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Just a few years ago, as ad-free streaming began to soar, there was a <\/span>sudden renewed interest<\/a> in brands looking to integrate their messages into series, or underwrite them entirely. The branded entertainment business – long a sidecar for media plans – found itself with <\/span>renewed urgency.<\/a><\/p>\n Fast forward to today, and ad-supported streaming options abound, and most of the growth being achieved by services like Netflix is found within their ad tiers, while at the same time free, ad-supported services are <\/span>enjoying viewership jumps<\/a>. So where exactly does that leave branded content?<\/span><\/p>\n Kevin Hart\u2019s production\/advertising company <\/span>Hartbeat<\/a> has sort of ridden the ebbs and flows of this ever-evolving sector. Even with his booming standup and movie career, Hart was relatively early on YouTube, launching the LOL network in 2017 and even participating in YouTube\u2019s seemingly final round of original content that same year with the celebrity workout reality show <\/span>\u201cWhat the Fit?\u201d <\/a><\/p>\n Earlier this year, the comedy-centric <\/span>Hartbeat downsized<\/a>, consolidating departments while enduring layoffs.<\/span><\/p>\n While marketers are still interested in funding original shows, there seems a clear shift toward doing so with creators or creative talent versus owning a <\/span>pricey Hulu scripted series,<\/a> for instance.<\/span><\/p>\n I caught up with Janina Lundy, Hartbeat\u2019s EVP, Global Head of Marketing & Brand Partnerships, on my <\/span>Next in Media podcast<\/a> this week. <\/span><\/p>\n