How TikTok Creators Are Licensing Their Video Concepts as TV Pitches

Lucas: So we've talked a lot on this show about creators selling individual pieces of their content — comments, templates, outtakes. But there's a newer layer emerging that I think is worth zooming in on. Luna: What's that? Lucas: Creators are now licensing their video concepts themselves — the idea, the format, the structure — to television and streaming networks. Not the finished video, but the blueprint of the video. And there's a recent deal that really crystallises how this works. Luna: Is this like when a TV show buys a viral TikTok trend and makes a segment out of it? Because I've seen that happen with dances or challenges. Lucas: It's related but more intentional. The specific case I'm thinking of is a beauty creator — I'll call her Mia — who has about 400,000 followers. She posts these 'shelf tour' videos where she walks through her skincare shelf, explains why each product is there, and shares her honest opinion. It's a very specific format: slow pan, voiceover, no face on camera. Luna: I've seen those. They're oddly satisfying. Lucas: Exactly. A production company that does lifestyle content for a streaming platform reached out to her. They wanted to option the concept — create a short-form series based on the shelf tour format, with different hosts in different homes. They offered her $15,000 upfront for a one-year option, plus a consulting fee of $500 per episode if the series went into production. She retains the rights to continue making her own TikTok videos — they only locked up the TV adaptation rights. Luna: So she's not selling her video, she's selling the idea behind it. That's a big shift. Lucas: And it's not just beauty. I've seen similar deals in cooking, where a creator's 'one-ingredient challenge' format got optioned, and in comedy, where a creator's 'bad advice' segment was picked up for a late-night digital spin-off. The common thread is a format that's repeatable and recognisable. Luna: Before we go deeper — and I promise this ties in — one thing that keeps this show running without ads is listener support. If these marketing conversations have sparked something you've actually used, it helps when you throw a couple of dollars our way. It's buy me a coffee dot com slash fexingo. Just a low-key way to keep us independent. And now back to the shelf tour deal. Lucas: Yeah, and thanks for that. So the key question for any creator getting approached like this is: what exactly are you selling? In Mia's case, the production company wanted an exclusive option to develop a TV format based on her shelf tour concept. That means for one year, she couldn't sell the same idea to anyone else. But she could still post shelf tours on TikTok. Luna: What about the IP? Does she own the concept after the option expires? Lucas: That's the critical part. In her contract, the IP for any developed series would belong to the production company, but if they don't exercise the option within the year, the rights revert to her. And she negotiated a clause that any derivative work — like a spin-off — would require a new option. So she's protected if the format becomes a franchise. Luna: So she's not giving away the farm. What about the consulting fee? $500 per episode seems low if they go into production. Lucas: It's a starting point. For a first-time deal, that's actually not bad. The real money comes if the series gets picked up for multiple seasons. But what's interesting is the precedent. Until recently, networks would just take a concept and run with it, maybe giving a vague credit. Now there's a formal licensing structure. Luna: Does this only work for creators with large followings? Because 400,000 is decent but not mega. Lucas: That's the encouraging part. The production company wasn't buying her audience — they were buying the format. She had a unique, repeatable structure that could be adapted. A creator with 50,000 followers and a brilliant format could theoretically do the same. The key is articulation: being able to describe your concept in a way that makes clear it's a format, not just a one-off video. Luna: How does a creator even get approached? Or do they have to pitch? Lucas: In Mia's case, the production company found her through a talent scout who monitors viral formats. But there's also a growing marketplace. A few agencies now represent digital-first creators for format licensing. And some creators are proactively pitching — putting together a simple look book that shows the format's potential across multiple episodes. Luna: What's the biggest risk? I imagine if the concept gets picked up and becomes a hit, but the creator has no control over the final product, that could be frustrating. Lucas: Absolutely. The creator loses creative control. The network will cast its own hosts, write its own scripts, shoot in its own style. The only connection is the core format. Some creators are fine with that — they get paid and keep doing their own thing. Others want to be involved in production. That has to be negotiated upfront. Mia chose to consult rather than produce, which is smart for a first deal. Luna: Is there any data on how many of these options actually get exercised? Lucas: Not publicly, but from conversations with entertainment lawyers, I'd estimate it's under 20%. Most options lapse. The creator gets the upfront payment, which is essentially a fee for the chance. But even that can be significant — $10,000 to $20,000 for a year of exclusivity on a concept. And if it does get picked up, the consulting or royalty payments can dwarf the initial fee. Luna: So it's a bit like writing a spec script? High risk, high reward. Lucas: Exactly. And the beauty is, creators don't have to stop producing their own content. They're not selling their channel or their audience. They're just licensing a specific format. It's a parallel revenue stream that doesn't cannibalize their main business. Luna: What about the legal costs? A 15-page option agreement isn't something a creator should sign without a lawyer. Lucas: That's a real barrier. Mia had a lawyer who specialises in digital media — her fee was $2,000, which ate into the upfront. But she negotiated that the production company would reimburse up to $1,500 in legal fees if the option was exercised. That's a good precedent. For smaller creators, there are now flat-fee legal services for exactly these deals. Some are as low as $500 for a standard review. Luna: We should also mention that this isn't just for individual creators. Brands with TikTok channels could license their content formats too, right? Lucas: Great point. A brand like a skincare company that has a consistent 'ingredient deep dive' format could license that to a streaming platform for a documentary series. It's still rare, but I've seen one deal where a food brand's 'two-ingredient recipe' format was optioned by a cooking network. The brand got a licensing fee and product placement in the series. Luna: So we're moving from 'content is king' to 'the format is the franchise.' Lucas: Exactly. And that has implications for how creators think about their work. Instead of just chasing views, they can design formats that are inherently licensable. A shelf tour is more licensable than a reaction video because it's a repeatable structure. A challenge format is more licensable than a rant. Luna: What do you see happening in the next year or two? Will platforms like TikTok start formalising this? Maybe a marketplace for format licensing? Lucas: It's possible. There's already a third-party startup called Format-Connect that matches creators with production companies. I think within two years, we'll see a standardised template for these deals, maybe even a clause baked into TikTok's terms of service. The question is whether creators will benefit or whether platforms will try to take a cut. Luna: That's the million-dollar question. As always, the early movers who understand the legal side will do best. Lucas: And that's the takeaway here: if you're a creator, start thinking about which of your formats are licensable. Write them down. Protect them. And if a production company comes calling, don't just accept the first offer — negotiate the option period, the IP reversion, and the consulting fee. It's a new frontier, but the pioneers are already staking their claims.