iterative testing, and personalization. They expect pitches that are production-ready, measurable, and optimized for the AI signals these platforms use (watch time, early drop-off, repeat engagement, LTV by cohort).

The inverted-pyramid pitch: most important things first

Before diving into the spec sheet, lead with a single sharp statement that answers: what is the show, who is the audience, and what primary metric will make this a success for the platform. Platforms like Holywater are screening for ideas they can test quickly and scale using AI—make it obvious why your show is testable and scalable.

What to front-load in your pitch

One-sentence show hook with genre and format (e.g., microdrama, 6x3-min, serialized cliffhangers).
Target audience & data signal — who will watch and what existing data supports it (social traction, TikTok view rates, newsletter CTR).
Key metric you’ll move: episode completion rate, 7-day retention, or new user installs via trailer.
Ask: production budget, timeline, and rights requested (license, exclusivity, distribution window).

Stepwise pitch process (7 steps)

Use this sequence when approaching AI-first vertical platforms. Each step is actionable and results-focused.

Step 1 — Platform research (15–30 minutes per platform)

Read the platform’s commissioning news: funding rounds (e.g., Holywater Jan 2026) and press. Know recent show types they’ve greenlit.
Identify signal priorities: AI personalization, short serialized, microdramas, data-driven IP.
Find formats that performed on the platform (or similar platforms) and note runtime, episode count, and production values.

Deliver a one-page summary that answers the critical commissioning questions. Keep visual hierarchy strong (title, one-line, target demo, key metric, ask). Send this first — many development execs scan one-pagers before requesting a deck. If you’re thinking about how creators scale beyond pitching, see guidance on moving from publisher to production: From Publisher to Production Studio: A Playbook for Creators.

Title + one-sentence hook
Format: episodes, runtime, season length
Audience and why they’ll watch (data signal)
Production-ready attachments (pilot script, sizzle link, moodboard)
Clear ask (budget and rights)

Step 3 — Series Spec Sheet (the deliverable platforms want)

The spec sheet below is copy-paste ready. It organizes every key field the platform will check. Save it as a PDF and paste the core fields into email body for quick scanning. For distribution and PR workflows that help your pitch reach commissioning editors, this PR-to-backlink workflow is a helpful companion: From Press Mention to Backlink: A Digital PR Workflow.

Step 4 — Budget & Financial Model (be transparent)

AI-first platforms fund plays driven by unit economics. Offer a clean budget and at least two financing scenarios: full buyout and co-fund with revenue share. Show per-episode costs and explain where AI tools reduce time/costs (script iteration, VFX templates, voice cloning for temp reads — disclose where appropriate and legal). For creator monetization and launch-finance playbooks, see: How to Launch a Viral Drop: A 12-Step Playbook.

Step 5 — Pilot assets and testing plan

Platforms love pilots they can A/B test. Deliverables might include a 1–2 minute pilot cut, 15-second hook clips, and a promo trailer optimized for platform recommendation systems. Include an A/B test plan (thumbnail variants, first-10-second hooks, episode length tests).

Step 6 — Outreach & follow-up

Send the one-pager, spec sheet, and pilot link in a short email. Follow up twice on a 7-day cadence with new signals (viewer metrics from a soft launch, updated budget, or talent commitment). For email templates and outreach tactics tied to PR and backlink strategies, refer to the PR workflow above: From Press Mention to Backlink.

Step 7 — Negotiate rights, data access, and KPIs

Ask for platform data access for at least 90 days after launch and a clause for iterative edits after early learnings. Negotiate revenue share, minimum guarantees, and options if the show scales to longer formats or linear distribution.

Series Spec Sheet — copy-paste template

Paste this into a Google Doc or PDF and fill the fields. Keep language tight and quantitative where possible.

