The UB Interview: Brandon Stewart Talks ‘Brandon TV’

Brandon Stewart is the mogul behind an unparalleled social media metaverse and immersive streaming platform, Brandon TV.

His audience across 60+ new media channels comprises 120M registered users, all taking part in the gamified story making process. Last year, he opened Brandon Studios, a brick-and-mortar, 30,000-square-foot full-fledged production studio complete with two sound stages, which currently employs 25 people in Burbank, California.

A Kentucky-native, Brandon got his start in Hollywood as an American Idol contestant, and from there, he recognized an opportunity for innovation in the fast-evolving film and television industry. Drawing on his experience while at AwesomenessTV as a digital content and marketing strategist, Brandon developed a model that allowed him to retain ownership of his creative output while directly engaging his audience.

Now as the Founder and CEO of Brandon Studios, Stewart has attracted beloved talent across the unscripted world, in front of and behind the camera. In 2023, the company launched a fast-growing SVOD streaming platform, Brandon TV (BTV), and has built a vast social media footprint for its ecosystem of 60+ new media channels, engaging over 120 million users across its website, app, Google Play, Roku, and owned social channels.

Brandon Stewart has championed a vertically integrated production and distribution business that challenges industry norms to push forward his vision for the future of entertainment as an immersive, interactive, and community driven approach, allowing audiences to not just watch content – but help create it, utilizing social media as the conduit behind it all.

Aries from UB caught up with media mogul Brandon Stewart, to talk all things Brandon TV.

Brandon shares what motivated him to start the network and why he brought some of reality TV‘s legacy Black women back.

Plus Brandon dishes on new seasons of “Encore,” “Little Hollywood,” “Mad House”, and what’s next from Brandon TV.

And he shares why it was important for him to give the power back to creatives and much more!

UrbanBridgez.com: I’ve been looking forward to speaking with you because I love what you’re doing with your network.
Brandon Stewart: Thank you so much. I appreciate that. We’ve been putting in the work this year, it feels like.

UrbanBridgez.com: Yeah, no doubt. That leads into my first question. What made you want to take on the duty of starting a network?
Brandon Stewart: Now that’s a great question. I would say what really kind of lit a fire under me was the amount of times that I would pitch ideas and concepts that I just know would work to, you know, whether it be other networks or streamers or even production companies on occasions.

And I was told no so many times. And it was just frustrating, to be completely honest with you, like to try to get somebody over the line on the concept that I had. It just took a lot of work and time and energy and effort.

When they kind of shut that door in your face, it doesn’t always feel good, as we know. But, you know, there’s a saying that says 99 no’s and one Yes. You’re just looking for that one.

And where that’s true for me, honestly, Aries, it’s like, OK, well, you know, how can I kind of do this on my own? Like so I don’t have to go to anybody and ask for permission to do something that I know is going to work. And so little by little, I started kind of tweaking my skills and things.

I was at a company called Awesomeness TV, and that’s where I really learned how to turn content into like viral activity. That’s how I got people interested in products, people and trends and, you know, dances, the whole thing in the vertical space is really where we kind of blew up. And so anyway, long story short, I realized that, you know, once I could do that and curate viral programming, I could kind of drive attention anywhere I wanted it to.

So I started like taking some of my bigger concepts and ideas and I started shopping them internally with some of my best friends. And that’s kind of how the network became to be.

UrbanBridgez.com: That’s a great story. It’s all about that passion. That sounds really good and it’s motivation for a lot of people. And then it’s only been a short time. But what’s been like the most rewarding launching Brandon TV?
Brandon Stewart: You know, I think, to be honest with you, it’s giving the power back to creatives. You know, there’s so many archaic, traditional, I would say, deal makings that happen still today with filmmakers and talent, especially in the unscripted space, where as an example, they’re not given residuals on the back end of their content.

And one thing that was very important to me as as someone who came from the reality space, I grew up with watching Real World on television, I was on American Idol in season 12. And so I really had like a front-row seat to how this space was. I would say curated, but also in a way a little bit manipulated to write like to make good entertainment. And so I wanted to make clean, authentic programming that felt, true to who the talent was and who our audience is.

