Ad-supported video-on-demand streaming service Crackle is launching a new app on Roku devices designed to make browsing for programming more intuitive.
Crackle Plus, a division of Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment, said the updated app has a new navigation menu, improved search capabilities and features designed to relieve scrolling fatigue.
Once a show is chosen, users can watch on an updated video player with easy-to-use controls, Crackle Plus said.
“Our team is excited to release this new version of the Crackle app onto Roku devices that have traditionally been a large share of our audience,” Philippe Guelton, president of Crackle Plus, said. “We are now presenting our premium content offering into a totally redesigned and faster loading experience, which has proven to deliver higher engagement and user loyalty with each new app release.”
Also: Chicken Soup for the Soul Agrees To Acquire Redbox
Roku has reportedly been making new technical demands of its programming partners and is said to be looking to take a bigger share of ad revenue.
“Roku has been one of Crackle’s longest-standing partners in the connected TV space,“ Guelton said. “At Crackle Plus, we are developing apps for the Roku platform, including Crackle, Popcornflix and Chicken Soup for the Soul apps, to be best-in-class on their platform and to their specifications. We value Roku as a distribution partner and a media solutions provider and look forward to continuing to work with their team as they expand their offering and suite of products.”
New Crackle apps are available to about 85% of its total audience. Crackle Plus streaming apps and channels are currently distributed through 70 touch points in the U.S. The company plans to expand that to 90 touch points.
Crackle Plus has also been ratcheting up the number of exclusive content it offers. Recent releases include the exclusive scripted series Les Norton, which stars Alexander Bertram and Rebel Wilson; Tia Mowry’s Comfort Kitchen; the thriller Blast; Inside the Black Box, hosted by Joe Morton; and the BBC series Sherlock, starring Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman. Crackle Plus also recently announced season three of Going from Broke. ■
