Cosmo DeNicola Companies News


Monday, October 25, 2021

Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment Expands Production into India

Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment Acquires Majority of Locomotive Global Inc., Currently Producing Series for Netflix and Other Premium Platforms 

 

COS COB, CT – Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment Inc. (Nasdaq: CSSE), one of the largest operators of streaming advertising-supported video-on-demand (AVOD) networks, announced today the acquisition of a majority stake in Locomotive Global Inc.

 

Locomotive Global Inc., a production company based in India, is led by industry veterans Scott Anderson, former programming and acquisition strategy head for the Hallmark Channel who also was with Starz/Encore and Liberty Media Corporation, and Sunder Aaron, co-founder of QYOU Media India and former EVP for Sony Pictures Television Networks India. Locomotive Global is currently producing and developing a number of original productions including an original series in development with Amazon Prime Video, as well as Indian local language remakes of well-known series including Ray Donovan for Netflix India.

 

“Expanding into India has been a top priority for us in our international expansion strategy and we are excited to be entering the market with an ambitious company like Locomotive Global,” said William J. Rouhana Jr., chairman and chief executive officer for Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment. “This acquisition allows us to utilize Locomotive’s revenue, cash flow and presence in India as a base for further expansion in the region. We look forward to backing Locomotive’s expansion plans as we continue the rollout of our international strategy.”

 

“We are thrilled to be a part of Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment. India is arguably the largest and most accessible media market in the world right now. While we will continue to manage the business in India, as part of the Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment family, we now have the resources to capitalize on our ambitions and expand more quickly in this market,” said Scott Anderson.

 

“There continues to be a major opportunity to produce high-quality content for platforms and services in India such as Amazon Prime Video, Netflix, Hotstar-Disney+ and others as they now compete for original movies and series so that they can better serve a rapidly growing OTT user base. Production costs are lower in India than in most Western markets, and we can use our development and production capabilities here to meet this growing demand for quality content. We also aim to provide high-quality productions for Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment’s AVOD networks at lower costs. The AVOD business is primed for growth in India as broadband connectivity, FAST channels and usage of connected televisions are expanding rapidly. Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment is the perfect company with which to partner so that we can seize hold of these burgeoning opportunities together,” said Sunder Aaron.

Wednesday, September 29, 2021

Peak Rock Capital Acquires Amtech Software

Peak Rock Capital has struck the first deal of a new $2 billion private-equity fund with the acquisition of a software maker focused on the manufacturing sector.

Fort Washington, Pa.- based Amtech LLC and New Futura Services LLC, collectively known as Amtech Software, provide enterprise resource planning software and technology services that help packaging companies and other manufacturers manage their businesses by integrating different parts of their operations. The company’s products are used by 245 customers and more than 750 manufacturing plants. Its tailored solutions enable manufactures to remain competitive in a fast-evolving industry, while also achieving operational excellence in areas including plant management, production planning, supply chain, sales and customer service. Amtech’s offerings provide a compelling value proposition to the full spectrum of manufacturers.

Cosmo DeNicola, founder and CEO of Amtech, commented, “Over the past 40 years, the Amtech team and I have built and refined a differentiated software solution to optimize our customers’ manufacturing operations. Our team is proud of the success it has achieved to date and believes that Peak Rock is the ideal partner for our business as we undertake the next stage of growth. I am thrilled to continue as a shareholder in the Company and in my role as CEO.”

Pete Leibman, Managing Director of Peak Rock, said, “Amtech represents an exciting opportunity to invest in a well-established software platform with a track record of providing significant value to its customers. This investment highlights Peak Rock’s continued commitment to investing in technology businesses that are leaders in their categories and that are well-positioned for further revenue growth. We look forward to working with the Company's management team to enhance the business and build on the legacy of the DeNicola family. We are confident that Amtech is an excellent platform for expansion, through continued investments in new product development and strategic add-on acquisitions.”

Anthony DiSimone, Chief Executive Officer of Peak Rock, added, “This transaction further exemplifies Peak Rock’s technology investing strategy, which focuses on growing founder and family-owned businesses in the software and technology sector. We continue to seek technology platforms and acquisitions that we believe would benefit from our ability to drive rapid growth and performance improvement.”

DC Advisory served as exclusive financial advisor to Peak Rock on this transaction.

ABOUT AMTECH SOFTWARE

Founded in 1981, Amtech Software is a leading provider of manufacturing ERP software and technology solutions to the packaging and other manufacturing industries. Amtech’s fully integrated product suite of modules, multilingual and enterprise solutions provide a compelling value proposition to the full spectrum of manufacturers. Its software solutions serve over 245 customers at over 750 manufacturing plants in North America, Europe and Latin America. The company is headquartered in Fort Washington, Pennsylvania.