And so being able to give them the power back by not only giving them residuals on the back end. So if the show really, really does well, and it goes on for seven seasons, and we sell it, license it do the whole nine yards, they’re actually, you know, making money in that success. But also, for a lot of them, especially, it’s giving them a seat at the table to write, it’s about allowing them to become, in a lot of ways teaching them how to be executives of their own brand, naming them as an executive producer, allowing them to be a part of the creative process, teaching them how television is made, how it’s sold. How the ideas are developed, how it goes from, okay, so here’s what’s going on in your life now.

Where’s the story, like, help me find the story, and when they really tap into that, they start realizing, Oh, wow I really just have to be myself because when they’re a part of it, it makes it easier, doesn’t it doesn’t force any kind of thing that’s not really there, which I feel, you know, and I’m sure if you have streamed enough reality TV, I’m sure there’s plenty of moments, we can go back and look at all of our favorite reality shows and say, Oh, that felt a little scripted. So yeah, I hope that answered your question.

UrbanBridgez.com: No, it definitely did. And it leads me into the follow up, because with that, you brought back a lot of great shows. What made you want to continue the stories of series like Encore and Little Women?
Brandon Stewart: That’s a great question. I mean, for me I think a lot of these, you know specifically, diversity is very important. I’m apart of the LGBTQ+ community. On top of that, I find it very important to give people a platform that otherwise might not have it right in these traditional mediums. And so oftentimes, we find ourselves grounding up ideas and, shows with these legacy stars that happen to be females, and most of the time females of color too, right.

So for me, it just felt like their story was untold, I felt like it or maybe unfinished is better. I think it was critical to understand in the prime of a lot of these shows, these shows don’t always get canceled, because they’re not working. Sometimes the slate changes, sometimes the network’s mission changes, sometimes a CEO is fired, and a new programming officer comes in, or whatever that looks like. And so there’s a lot of layers to why these women specifically, you mentioned Encore, and, the Little Women show that we kind of researched. But those women specifically, their ratings weren’t necessarily plummeting.

It’s just that Lifetime specifically, their mandate kind of shifted. And you can’t blame them for it, because their films started doing really well. You know, you look at Garcelle Beauvais
from The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, you know she even walked away from the reality franchise, because she was getting so many film deals over there, because they’re doing so much.

So sometimes the landscape of the industry itself is what causes shifts to be made. And for me, I like to try to think that I’m strategic myself, and I really, you know, see where the landscape of the industry is going. I felt like these stories were just unfinished.

And so some of the first shows that we kind of took a stab at were some of these women that I loved back in the day, that many of which are my friends, that I was like, you know, let’s give it another go. Let’s do, you know, let’s start with a special, right? We’ll do a four or five episodes special, sometimes three episodes special. We test the market, see what people want to see.

We’re very interactive. So, you know, you can say something on Monday, and then we’ll have it in Friday’s episode kind of a thing. So we’re constantly listening to the fans.

And as you know, sometimes they can get a little rowdy. But it’s all about maximizing what they want to see. And for us, we’re so small and flexible, we can turn it around.

My business partner, Joel Parent is always traveling, whether it be from Jackson, Mississippi, Atlanta, Georgia, Houston, Texas, like, he’s going all around out there. And as our like, kind of AI software scraping all of these comments online and dumping them into these buckets of what our fans want to see. It’s helping him, again, meet with the talent and say, okay, look, you know, you’re all of your fans out here in the South are really wanting to see you sit down with Susie Q or whoever that may be.

So we’re making it happen tomorrow, you know, and they’re like, ready to go because they know that’s what their audience wants.

UrbanBridgez.com: Yeah, that’s a great technique. I love that. Before we wrap, I have to ask what’s next from Brandon TV? We’ll say within the next five years, what will be your goal?
Brandon Stewart: Oh, baby, I am building the next Disney. No, honestly, you know Walt Disney is definitely a role model of mine, as is, people like Oprah Winfrey and Tyler Perry. I love that, you know, they kind of get it out of the mud and do it on their own.

