Xfinity Tests A New Reality Competition Model For Emerging Creators With Katie Feeney As Host

Pictured: Katie Feeney (image by Xfinity / Rock Studios)

Courtesy of Xfinity/Rock Studios

Reality television introduces audiences to fresh personalities, many of whom go on to establish careers after their time on the show. Vertical reality competition could offer existing creators another model for career growth.

Xfinity’s Best in Class, a seven-episode vertical reality competition series, follows six college creators competing for a six-figure brand partnership. Episode 2, premiering August 12 on Xfinity’s Instagram and TikTok, challenges the creators to produce sports hype reels before a surprise curveball has them promote unconventional sports, with contestants Marcus Quinn and Mackenzie Fullam winning the challenge.

The series debuted August 5 with its first episode, “Move-in Day!,” which generated more than 2.2 million views, 7,800 likes and 125 comments across Instagram and TikTok. Hosted by 2026 TIME100 Creator Katie Feeney and produced by NBCUniversal’s Rock Studios, the creative engine behind brand work for Love Island USA and The Traitors, Best in Class was based on a concept from Xfinity’s agency Carmichael Lynch and created specifically for social media.

Reality competition has traditionally been designed for television and streaming, but Best in Class reimagines the genre through roughly five-minute vertical episodes. Julie Scelzo, chief creative officer at Xfinity, said to me on a phone call that the format explores unfamiliar territory for reality competition. “The idea of trying to do it in more bite-sized content, in a vertical format, is something that hasn’t been proven yet,” Scelzo said.

Microdramas have gained traction as a form of vertical scripted entertainment. The short-form genre is projected to grow from $11 billion in 2025 to $14 billion in 2026 in global revenue. NBCUniversal has seen growth in short-form mobile viewing as well. In 2025, short-form content viewed on Peacock mobile increased 257% year over year.

NBCUniversal and Xfinity developed the series with younger audiences in mind. Karen Kovacs, president of Advertising & Partnerships at NBCUniversal, said on a phone call that younger audiences have a deep connection to creators, who have built communities and trust with them. That made college creators a natural starting point for a series aimed at younger digital audiences.

For Best in Class, reality competition offered a chance to bring an established entertainment genre to that short-form environment. Kovacs said competition reality “garners excitement and fan love” while giving the creators a chance to showcase their personalities and approach to creating content in their own voices.

That process includes the trial and error audiences do not see in a creator’s finished content. Feeney said to me in an email that Best in Class shows contestants second-guessing concepts, scrapping ideas and adjusting their approach before reaching the final product. “You rarely get to see that side of the creative process on social media,” she said.

The career behind the content can be just as difficult to navigate. Feeney said more young people are pursuing careers as creators, which has caused more competition on social platforms. College creators may still be figuring out where content creation fits in their careers. Scelzo said the contestants are at a stage where they are deciding whether creating will be a side gig or their main job, while the creator industry is still developing formal career pathways.

Reality tv has a track record of opening new career opportunities. After Love Island USA Season 7, Huda Mustafa gained 2.4 million Instagram followers in 30 days, Taylor Williams and Clarke Carraway appeared in an Arby’s campaign with millions of social views, and Olandria Carthen was catapulted into fashion and Hollywood circles, appearing alongside A-listers at major industry events.

Reality stars have also joined other areas of entertainment. Gabby Windey, who appeared on The Bachelor, The Bachelorette, Dancing With the Stars and The Traitors, has since landed roles in Netflix and A24 projects. The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives star Whitney Leavitt appeared as Roxie Hart in Chicago on Broadway.

Best in Class reverses the traditional path of reality contestant to creator. Its contestants enter the competition already identifying as creators and with ambitions to pursue the work professionally.

Reality competition gives those creators another place to reach audiences, develop their skills and potentially find new career opportunities. More young people pursuing creator careers could give the genre a new role: helping existing talent take the next step.