LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Cinedigm (NASDAQ: CIDM) and Bloody Disgusting, the most popular media brand in horror, today announced a partnership to launch a new horror streaming network set to premiere just in time for the Halloween season.
Bloody Disgusting will be the FIRST and ONLY free source for premium horror content, targeting genre enthusiasts and casual viewers alike. Featuring a mix of horror classics, contemporary cult favorites, and original programming, the channel will reflect the programming and curatorial sensibilities of Bloody Disgusting and the technology and distribution capabilities of Cinedigm. The channel will be distributed as a free ad-supported linear television channel (FAST) and Ad-Supported Video on Demand (AVOD) platforms on connected TVs, digital set-top boxes, media-streaming devices, and web-based services across its global footprint of more than 670 million devices. Cinedigm will push the channel to more than 60 partners globally, which includes distribution partners such as Vizio, Samsung, Xumo, Tubi and more.
Horror is one of the most popular entertainment genres worldwide, representing over 9% of all film and entertainment spending and generating more than $1.2B in global ticket sales in 2019. Despite a huge, mainstream fanbase, there is no dedicated ad-supported horror network on either basic cable or via linear OTT distribution. Bloody Disgusting’s launch will fill an important void for operators in this popular genre.
For nearly 20 years, Bloody Disgusting has been the world’s largest destination for horror aficionados with an audience of over 20 million dedicated fans seeking in-depth coverage of all things horror. The Chicago-based media company produces an award-winning namesake website and mobile app, and also produces the fastest growing weekly show on YouTube This Week in Horror with a social footprint of more than two million engaged fans. Bloody Disgusting has also both produced and distributed some of the best films in the horror genre, including the Sundance Film Festival hits V/H/S, V/H/S/2, and THE WOMAN, as well as the TIFF Midnight Madness breakout SOUTHBOUND. Bloody Disgusting has positioned itself as the most important place for producers of genre film, television, games, events and comics to connect with their fans, and this mission will be further expanded with the launch of the channel.
The Bloody Disgusting channel will celebrate all things horror alongside feature presentations of their original films. New programming from Jon Grilz’ Creepy, Bloody Disgusting’s Boo Crew, SCP Archives, Horror Queers and This Week in Horror will also debut on the network this October with special trick-or-treat events planned for Halloween. Cinedigm will also provide content from its catalog which includes hundreds of popular horror titles like The Collector, Psycho, White Zombie and Tales from the Crypt to foreign favorites such as Destroy All Monsters, World of Kanako and Tenebrae.
As one of the most popular horror podcast producers, Bloody Disgusting has had more than 1.6 million downloads over the last 30 days. Their podcasts regularly chart in the Top 20 in their respective categories (Fiction, Film Review, and Film Interview). Creepy charts in the Top 5 in fiction and is in the Top 20 of all podcasts during the Halloween Season. Both current and new podcasts will be made available in the consumer iOS and Android apps in addition to film and television programming. The company further expects to include additional mixed media content including eBooks, comics and other content in the near future.
“We are excited to bring our slate of original programming and network of podcasts to new audiences through this partnership. Cinedigm is the perfect partner to help bring this network to market,” said Tom Owen, President of Bloody Disgusting.
“For nearly twenty years, Bloody Disgusting has been a leading tastemaker and the top media destination for the massive global horror fanbase,” said Erick Opeka, President of Cinedigm Digital Networks. “Our goal is to partner with the market leader when we launch new channels, and in the horror genre, there is no better partner than Bloody Disgusting. We are excited to scare the hell out of the world together.”
The deal was negotiated on behalf of Cinedigm by Josh Thomashow and Jake Rubin.
ABOUT CINEDIGM
For more than twenty years, Cinedigm (NASDAQ: CIDM) has led the digital transformation of the entertainment industry. Today, Cinedigm entertains hundreds of millions of consumers around the globe by providing premium content, streaming channels and technology services to the world’s largest media, technology and retail companies. For more information, visit http://www.cinedigm.com/.