Show & Creator Info

Title: [Show Title]
Logline (1 sentence): [Clear hook + stakes]
Format: [e.g., 8 x 3–4 min | Vertical 9:16 | Microdrama]
Creator / Production Company: [Name, website, credits]
Contact: [email, phone, agent if any]

Audience & Distribution

Primary demo: [age, gender, psychographics]
Secondary demo: [useful for ad targeting]
Existing traction: [TikTok views, Instagram Reels avg view %, newsletter CTR, YT Short click-through — give numbers]
Distribution goals: [platform exclusive for 12 months, global, ad-supported, subscription tier]

Creative & Program Details

Theme & tone: [e.g., tense, witty, intimate]
Episode structure: [cold open, cliffhanger, tagline; where to put hooks]
Season arc (3 sentences): [beginning, middle, end]
Episode 1 synopsis: [50–80 words]
Episode index (titles + 1-line loglines):
1. Ep1 — [Title] — [1-liner]
2. Ep2 — [Title] — [1-liner]
3. …

Production & Schedule

Production timeline: [pre-prod 3–4 weeks | shoot 2–3 weeks | post 4 weeks]
Key talent: [lead actor, director, DP — attach reels]
Delivery: [master files, mobile-optimized cuts, key art, 15/30-sec promos]

Budget (summary)

Total ask: $[X] for [season length]
Per-episode cost: $[Y]
Line items (high level):
- Production: 45%
- Post & editorial (incl. AI tools): 20%
- Talent & P.R.: 15%
- Marketing & launch tests: 10%
- Contingency (10%): 10%

KPIs & Measurement

Primary KPI: episode completion rate (%)
Secondary KPIs: 3-ep retention, CTR on promo, new user installs from trailer
Target performance: [e.g., 65% completion | 35% 3-ep retention | 0.8% trailer-to-install]

Rights & Ask

Ask: $[amount] for full season or co-fund + % rev share
Rights requested: [e.g., platform exclusivity 12 months, global SVOD/AVOD rights]
Creator retains: [merch rights, live events, authoring rights for sequels]
Data access: request 90 days post-launch analytics feed (cohort-level)

Sample spec filled (microdrama example)

Use this quick mockup as a reference for tone and level of detail.

Title: City Lights
Logline: A small-time courier gets entangled in a city-wide mystery after delivering a package that shouldn't exist.
Format: 8 x 3-min | Vertical 9:16 | Microdrama
Primary demo: 18–34, urban, thriller-curiosity, high binge-intent
Existing traction: Pilot short on TikTok — 760K views, 27% average view duration
Total ask: $120,000 (per-episode $15k)
Primary KPI target: 60% episode completion | 30% 3-episode retention

Pitch email & deck checklist

Keep the email short; attach the one-pager and spec sheet PDF and link to the pilot. If you have a sizzle or analytics dashboard, add it as a password-protected link.

Subject line examples

City Lights — 8×3-min microdrama (pilot links + budget)
Pitch: 8×3-min serialized vertical for Holywater — 760K TikTok pilot

Sample cold email (copy-paste)

Hi [Name],

I’m [Your Name], creator of City Lights — an 8×3-minute microdrama built for mobile-first serialized viewing. We soft-launched a pilot short that drove 760K views on TikTok with a 27% average view duration. The show is designed for AI-powered personalization (cliffhanger-first structure and multiple character entry points) and targets 18–34 urban viewers.

Attached is a one-pager and full spec sheet. I’m asking for $120,000 to produce the season (or open to co-funding + rev share). I can deliver a 90-second pilot cut and 15/30-sec promo within 2 weeks to support A/B testing.

Quick ask: are you taking commission pitches this quarter? Happy to schedule a 20-min call or share a pilot link.

— [Name] | [Phone] | [Link to sizzle]

Budget template and example numbers

Below is a realistic 2026 microdrama budget for a vertical series. Adjust line items for scale and local rates.

Example: $120,000 for 8 x 3-min episodes

Pre-production (10%): $12,000 — scripting, casting, location scouting
Production (45%): $54,000 — crew, equipment, permits
Post-production (20%): $24,000 — edit, color, sound, subtitles, AI-assisted workflow
Talent & legal (8%): $9,600 — actor fees, release forms
Marketing & platform testing (7%): $8,400 — paid promo tests, creative variants
Contingency (10%): $12,000

Note: In 2026, effective use of AI toolchains (automated transcription, shot matching, voice temping) often reduces post costs by 10–20% versus 2023/24 workflows — include a note in your pitch about AI efficiencies and what you’ll use.

