EXCLUSIVE: Sony Pictures Television is entering a new era in unscripted programming after acquiring a majority stake in Vanderpump Rules and The Valley producer 32 Flavors.

The company, which was founded by and run by Alex Baskin, was established in 2023 after he exited Amazon-owned Evolution Media, where he was previously President.

The deal has been in the works for a number of months and Deadline understands that it recently closed. The move was slightly complicated by the fact that Sony’s unscripted bosses Eli Holzman and Aaron Saidman, who founded The Intellectual Property Corporation (IPC), exited the business earlier this year, as revealed by Deadline.

That move put Sony’s unscripted business – Sony Pictures Television Nonfiction – under the purview of Sony Pictures Television Studios President Katherine Pope, who said 32 Flavors was “built on a clear creative vision”.

Baskin is widely considered one of the rising reality producers, making some of the buzziest non-scripted shows such as Bravo’s Vanderpump Rules, The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, The Real Housewives of Orange County, and The Valley, as well as its recent spinoff The Valley: Persian Style.

The company is also producing Still Flipping Out for Bravo with Jeff Lewis and has come on board the second season of Hulu’s Love Thy Nader.

Baskin just landed a greenlight for a Vanderpump Rules spinoff from Lisa Vanderpump, set in Las Vegas, with the hope of picking back up with the new cast of the SUR-based reality series after that.

He has also moved into true-crime with podcast Once Upon A Con and makes Netflix video podcast Shut Up Evan.

Baskin recently spoke at Deadline’s Reality TV Summit. He noted that character-based reality shows, rather than celebrity docu-follows, are having a moment. “Celeb shows have an obvious appeal, and they’re easy to market. But the challenge that we found is celebrities are not always open, and so I think the audience is tired of that, and if they don’t think that they’re getting more from celebrities in a long-form series than they’re getting from them on social media or wherever, they’re just not tuning in,” he said.

He joked that 32 Flavors produces shows for all cycles of someone’s life. “When you come to LA and you are attractive enough and you need to earn a living, then you start at Sur, and you’re on Vanderpump Rules. Then I think that you may either move to the Valley, in which case you’re on The Valley, or if you’re Persian and you move to the valley, well, that’s another show. Or a little bit later in life, you’re a Real Housewife of Beverly Hills. If things go wrong, then we put you on Botched,” he said.

In March, Holzman and Saidman left the studio and taking their IPC banner, which makes A&E’s Leah Remini: Scientology & the Aftermath, Netflix’s With Love, Meghan and Bravo’s Surviving Mormonism with them.

Elsewhere, Sony operates 19 Entertainment, which is involved in Idol and So You Think You Can Dance; 90 Day Fiancé producer Sharp Entertainment; Rhett Bachner and Brien Meagher’s B17, which produced series such as Extracted for Fox; This Machine, which was founded by The War Room producer R.J Cutler; and Maxine Productions, the company behind true-crime hits such as ID’s Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV and The Fall of Diddy.

The company also has a successful game show division, which is led by President Suzanne Prete and produces long-running series such as Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy!. It reports directly to Sony Pictures Television Chairman Keith LeGoy.

Baskin will remain CEO of the company as it moves under Sony.

“Alex is one of the most passionate and hardest-working people in this business, with an impressive track record of building durable, culture-driving franchises,” said Katherine Pope, President, Sony Pictures Television Studios. “This deal reflects our broader strategy to invest in best-in-class creative talent and scale distinctive, globally relevant IP. As the market evolves, we see real opportunity in premium nonfiction, and 32 Flavors strengthens our ability to deliver high-impact, returnable formats that connect with audiences and buyers around the world.”

“32 Flavors has been on a remarkable trajectory, and with Sony’s support, we expect that momentum to accelerate meaningfully,” Baskin added. “The company is built on a clear creative vision and a track record of creating and sustaining culturally resonant programming across formats, and Sony’s scale, track record, and talent-first approach allow us to build on that momentum at a greater level without compromising the integrity and entrepreneurial spirit that defines the company.”

Baskin was represented by Ron Milkes and Bryan Bowles of Bryor Media Partners, and Wilkie Farr & Gallagher LLP.