Netflix has acquired the rights to Nickelodeon's new live-action buddy comedy series That Girl Lay Lay, and will add the series to the platform's programming libraries in the internationally on January 21, 2022!
Currently confirmed countries where Netflix will add That Girl Lay Lay are: USA, Canada, UK and Hungary (A Sadie és Lay Lay kalandjai), although the show is expected to be added to more Netflix programming libraries the same day.
Update (1/25) - That Girl Lay Lay is currently the sixth most watched show on Netflix right now!
Update (1/28) - As of January 27, That Girl Lay Lay is in ninth place.
Although Netflix acquiring the rights to Nickelodeon shows isn't new, with recent examples being iCarly, Big Time Rush, Avatar: The Last Airbender, The Legend of Korra and, in select territories, PAW Patrol, the situation is a bit different with That Girl Lay Lay, as the show only premiered on Nickelodeon in September last year and has only aired on Nickelodeon in the U.S., meaning that the series will be making its streaming debut on Netflix before ViacomCBS' own streamer Paramount+ in the U.S., and its debut on streaming before the show's linear TV premiere internationally (and before Nick+ in Canada). It's currently unknown if the series will also air on Nickelodeon (or YTV in Canada) following its SVOD premiere.
Netflix acquiring That Girl Lay Lay at this time is a bit strange, as ViacomCBS is planning to rollout Paramount+ in the UK, Ireland, Italy, Germany, Switzerland and Austria (GSA) this year, and is also partnering with Comcast to launch SkyShowtime, a new SVOD, in more than 20 European regions. It also comes when Paramount+ is still bolstering its own programming library with content from ViacomCBS brands, including Nickelodeon.
Generally, ViacomCBS licensing Nickelodeon programming to Netflix is part of the company's strategy to expose Nickelodeon franchises to new audiences - something the company has been open about. During a interview with The Hollywood Reporter in July 2021, Brian Robbins, President & Chief Executive Officer of Nickelodeon, and Chief Content Officer of Kids & Family for Paramount+ talked more about ViacomCBS CEO Bob Bakish’s strategy to license to third-party outlets in a bid to expose content to bigger audiences before ultimately taking it back as an exclusive:
"That’s been my strategy from the start. There’s two great examples of that. Avatar: The Last Airbender was a series that ran for three seasons on Nickelodeon and was never a huge show, but had an amazing following. We licensed that show to Netflix and it exploded. Then we put this spinoff of Avatar, The Legend of Korra, on Paramount+, and it crushed it. That led us to our new relationship and bringing the creators of Avatar back to Nickelodeon to form Avatar Studios. We are now on our way to a full-fledged franchise strategy, creating films and spinoffs out of Avatar.
"The second example, which actually has paid off this month, is iCarly. We knew we were going to do a reboot of iCarly, it just took us a while to put it together. Once we knew we had it going, we licensed just a season or two of iCarly to Netflix and it exploded with new kids discovering it for the first time, and fans who grew up on it rediscovered it. The demand for the new show was at such a fever pitch by the time [the new show] launched that it propelled iCarly to be, if not the most successful show on Paramount+, one of the most successful shows."
Robbins also confirmed that series such as Avatar: The Last Airbender and iCarly would eventually be taken off of Netflix and become Paramount+ exclusives, adding "[y]es. And it’s not like this is some secret that we’re pulling the wool over anybody else’s eyes on other services. They’re happy to have the content and they understand the strategy. We’re very upfront about it."
That Girl Lay Lay (13 x 30-minute episodes) is a all-new buddy comedy series that follows Lay Lay (Alaya “That Girl Lay Lay” High), an avatar from a personal affirmation app that magically comes to life, and her best friend Sadie (Gabrielle Nevaeh Green, All That) as they navigate life as teenagers and discover who they truly are.
In the premiere of That Girl Lay Lay, "Out The App," Sadie wishes upon a star that her hype-girl avatar, Lay Lay, were real, causing Lay Lay to magically come to life. Now that she is in the real world with Sadie, Lay Lay decides that she wants a teenage experience herself and enrolls in the local school. Using her innate charm, Lay Lay convinces Sadie that she needs to come out of her shell and the best way for her to stand out is to run for student council.
That Girl Lay Lay follows Lay Lay, an avatar from a phone app, and Sadie, a girl who is struggling to make her mark in school and in need of a best friend to talk to. After Sadie wishes upon a star that her hype-girl avatar Lay Lay was real, she magically comes to life, and the two friends learn that when they are together, they can accomplish anything. That Girl Lay Lay also stars Peyton Perrine III as Sadie’s brother, Marky; Tiffany Daniels as Sadie’s mom, Trish; Thomas Hobson as Sadie’s dad, Bryce; and Caleb Brown as Lay Lay and Sadie’s classmate, Jeremy.
The series marks Nickelodeon’s first project under an overall deal with That Girl Lay Lay to develop original multiform programming and music initiatives, and build a cross-category consumer products business. In addition to her new comedy series, Nickelodeon’s comprehensive strategy for That Girl Lay Lay includes supporting her music career and an exclusive line of consumer products, with merchandising agreements spanning categories such as softlines, toy, publishing and more.
That Girl Lay Lay is produced by Will Packer Media (Bigger), with Will Packer (Little, Ride Along) and Carolyn Newman serving as executive producers and Toy Monique Hawkins and Peggy Cheng overseeing. The series is created and executive produced by David A. Arnold (Side Hustle, Fuller House, Bigger), who also serves as showrunner. John Beck & Ron Hart (Side Hustle, Fuller House, Liv and Maddie) serve as executive producers.
Production of That Girl Lay Lay for Nickelodeon is overseen by Zack Olin and Shauna Phelan, Co-Heads of Nickelodeon & Awesomeness Live-Action. Jessica Brown serves as Nickelodeon’s Executive in Charge of Production for the series.
About Will Packer Media
Led by Hollywood producer Will Packer, Will Packer Media is a first-of-its-kind production and branded content company focused on the New American Mainstream audience. In partnership with Discovery, Inc. and Universal Pictures, the company produces episodic scripted and unscripted series across television and digital platforms, compelling content for brand clients, and short-form digital content for millennial audiences. Will Packer’s films have earned more than $1 billion, with ten openings at number one at the box office.
About Nickelodeon
Nickelodeon, now in its 42nd year, is the number-one entertainment brand for kids. It has built a diverse, global business by putting kids first in everything it does. The brand includes television programming and production in the United States and around the world, plus consumer products, digital, location-based experiences, publishing and feature films. For more information or artwork, visit http://www.nickpress.com. Nickelodeon and all related titles, characters and logos are trademarks of ViacomCBS Inc. (Nasdaq: VIACA, VIAC).
Originally published: January 11, 2022.
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