Crackle Launches a Curated Music Channel With Music Festivals and Concert Series
LOS ANGELES, Calif., – June 18, 2020 – Crackle Plus, a Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment (Nasdaq: CSSE) company and one of the largest operators of streaming advertising-supported video-on-demand (AVOD) networks, announced today Crackle’s hand-curated Sounds of Summer Channel launching on Wednesday, July 1.
Pop, rock, and R&B fans will find a wide selection of music documentaries and concert films from some of the biggest artists in the recording industry, including Katy Perry, Rihanna, Lady Gaga, Tom Petty and more. Many of the films are directed by Oscar-winning and Oscar-nominated filmmakers such as Peter Bogdanovich, Jonathan Demme and Maureen Goldthorpe.
With music festivals and concert series in the U.S. postponed or canceled due to the COVID-19 outbreak, Crackle is delivering a lineup of virtual music entertainment for viewers to experience at home. The Sounds of Summer Channel will launch with the following series:
- Katy Perry: Part of Me
- Lady Gaga’s Secret World
- Rihanna: Good Girl, Bad Girl
- Beyoncé: Baby and Beyond
- Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers: Runnin’ Down a Dream
- American Rap Stars – Featuring Snoop Dogg, Run DMC, Russell Simmons, Ludacris, Jay-Z, Onyx, Jermaine Dupri, Jamie Foxx, Talib Kweli, Cedric the Entertainer
- Rap Sheet: Hip-Hop and the Cops – Featuring Snoop, Kanye, Busta Rhymes, Rusell Simmons, Suge Knight, The Game, Fat Joe, Irv, Jadakiss, Freeway, Cam’ron, Ja Rule, Jim Jones
- Neil Young: Heart of Gold
- American Hardcore: The History of American Punk Rock 1980–1986
- Liam Gallagher: As It Was (a Crackle exclusive)
- Sound City
- All Things Must Pass: The Rise and Fall of Tower Records
- Above Ground Level: Dubfire
- David Bromberg: Unsung Treasure
- Yelawolf: A Slumerican Life (a Crackle original series)
These titles will take Crackle’s audience through the artists’ rise from obscurity to the heights of stardom while also giving them a peak into their personal lives and showcasing their amazing musical abilities through on-stage tour footage. More titles are planned to be added to the channel in the coming months.
“When concerts and festivals are otherwise cancelled or worrisome to attend, we’re thrilled to bring footage of some of the most influential musicians of all time right into the living rooms of our viewers,” said Philippe Guelton, President of Crackle Plus. “We know that our audience wants to see their favorite artists, and Crackle is working to make it happen.”
As one of the only AVODs continually adding exclusive content that uplifts and inspires audiences, Crackle adds the Sounds of Summer Channel alongside other viewer-centric channels, including the recent addition of the Homeschool Channel launched during the pandemic for parents at home in need of educational content.
Crackle is free to use and is available on Amazon FireTV, RokuTV, and devices, Apple TV, most Smart TVs (Samsung, LG, Vizeo), Gaming Consoles (PS4 and XBoxOne), on PLEX, on iOS and Android mobile devices and on desktop at Crackle.com.
CRACKLE PLUS, A CHICKEN SOUP FOR THE SOUL ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY
Crackle Plus owns and operates ad-supported VOD networks Crackle and Popcornflix and garners 50 million streams of its movies and TV shows per month, making it one of the largest AVOD streaming platforms in the U.S. Crackle Plus has over 78,000 hours of content available across all its networks, and premieres at least one original and one exclusive program each month, differentiating it from other AVODs. Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment, Inc. (Nasdaq: CSSE) owns a majority stake in the company formed with Sony Pictures Television. Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment also acquires and distributes video content through its Screen Media subsidiary and produces original long and short-form content through Landmark Studio Group, its Chicken Soup for the Soul Originals division and APlus.com. 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.
ABOUT SCREEN MEDIA VENTURES, LLC
Screen Media Ventures, LLC, a Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment, Inc. (Nasdaq: CSSE) company, acquires the rights to high quality, independent television series and feature films for the US and Canada. Screen Media Ventures acquires worldwide rights for distribution through theatrical, home video, pay-per-view, free, cable and pay television, video-on-demand, and new digital media platforms. The company acquires AVOD rights for third party networks and is the main supplier of content for Crackle Plus and other Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment properties. With a library of over 1,500 television series and motion pictures, Screen Media Ventures is one of the largest independent suppliers of high-quality tv series and motion pictures to U.S. and international broadcast markets, cable networks, home video outlets and new media venues. For more information, visit www.screenmedia.net.
ABOUT CHICKEN SOUP FOR THE SOUL ENTERTAINMENT
Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment, Inc. (Nasdaq: CSSE) operates streaming video-on-demand networks (VOD). The company owns a majority stake in Crackle Plus, a company formed with Sony Pictures Television, which owns and operates a variety of ad-supported and subscription-based VOD networks including Crackle, Popcornflix, Popcornflix Kids, Truli, Pivotshare, Españolflix and FrightPix. The company also acquires and distributes video content through its Screen Media subsidiary and produces original long and short-form content through Landmark Studio Group, its Chicken Soup for the Soul Originals division and APlus.com. 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 that involve risks and uncertainties. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts. Such forward-looking statements are subject to risks (including those set forth in the Annual Report on Form 10-K, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 30, 2020) and uncertainties which could cause actual results to differ from the forward-looking statements. The company expressly disclaims any obligations 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. Investors should realize that if our underlying assumptions for the projections contained herein prove inaccurate or that known or unknown risks or uncertainties materialize, actual results could vary materially from our expectations and projections.
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