Your Recipe For A Perfect TV Pitch

I recently started working with my mentee, a talented filmmaker who wanted me to help to get her sports-related unscripted TV series off the ground.

She asked me to take a look at her pitch materials including the pitch deck.

We’ve been working together over the past few months to make adjustments to her pitch materials including pitch deck and sizzle reel.

In this case, a pitch deck has one job: to convert interest into a production partnership or sale. 

And now, her TV series is being considered by A-list production companies and major industry players in the sports world. 

I want to share my proven approach I use to create successful unscripted TV pitches that have higher chances of landing and getting greenlit.

My 3-Ingredient Recipe for Your Unscripted TV Series

1. Create From Proven Concepts

My mentee reached out to me at the perfect time.

She knew I had success getting my women's sports doc series across the finish line, and she wanted to do the same with her TV idea.

For my first unscripted TV show, I capitalized on the trend of shows based on sports.

In 2020, with the sudden pause of live sports, there seemed to be a trend of sports documentaries starting with The Last Dance on Netflix.

Just a few years later, it felt like a new sports doc was coming out every week on every platform.

But I noticed a gap.

Most sports docs were focused on male athletes.

In that moment, I knew I wanted to show a different side of sports culture that centers women in sports. 

I then went on to create Surf Girls Hawai'i, which became the first women's sports documentary on Prime Video. 

Surf Girls Hawai'i was also the first women's sports doc produced at Reese Witherspoon's Hello Sunshine.

There's obviously a lot of other factors that lined up in between the ideation and release, but my point is: breakthrough ideas aren't created in a vacuum. 

2. Hit the Biggest Demographic

When my mentee first showed me her sports-related unscripted TV pitch, I knew it was too narrow. She was only following one sports team. 

Sure, this will work with A-list athletes and star-power, but most of her athletes were unknown or lesser known names in sports.

The first thing we adjusted was the number of teams. We went from following one team to following multiple teams and athletes across the country.

Automatic upgrade!

The biggest mistake I see people make when they’re trying to sell an idea is keeping it too niche.

If the demographic is too small, there's less opportunity for the idea to be financially justified.

As a creator, one of the biggest hurdles you will need to get over is being too attached to every detail of your original idea.

My mentee was pretty conflicted when I broke the news that we would need to expand the team and athlete list.

Trust me, I've been there.

But going broader doesn't always mean watered down.

It actually gives you a better chance for a sale and greenlight.

The broader and more sellable your idea, the bigger the audience you can speak to and reach through your show.

Surf Girls Hawai'i feels niche, I know.

But the way that we pitched it broadened the scope.

Each new season is meant to follow a fresh group of female professional surfers around the world.

Boom! 

3. Know Your Potential Buyer

The amount of revisions my mentee and I have made to her TV pitch materials is a little absurd. 

But there's a reason for this.

I would never recommend a one pitch fits all approach.

Pitches should be tailored for each potential buyer, so make sure to do your research.

In my experience, you also want to attach yourself to a partner that can move the needle on your project and get it closer to the finish line.

No unnecessary middlemen please!

Knowing as much about your buyer as you do about your TV show concept is key.

When pitching Surf Girls Hawai'i, I would research my potential partners' mission statements and values, the names of the executives I was speaking to, what projects they've worked on, and where their passions lie. 

Everyone I pitched to was interested in expanding their slate with stories around women in sports.

I knew this before going into all conversations, which definitely made things easier for me on the other side.

You'd be surprised how many times people have asked me to executive produce their random TV show idea.

I can tell right away that they haven't done their due diligence on what I actually direct, produce, and specialize in.

Action Steps & Summary

Here's your recipe for your perfect TV pitch:

1. Create from proven concepts. But just because a show is on Netflix doesn't mean it was successful. I would recommend researching any available metrics. You don't want to pull inspiration from an unsuccessful show.
2. Go big or go home. Keep your POV, but try to expand and hit the biggest demographic. Ask yourself what season 2 or 3 or 4 would look like. 
3. Know your buyer. Put on your investigation hat and make sure your vision and mission is aligned with each potential partner, producer, and platform you are pitching to.

In my experience, this high-level approach will give you a huge advantage.