ABOUT PEAK ROCK CAPITAL

Peak Rock Capital is a leading middle-market private investment firm that makes equity and debt investments in companies in North America and Europe. Peak Rock’s equity investment platform focuses on opportunities where it can support senior management to drive rapid growth and performance improvement, with expertise in corporate carve-outs and partnering with families and founders seeking first-time institutional capital. Peak Rock’s credit platform invests across capital structures, with a broad mandate to provide flexible, tailored capital solutions to middle-market and growth-oriented businesses. Peak Rock’s real estate platform makes equity and debt investments in small to mid-sized real estate assets in attractive, growing geographies. For further information about Peak Rock Capital, please visit www.peakrockcapital.com

 

 

 

 

Friday, September 10, 2021

FOUR COLLEGE ATHLETES SIGN WITH SSE FOR NAME, IMAGE & LIKENESS

Los Angeles, CA - The Steinberg Sports & Entertainment Agency are delighted to have an opportunity to work with four high-character and talented athletes on maximizing their name, image and likeness during their collegiate careers: Oklahoma University QB Spencer Rattler, Liberty QB Malik Willis, Coastal Carolina CB D'Jordan Strong, and South Carolina S RJ Roderick.

We wish everyone a productive, prosperous and healthy NCAA and NFL season, stated Leigh Steinberg. 

Friday, September 10, 2021

Patrick Mahomes continues to invest in the Kansas City Community

Kansas City, MO - Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes continues to invest in the Kansas City community that has welcomed him and his family with open arms. In addition to his partial ownership stake in the Kansas City Royals, Mahomes became a part owner of Sporting KC on July 27, 2021. 

Mahomes is also a part of the investor led franchise group that unveiled its plans on August 10, 2021, to expand the Whataburger franchise into the Kansas and Missouri region.

We are incredibly proud of the Patrick's accomplishments on the field, in the community, as a family man and businessman. 

Friday, September 10, 2021

HDI is Pleased to Announce That Film Program Alumnus Jamil Alvi Was Awarded a Master’s Degree from the Prestigious Erasmus Mundus Association

New York, NY - The Humpty Dumpty Institute has a program for emerging international filmmakers. In 2016, with a grant from U.S. Embassy Pakistan, HDI worked with a diverse group of Pakistani filmmakers. Under the direction of award-winning HDI Film Consultant Bill Megalos and in collaboration with Foundation for Arts Culture and Education (FACE), HDI organized intensive training in Hollywood for the 15 Pakistani filmmakers, including a program at the UCLA School of Theater, Film, and Television. Several of the students have gone on to produce critically acclaimed films and professional success. The latest is Mr. Jamil Alvi.  Jamil has just been awarded a Master’s Degree in Cinematography from the prestigious Erasmus Mundus program. This program was created by the European Commission and is designed for the most promising young international filmmakers and allows them to study Baltic Film, Media, Arts, and Communication School of Tallinn University, Estonia, (BFM), The University of Theatre and Film Arts, Budapest, Hungary (SZFE), and the National Film School at the Institute of Art, Design, and Technology, Dun Laoghaire, Dublin, Ireland (IADT).

 

Monday, July 19, 2021

Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment Expands International Plans by Acquiring Crackle International Trademarks From Sony Pictures

COS COB, CT – Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment, Inc. (Nasdaq: CSSE), one of the largest operators of streaming advertising-supported video-on-demand (AVOD) networks, today announced the acquisition of Crackle international trademarks from CPE Holdings, Inc (“Sony Pictures”) in over 50 countries covering Australia, Asia, Europe, and South America.

 

“We are accelerating our growth by making a big commitment to offer our AVOD networks worldwide,” said William J. Rouhana Jr., chairman and chief executive officer of Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment. “We already owned the international trademarks to our Popcornflix and Chicken Soup for the Soul networks as well as the trademarks for the U.S. and Canada for Crackle. By acquiring the international trademarks for Crackle, we are now in a position to offer all three of our primary networks across the globe. We have already begun discussions with international broadcasters and other media companies regarding these plans.”

 

Monday, July 19, 2021

Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment Announces Pricing of $75 Million Public Offering of Common Stock

COS COB, CT – Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment, Inc. (the “Company”, Nasdaq: CSSE), a leading operator of streaming advertising-supported video-on-demand (AVOD) networks, today announced the pricing of an underwritten public offering of 1,875,000 shares of its common stock at a public offering price of $40.00 per share. The gross proceeds of the offering to the Company are expected to be $75 million, before deducting the underwriting discounts and commissions and other estimated offering expenses. In addition, the Company granted the underwriters a thirty-day option to purchase up to an additional 281,250 shares of common stock at the public offering price, less underwriting discounts and commissions.

The closing of the offering is expected to occur on or about July 7, 2021, subject to the satisfaction of customary closing conditions.