Financing scenarios (what to offer)

Full buyout: Platform pays full $120k for exclusive 12-month rights. Creator receives 100% of fee, platform owns first-window rights.
Co-fund + revenue share: Platform contributes $60k, creator raises $60k via brand partnerships or creator fund. Offer 60/40 revenue split in platform favor for 12 months, then revert back. See creator launch monetization ideas here: How to Launch a Viral Drop.
Minimum guarantee + back-end: Platform pays $40k MG, plus 30% of ad revenue after breakeven.

KPIs, data asks and what to negotiate in 2026

AI-first platforms rely on data. Negotiate for:

Cohort analytics feed: retention by episode, thumbnail performance, CTR by promo.
Edit window: ability to tweak episode cuts after 2–3 weeks of live data for optimization.
IP carve-outs: keep merchandising and live event rights; license streaming rights to platform for a fixed term rather than full buyout if possible.
AI usage & right-of-usage disclosure: if you use generative AI for voice or imagery, disclose and assign rights appropriately — many platforms now require transparency in 2026.

Metrics to promise (and to avoid over-committing)

Give realistic KPIs. Platforms respect conservative, testable targets with upside clauses. Example targets for a successful microdrama:

Episode completion rate: target 55–70%
3-episode retention: target 25–35%
Trailer-to-install conversion: 0.5–1.5% (varies by platform)
Average watch time per user (first 7 days): 6–15 minutes

Legal & rights checklist (short)

Chain of title for all creative assets
Talent releases and localized law compliance
Clear statements on AI-generated elements and rights
Delivery specs and acceptance criteria
Audit clause for revenue reporting

Mini case study (composite example)

Creator: indie writer-director with 1.2M combined social followers. Idea: 10×2-min relational comedy. Soft-launch: posted 3 pilot clips, combined 1.1M views, 32% average view completion, and 45k email sign-ups via a cliffhanger CTA.

Approach: used the spec sheet above and asked Holywater for a co-fund ($80k) to produce 10 episodes with a revenue share. Holywater requested a pilot cut and agreed to an A/B test plan. After launch, data showed a 68% completion and 38% 3-episode retention. Platform extended a second season option and a promotional spend commitment for paid discovery.

Key wins: early traction numbers supported a higher valuation in talks; a clear A/B test plan led to faster optimization and a 2x uplift in install rate after thumbnail changes informed by platform analytics.

Quick ready-to-send checklist

One-pager (PDF) — sent in email body and as attachment
Spec sheet (PDF) — detailed fields filled
Pilot or sizzle link (password-protected if needed)
Budget summary + financing scenarios
A/B testing & rollout plan
Data & rights asks spelled out
Follow-up schedule (7/14 days)

2026 trends to lean into when pitching

AI-driven discoverability: show how your format supports personalized entry points — multiple character POVs, modular scenes, or micro hooks. For platform segmentation and discovery trends, read: How Emerging Platforms Change Segmentation.
Shorter episodes, stronger hooks: platforms are optimizing for immediate retention — design the first 10 seconds to grab attention.
Creator-led IP that scales: think beyond Season 1 — merch, spin-offs, and transmedia hooks increase platform upside.
Data transparency: request analytics and offer to run experiments that inform both parties.

Final tips from someone who’s pitched and closed deals

Make the platform’s job easy: short, quantifiable, and production-ready materials win.
Don’t overshare yet — protect your IP until you have an MOU or NDA in place.
Offer testable experiments in your pitch — platforms are funding ideas they can learn from quickly.
Be specific about what you need and what you’ll deliver — ambiguity kills momentum.

Call-to-action

If you want a ready-made editable pack: grab our Vertical Series Pitch Pack — includes a fillable spec sheet, one-pager template, budget spreadsheet, and outreach email templates tailored for AI-first buyers like Holywater. Or reply to this article with a one-line logline and I’ll give quick feedback on whether it’s platform-ready.

advices

Contributor

Senior editor and content strategist. Writing about technology, design, and the future of digital media. Follow along for deep dives into the industry's moving parts.