Postmedia has partnered with Contend, a marketing and content creation company in the United States and Canada, to create original content that will run across various channels.

According to the company, projects already in production include documentaries on Canadian history, true crime stories of cold cases and unsolved mysteries, and a sports series celebrating Canada’s sports heritage and athletes.

By creating content based on Canadian news stories from Postmedia’s archives, the publisher’s new Postmedia Studio will aim to offer more opportunities to advertisers, explains Steven Amato, founder and CEO of Contend.

He tells MiC that Contend is supporting Postmedia by finding new revenue, which could take the form of “sponsored content, events, campaigns, companion content and experiences, and new ideas we haven’t even thought of for advertisers.”

The partnership and launch of Postmedia Studios was inspired by the Online Streaming Act, according to Amato.

“The C-11 bill opened up a unique opportunity for us to partner with Postmedia as they unlock their treasure trove of archived stories. We’re helping them create great formats, touchpoints, and experiences to reach audiences by unlocking Canadian stories,” he says.

“Our hope is that by getting green lights on a multitude of projects, we will bring economic vitality to the Canadian media industry since we are looking to create, produce and distribute with Canadians.”