NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Crackle Plus, a Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment, Inc. (Nasdaq: CSSE) company and one of the largest operators of advertising-supported video on demand (AVOD) streaming services, today announced that a third season of the award-winning Crackle original series Going From Broke, backed by executive producer Ashton Kutcher (Punk’d, The Ranch, Butterfly Effect), will premiere on November 10. The series will feature major brand integrations from companies that include LifeLock by Norton, Old Navy, DoorDash, Payitoff and Family Dollar. Going From Broke will be available to stream for free on Crackle on a wide variety of devices that include Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Samsung TVs and many others.
While the debt crisis continues to rage unabated, Going From Broke season three hosts Dan Rosensweig, CEO of Chegg, and financial expert Tonya Rapley (MyFabFinance.com) dedicate their time to helping participants, as well as viewers, navigate the reality of their debt in order to become the CEO of their own lives. In the wake of “The Great Resignation” manifesting across the American workforce, this season focuses on helping people manage their debt, job insecurity and growing mental health concerns. The third season of Going From Broke will feature a wide range of people from all walks of life, including a young couple drowning in staggering student loans with dreams of buying a home, a military veteran and his family struggling with bad financial decisions, restaurateurs whose business took a major hit during the pandemic and a single father living paycheck-to-paycheck.
“I’m thrilled to be working on the third season of Going From Broke,” said executive producer Ashton Kutcher. “This series has done more than any other to inform, guide, and encourage its audience in order to create real change in their finances and ultimately in their lives.”
“We are excited to be back for another season of Going From Broke and this time we are expanding on how we help people who are struggling with massive debt. From crippling student loans to credit card debt and more, our mission remains to get people on the path to financial freedom,” said Rosensweig. “In our first two seasons, millions of people watched the show and learned how to become the CEO of their lives and I can’t wait to see the life-changing transformations that come from season three.”
“It can be overwhelming navigating debt, and it’s even more complicated for victims of identity theft,” said Paige Hanson, chief of Cyber Safety Education at NortonLifeLock. “We hope that our upcoming appearance on Going From Broke will inspire viewers to learn how they can safeguard their identity and what to do should something happen so they can be empowered with the knowledge and tools they need to achieve financial freedom.”
As part of DoorDash’s integration, seasons 1 and 2 of Going From Broke have been relaunched exclusively for free on Crackle and re-presented courtesy of the delivery service with unique narrative-driven interstitials. Highlighting the success stories of three separate Dashers’ experiences working with the platform and how it is helping them to meet their financial goals, the organic storytelling extension will also include a QR code to learn more about being a Dasher. This brand partnership will also see additional amplification through co-branded social posts, media buys across the Crackle Plus network of streamers, strategic placement in the Crackle audience newsletter and more. Crackle Plus announced the launch of its Branded Content Studio in May of this year, designed to create new opportunities for advertisers to reach and connect with new audiences more effectively.
“We continue to double down on providing advertisers with unique, flexible and organic opportunities to connect with viewers,” said Darren Olive, executive vice president of ad sales. “We also invite our brand partners to be part of the creative process early on in order to best target their audiences, and, with a series like Going From Broke, the integrations not only provide visibility but, in many cases, a meaningful call to action.”
In addition to Kutcher, the series is executive produced by Michael Winter and William Rouhana, Jr. from Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment, Laura De Nay and Mustafa Bhagat from Flicker Filmworks, and Dan Rosensweig and Heather Hatlo Porter from series sponsor Chegg and Mike van Reekum.
Crackle Plus’ recent releases include season 2 of the murder mystery series The Wall, the home renovation series Pet Caves, plus-size mountain climber documentary Kili Big, season 2 of the hit college thriller series In the Vault, the sci-fi series Salvage Marines starring Casper Van Dien, and the award-winning BBC series Sherlock, starring Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman.
The Crackle Plus and Redbox streaming services are currently distributed through over 140 touchpoints in the U.S. on platforms including Amazon Fire TV, RokuTV, Apple TV, Smart TVs (Samsung, LG, Vizio), gaming consoles (PS4 and Xbox One), Plex, iOS, and Android mobile devices and on desktops at Crackle.com and Redbox.com with plans to expand to over 160 touch points this year.
ABOUT CHICKEN SOUP FOR THE SOUL ENTERTAINMENT
Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment Inc. (Nasdaq: CSSE) operates video-on-demand streaming services (VOD). The company owns Crackle Plus, which owns and operates a variety of ad-supported VOD streaming services including Crackle, Chicken Soup for the Soul, and Popcornflix. The company also acquires and distributes video content through its Screen Media and 1091 Pictures subsidiaries and produces original video content through the Chicken Soup for the Soul Television Group. The company recently acquired Redbox which operates a rapidly growing digital streaming service that provides both ad-supported (AVOD) and paid movies from Hollywood studios and hundreds of content partners, as well as over 145 channels of free ad-supported streaming television (FAST). Redbox also operates its popular kiosks across the US at thousands of retail locations – giving consumers affordable access to the latest in entertainment. Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment is a subsidiary of Chicken Soup for the Soul, LLC, which publishes the famous book series and produces super-premium pet food under the Chicken Soup for the Soul brand name.
FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
This press release includes forward-looking statements within the meaning of the federal securities laws. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts. These statements are based on various assumptions, whether or not identified in this press release, and on the current expectations of management and are not predictions of actual performance. Such assumptions involve a number of known and unknown risks and uncertainties, including but not limited to our core strategy, operating income and margin, seasonality, liquidity, including cash flows from operations, available funds, and access to financing sources, free cash flows, revenues, net income, profitability, stock price volatility, future regulatory changes, price changes, the ability of the Company’s content offerings to achieve market acceptance, the Company’s success in retaining or recruiting officers, key employees, or directors, the ability to protect intellectual property, the ability to complete strategic acquisitions, the ability to manage growth and integrate acquired operations, the ability to pay dividends, regulatory or operational risks, and general market conditions impacting demand for the Company’s services. For a more complete description of these and other risks and uncertainties, please refer the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2021, filed with the SEC on March 31, 2022, and, with respect to the Company’s recent acquisition of Redbox Entertainment, Inc. (“Redbox”), the Company’s Registration Statement on Form S-4 declared effective by the SEC on July 15, 2022. If any of these risks materialize or our assumptions prove incorrect, actual results could differ materially from the results implied by the forward-looking statements contained in this press release. Information regarding the acquisition of Redbox and related transactions is qualified by reference to the Company’s Current Reports on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on May 11, 2022 (as amended May 12, 2022), June 6, 2022, and August 12, 2022, and all exhibits filed with respect to such reports and the aforementioned registration statement. The forward-looking statements contained in this press release speak only as of the date hereof and the Company expressly disclaims any obligation or undertaking to release publicly any updates or revisions to any forward-looking statements contained herein to reflect any change in the Company’s expectations with respect thereto or any change in events, conditions or circumstances on which any statement is based.
