By Gavin Boyle
Lionsgate launched a channel for DirecTV subscribers that will feature its library of over 20,000 movies and TV shows at no extra cost for the cable provider’s subscribers.
“We’re pleased to join with direcTV in a first-of-its-kind of partnership to launch Lionsgate Collection, a proprietary channel drawing upon our vast film and television library to deliver premium content across DirecTV’s entire suite of platforms,” said the president of Lionsgat’s Worldwide Television Distribution Group, Jim Packer. “By combining world-class content with DirecTV’s advertising expertise and market clout, this is an important step forward in executing our strategy of unlocking the full value of our library with bespoke offerings that touch every part of the media ecosystem.”
“Lionsgate is a powerhouse of bold storytelling and unforgettable entertainment, and this is a unique opportunity to work together on an exclusive curated channel that highlights the best titles in their vast collection,” added Amy Leifer, chief advertising sales officer at DirecTV. “Together we have an extraordinary opportunity to connect brands with premium storytelling and passionate viewers in powerful new ways.”
While the launch may seem destined to fail given the current state of the cable TV industry, FAST channels have proven to be a bright spot in the industry, as they provide the best of the streaming and cable worlds. Because FAST channels are curated to a specific topic or theme — such as Lionsgate movies/TV shows — they offer the choice of streaming, but because the actual content shown is picked by the channel, they offer the ease of watching from cable that streaming misses.
“Part of the reason to have these FAST channels for library content is it can be a solution for the paradox of choice,” said Adriana Waterson, executive vice president of insights and strategy lead at Horowitz Research.
At the same time, FAST channels are extremely easy and cheap to run and offer companies a simple access point to further monetize their content.
Related: How FAST Channels Solved a Major Flaw with Streaming
“Assuming you’ve got some content — and a lot of the people who run these channels own content — then your starting economics start to become very attractive, assuming you can sell the advertising,” explained Ampere Analyst Guy Bisson. “You can run a channel very cheaply, and thus make a viable business of it in a way that you simply could not have done before streaming came along.”
DirecTV currently hosts over 125 FAST channels which has helped it extend its longevity and provide its users a product that reaches beyond the simple cable plan. The addition of the Lionsgate Collection channel will be a win-win for both companies while also providing viewers with more content they love.
Read Next: Samsung Offers Users a ‘Better Experience’ With Growing FAST Channels
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