2026 Sponsorship Opportunities
One hundred small businesses get branded content they could never afford to make. You are the reason.
See the packagesOne square, one business, one story
The opportunity
Creators submit the first episodes of a microdrama, release them on TikTok, and compete for up to $200,000 to produce the long-form version.
Slate matches each creator with one small business from a roster of 100, and that business goes inside the story. We read the script and pair on fit. Not a logo at the end. A real business, in a real story, in front of a real audience.
The businesses pay nothing. No slot fee, no production cost, no distribution cost. Sponsorship carries all of it.
B — 01
Measurable
Selection runs on cumulative views. Every finalist submits engagement data. You get a report with real numbers, not an impressions estimate.
B — 02
Native
Nine by sixteen, ninety seconds, released on TikTok. Nobody has to be convinced to go somewhere new to watch it.
B — 03
Press will carry it
One hundred small businesses, one hundred creators, a $200,000 prize. That story writes itself.
B — 04
It does something real
Most marketing spend produces an ad. This produces content for one hundred businesses that could not otherwise afford any.
Our social impact
Small businesses are the backbone of the neighborhoods our creators come from. They are also the businesses most locked out of modern marketing. One professionally produced brand spot can cost more than a month of payroll. Most never get one.
So we built the roster.
Step 01
We build the roster
Slate assembles a roster of 100 small businesses, weighted toward independent, family-owned, minority-owned, and women-owned operators.
Step 02
Participation is free
No slot fee, no production cost, no distribution cost. Sponsorship covers all of it.
Step 03
Slate makes the match
Slate reads every submitted script and matches each creator to the business that fits their story, genre, and audience. We make the pairing. Getting the fit right matters more than getting it fast.
Step 04
The business goes in the story
The creator writes that business into at least one episode of their 5 to 10 episode series. Natural, positive or neutral, part of the story.
Step 05
They keep the content
The business receives finished vertical content, distribution on TikTok, and a place in a festival with a $200,000 prize on the line.
A sponsor does not just fund a competition. A sponsor pays for one hundred small businesses to get their first real piece of branded content, made by a creator matched to them on purpose, at zero cost to the business.
Reach and exposure
Every creator is required to keep active TikTok and Instagram accounts, and official selection runs on cumulative views. That means every creator in this festival is pushing their episodes, and the business inside them, as hard as they can.
The model below is built on stated assumptions, not promises. Slate reports verified actuals in the post-festival impact report.
| Scenario | Avg views per episode | Total episode views |
|---|---|---|
| Conservative | 8,000 | 5.6M |
| Base case | 20,000 | 14.0M |
| Upside | 50,000 | 35.0M |
One hundred small businesses promoting their own episode to their own customers, email lists, and storefronts
Slate Market and SLATE SHOTS owned channels across TikTok, Instagram, and email
Press and earned coverage around the prize and the small business program
Finalist amplification: the top ten most-viewed series get concentrated promotion into the winner announcement
The Slate-produced winning series carries the Presenting Sponsor into a long-form release in 2027.
Sponsorship packages
Each level owns one clear thing. No complicated allocations.
One available
You own the prize and the winning series.
Two available
Presents the Official Selection, the top ten finalists. Named in the launch press release, prominent logo, virtual welcome at the announcement.
Five available
Names one genre award, for example the "[Your Brand] Best Thriller Award." Logo and feature on the festival site.
Ten available
Named sponsor of the Small Business Spotlight, the content series profiling the businesses on the roster.
Open
Credited as a supporter of the small business program. Logo on the festival site and collateral.
Logo on slateshots.com and across festival collateral and signage
Social posts across Slate Market and SLATE SHOTS owned channels
Inclusion in festival press materials
Post-festival impact report with verified reach, engagement, and small business outcomes
Where your money goes
Sponsorship is what makes this festival free for the businesses and worth entering for the creators. Here is what it pays for.
| Category | Share | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| Prize and winning production | 40% | The $200,000 to produce and distribute the winning long-form series |
| Production support | 20% | Support for the integration episodes across the roster |
| Operations | 20% | Roster recruitment and vetting, script review, brand matching, jury administration |
| PR and marketing | 20% | Campaign, press outreach, and amplification across the festival window |
| Milestone | Date |
|---|---|
| Submissions open | Now open |
| Greenlight and brand matching | Rolling |
| TikTok release deadline | November 1, 2026 |
| Winner announced | December 15, 2026 |
| Long-form production and release | 2027 |
Packages can be combined, split across fiscal years, or structured as a charitable contribution. Commit by September 11, 2026 to be named in the launch press release on September 16, 2026.
Partners and leadership
MACEF, the Mexican American Cultural Education Foundation. A 501(c)(3) partner enabling tax-deductible support of the small business and creator development program.
[ CONFIRM: organizations, distribution partners, and production partners cleared for external use ]
[ CONFIRM: celebrity and industry judges, with written permission to name them ]
[ CONFIRM: creator partners and ambassadors ]
Chief Executive Officer, Slate
Creator and co-showrunner of Netflix's Selena: The Series. Writer on American Crime and Star Wars: The Bad Batch. He leads Slate's vision, industry relationships, and the creative standard this festival is judged against.
Head of Marketing, Slate
Built her career at Google and was named to the Forbes 30 Under 30 list. She leads marketing and the creator experience across the festival, from submission through matching and release.
Tax-deductible giving
For organizations that would rather make a charitable contribution than buy a sponsorship, Slate has partnered with MACEF, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit.
Your contribution is restricted to the SLATE SHOTS small business and creator development program
MACEF administers the funds with expenditure responsibility and reports on their use
Your gift is tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law
One distinction. Charitable gifts receive acknowledgment only. The commercial benefits on this page, named prizes, logo placement, jury seats, and social promotion, come with a sponsorship. Some organizations do both. We will walk you through which fits.
Consult your own tax advisor. Slate and MACEF do not provide tax advice.
Next step
Tell us the number you are working with and what you want out of it. We will come back with a package built around that, not a template.
Start the conversation