Guggenheim Securities and Needham & Company are acting as joint bookrunning managers. Northland Capital Markets, D.A. Davidson & Co., The Benchmark Company, Ladenburg Thalmann & Co. Inc., and Craig-Hallum Capital Group LLC are acting as co-managers.

The Company intends to use the net proceeds of the offering for working capital and general corporate purposes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


 

 

 

 

 

 

 


 

 

 

 



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Monday, July 19, 2021

Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment Announces Proposed Public Offering of Common Stock

COS COB, CT – Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment, Inc. (the “Company”, Nasdaq: CSSE), a leading operator of streaming advertising-supported video-on-demand (AVOD) networks, today announced that it intends to offer and sell shares of its common stock in an underwritten public offering. All of the shares to be sold in the offering will be offered by the Company. The offering is subject to market conditions and there can be no assurance as to whether or when the offering may be completed, or as to the actual size or terms of the offering. In addition, the Company intends to grant the underwriters a thirty-day option to purchase up to an additional 15 percent of shares of its common stock offered in the public offering.

Guggenheim Securities and Needham & Company are acting as joint book-running managers for this offering.

The Company intends to use the net proceeds of the offering for working capital and general corporate purposes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


 

 

 

 

 

 

 


 

 

 

 



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Tuesday, May 4, 2021

Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment’s Crackle Plus Announces New Slate of Original Programming

Upcoming Slate of Original Content Includes New Sports Docu-series ‘Promiseland’ and ‘Vince Carter: Legacy’, Featuring Respectively Ja Morant and Vince Carter, and The Unscripted Show ‘Inside the Black Box’, Which Explores the Role Race Plays In The Entertainment Industry

 

Publishing Megabrand ‘Chicken Soup for The Soul’ To Bring Its Original Mission Of “Changing the World One Story at The Time” To A New Streaming Network In The Fall

 

COS COB, CT – Crackle Plus, a Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment, Inc. (Nasdaq: CSSE) company and one of the largest operators of streaming advertising-supported video-on-demand (AVOD) networks, made multiple announcements today during its NewFronts presentation, including a diverse new slate of original and exclusive programming, and the launch of a new Chicken Soup for the Soul AVOD network.

 

Crackle Plus has more than doubled its content offerings on its AVOD networks Crackle and Popcornflix, and added over 200 hours of original and exclusive programming in the past year.

 

As part of Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment, Crackle Plus uniquely sources its original content from sister companies Screen Media Ventures, a leading content distribution company, Landmark Studio Group, a production company of premium scripted and unscripted content, and recently announced Halcyon Television led by industry veteran David Ellender.

 

Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment, also recently announced the signing of a definitive agreement to acquire the film and television assets of Sonar Entertainment, Inc. (Sonar). The Sonar library includes 700 movies and 1800 TV episodes which have earned a total of 446 Emmy Nominations, 104 Emmy Awards and 15 Golden Globes. The Sonar assets will expand Crackle Plus original television content offering and position the company to launch additional AVOD networks as well as provide a faster path to growing its international presence.

 

The combination of movie exclusives and original unscripted content propelled Crackle to one of its best years ever. Exclusive AVOD titles Crown Vic, Grand Isle and Elliott: The Littlest Reindeer were popular amongst Crackle viewers, delivering #1 titles for the streaming service. Standout inspiring unscripted series included Road to Race Day, On Point, Anything is Possible: The Serge Ibaka Story and Bucket List.

 

“Crackle has been pioneering original programming on AVOD for nearly a decade,” said Jeff Meier, head of programming for Crackle Plus. “We’ve always believed in the combined power of originals and a strong, diverse library of content that keep viewers coming back for more.”

 

With original unscripted programming, sports docu-series and exclusive feature films, Crackle has built a deep pipeline of unique, diverse and inspiring new content to entertain and empower its viewers.  At NewFronts, Crackle Plus shared its plans to develop and produce new and returning original series and feature films with diverse storylines and audiences in mind. These include:

 

Unscripted and documentaries

 

Following award-winning original series, Going From Broke, critically-acclaimed film After the Murder of Albert Lima and electrifying docu-series Playing with Power: The Nintendo Story, Crackle returns with a diverse slate of unscripted shows and documentaries for 2021:

 

Going From Broke

Season two of Going From Broke is executive produced by Ashton Kutcher and Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment. Premiering Thursday, May 20, co-hosts Dan Rosensweig, CEO of Chegg, and Tonya Rapley, entrepreneur, help people facing extreme debt overcome crippling financial struggles to become CEOs of their own lives.

 

Riding Phat

Riding Phat follows the hectic entrepreneurial journey of the Phat Scooter company as they strive to become the nation’s top electric scooter company by designing, building, and delivering eye-catching scooters to fun-seeking pro athletes and celebrity clients including NASCAR great Michael Waltrip, NFL legend Tedy Bruschi, and NBA Hall of Famer Dominique Wilkins.