You know, there’s been a lot of inspiration from what some of these, not just creators, but business minded individuals and executives have been able to do. And that’s really the track that I’m going down. Honestly, a lot of people are comparing us to Bravo right now, which I love Andy Cohen, and I love that whole brand.

I think it’s premium reality programming, which is awesome. But that’s just one facet of our kind of 10 year plan on what we’re doing. We’re actually going to start testing the market on some scripted ideas in 2026, which we’re really excited about.

Some of which actually includes some of our reality TV talent too. So keep your eyes peeled for some of that. I don’t know if you saw, we just got nominated for a couple of reality TV awards amongst like some pretty big competition.

So that felt really good for us too. And, you know, we were like one of the only independent studios that was not just given one nomination, but two.

So we’re coming into 2026 with a lot of fire. We’ve got multiple seasons returning of the shows, even ones you had mentioned. We’re in the middle of shooting Diana Williams’ show, The Dolls, Season Two right now.

That’s actually the second episode just aired on Sunday. We’re shooting, you know, Encore Season Two right now. We’re shooting Little Hollywood right now.

We’re debating on, you know, where season three of Mad House is going to land, which is Abby Lee Miller’s show. We’ve got a couple of huge, exciting announcements. I know Kenna would kill me if I said, in 2026 which streamer we are doing kind of an exciting collaboration with, I guess you could say, but there’s a lot, I will tell you, we are locked and loaded.

We’ve got a lot of talent in the pipeline that you will absolutely recognize and remember and be very excited that are returning. And we also have, some new ideas and new talent that are coming up, some dating shows as well. And so it’s going to be fun is what I’ll say.

UrbanBridgez.com: Yeah, that sounds really good. I like the way you guys roll out and do your content. So I’m looking forward to all that. So thanks for the heads up. Before we wrap, is there anything else you want to leave with anybody else that is reading or following your journey? Because you’re very inspirational. I don’t know if you know that, but is there anything else you want to share?
Brandon Stewart: First of all, I appreciate that. That means a lot to me. And, I got to know Urban Bridgez in the process of you guys kind of starting to write about some of our stuff and interviewing our talent. And I have to say, I love your brand just as much.

And thank you for being, some of the first media outlets, you know, just gracious journalists to give us, this type of spotlight. And you guys are content creators in your own right, too. I see your channel growing and everything. And so just thank you for giving us, the flowers and putting the spotlight on our ladies and all the talent that we have and for all the kind words.

And we’ll keep sharing your journey as our journey continues to develop. But yeah, I just wanted to say that. So thank you for even, giving me the time today to share the story that it’s just as important to have people like you in our corner.

Urbanbridgez.com: We appreciate it. We aim to spotlight the best and you guys that. I love it. Is there anything else you want to leave regarding the network or Brandon himself? You know, you’ve got a lot of fans, too.
Brandon Stewart: No just, you know keep watching. Keep that $5.99 subscription going.

You know, even when we’re on the off season with some of our shows, that money continues to pile into the pockets of our talent and into the studio, which allows us to make more stuff, whether it be further seasons or bring back more of your favorite stars. And so that’s my biggest kind of takeaway. I think everybody’s watching their purse month after month, which is always important, especially around the holiday time.

But if you can keep that $5.99 active, baby, because we got a lot more in store.

UrbanBridgez.com: No doubt. Well again, I want to thank you for taking time out speaking with me, Brandon. It’s been a pleasure. Looking forward to what Brandon TV has to offer next.
I know it’s going to be great so just continue success and blessings, man.
Brandon Stewart: That means the world. Thank you, Aries. Thank you so much.

By blending innovative storytelling with cutting-edge technology, Brandon Studios is focused on original programming and redefining how stories are created and experienced.

For more info, visit www.itsbrandontv.com.

‘The Dolls’ S2 | November 16th on Brandon TV

‘Little Hollywood’ Set to Premiere In December on Brandon TV