 

The Uncommon History of Very Common Things

Did you know that scissors were invented by Leonardo da Vinci? That high heels date back to Ancient Egypt? And what do chocolate bars have to do with the invention of the microwave oven? Each half-hour episode of The Uncommon History of Very Common Things examines the unknown, sometimes shocking, often irreverent, and always entertaining history of the everyday items that make up our lives.

 

Inside the Black Box

Created and hosted by beloved acting coach Tracey Moore and Emmy-winning actor Joe Morton, Inside the Black Box spotlights the world’s greatest Black artists within the entertainment industry. From actors, producers and directors to writers and musicians, the series features A-list guests like Sherri Shepherd, Kerry Washington and Tamara Tunie. Each episode is filled with revealing conversations on trials and triumphs, performance workshops, and honest discussions about being Black in Hollywood.

 

Sports Docu-series

 

On Point, Crackle’s most-watched series of 2020, and Bucket List hosted by Brian “The Boz” Bosworth, evidenced the strong demand for sports docu-series. 2021 premieres include:

 

Vince Carter: Legacy

Vince Carter: Legacy explores the fantastic highs and unsettling lows of 8-time All-Star and slam dunk champion, Vince Carter, as he looks back on his record-breaking 22-season professional basketball career.

 

Promiseland

The visceral, intimate and all-access coming of age story of 2020 NBA rookie sensation Ja Morant follows him from the eve of his NBA debut, through his Rookie of the Year crowning and shares the amazing experiences of his debut season.

 

The Green Wave

The Green Wave tells the incredible true comeback story of the Summerville High School basketball team after their coach, Louis Mulkey, a dedicated firefighter, dies in a catastrophic fire.

 

The Machine

After a century of excellence, Long Beach Poly, the most storied sports high school in American history, finds itself backed into a wall. The underfunded public school is struggling to maintain dominance in a field that contains million dollar private school programs with players recruited from all across the states. The series follows players and coaches as they set out to prove that Long Beach Poly is still a force to be reckoned with.

 

Feature films

 

Crackle Plus also announced exclusive AVOD streaming rights to premium feature films, including:

 

Happy Happy Joy Joy: The Ren and Stimpy Story starring Jim Ballantine and Ed Bell

Skyfire starring Jason Isaacs, Bee Rogers, and Alice Rietveld

The Jesus Rolls starring John Turturro and Bobby Cannavale

Bel Canto starring Julianne Moore and Ken Watanabe

Colonia starring Emma Watson and Daniel Brühl

Senior Moment starring William Shatner and Jean Smart

Trigger Point starring Barry Pepper and Laura Vandervoort

Eat Wheaties starring Tony Hale, Alan Tudyk and Elisha Cuthbert

Cagefighter starring Gina Gershon and Brenna Coates

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


 

 

 

 

 

 

 


 

 

 

 



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Monday, May 3, 2021

Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment Forms Halcyon Television Led by David Ellender

COS COB, CT – Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment, Inc. (Nasdaq: CSSE), one of the leading operators of streaming advertising-supported video-on-demand (AVOD) networks, today announced at the 2021 NewFronts the formation of Halcyon Television. The company will launch Halcyon Television, a high-end premium scripted television studio led by David Ellender as CEO upon the closing of the Sonar asset acquisition that was announced on April 9th, 2020. The closing on the 1,300 title television and film library, scripted development portfolio and the existing TV series drama production is expected to occur in the near future.

 

“The formation of Halcyon Television will help accelerate our company’s strategy to build the leading independent AVOD network in three ways. It will expand our original content development pipeline with high-end content, increase our IP rights ownership and provide a faster path to growing our international TV production and distribution activities,” said William J. Rouhana Jr, CEO of Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment.   

 

Halcyon Television has a robust drama development pipeline of more than 20 projects embracing library based and original IP sourced in the U.S. and Europe. Halcyon Television will focus on development, financing and production in the U.S. as well as forging creative partnerships in Europe with financing backed by the company and distribution by Halcyon Television’s sister affiliate Screen Media.

 

“We look forward to building a valued asset library for the company and creating a new vision for the future of TV while continuing the company’s mission of positive entertainment that lifts the human spirit,” said David Ellender, CEO of Halcyon Television. 

 

Joining Mr. Ellender at Halcyon Television will be Matt Loze as President - Scripted Entertainment,  as the first of a number of executives from Sonar who will be brought to Halcyon Television. Mr. Loze added, “Halcyon Television seems a fitting name to highlight a new commitment to supporting artist's visions in telling moving stories that resonate globally.” 

 

In addition to aggressively building from IP and library assets, the shared vision of Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment and Halcyon Television is to build a nimble and flexible company that will be additive strategically and creatively for partners across the fast-changing TV landscape.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


 

 

 

 

 

 

 


 

 

 

 



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