Announcing a new deal almost every day as it approaches its IPO via SPAC and aggressive transition from DVD rental kiosks into streaming media company, Redbox Entertainment announced the acquisition of 20 live-streamed channels for its FAST service, Redbox Free Live TV.
The acquisition is highlighted by the addition of 10 Cox Media Group local news channels, covering markets including Boston, Seattle, Atlanta, Memphis and Orlando.
Also read: Redbox to Promote Curiosity, Include Select SVOD Content on AVOD and FAST Channels
Redbox also announced that it had also signed a deal with Yahoo! to bring a business news channel to its free-to-consumer streaming service.
“This is the largest increase of new, free streaming channels in Redbox’s history,” said Chris Yates, general manager of Redbox On Demand, in a statement. “From local news to some of the best kids shows, there is even more programming for everyone to enjoy. We’re excited to see these channels go live soon.”
Here are the channels being added to Redbox Free Live TV (loglines provided by Redbox):
> Alter – Alter is a horror brand for novel and grounded stories exploring the human condition through warped perspectives. Since its inception, Alter released; the two-part horror series “50 States of Fright”, starring Rachel Brosnahan (The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel), Travis Fimmel (Vikings) and Christina Ricci (Z: The Beginning of Everything) and Executive Produced by Sam Raimi (Evil Dead) which was acquired by Amblin Partners to develop into a feature film. Other titles include the SXSW 2020-nominated short film, Stucco, co-directed and co-written by Janina Gavankar (The Morning Show) and Inferno, an ALTER original short film from award-winning director, Bishal Dutta.
> America’s Funniest Home Videos – America’s Funniest Home Videos features free and hilarious home video and viral video moments you love from AFV. Watch the funny videos any time - including funny kids, family pranks, fail videos, funny pet videos, silly babies and more.
> Baby Shark – It's Doo-Doo-Doo Time to dance to BABY SHARK!
The channel is designed to suit a child’s 24-hour daily routine from waking up in the morning to going to school, learning, taking a nap, and going to sleep.
> Cine Romantico – Cine Romántico is the first U.S. Spanish-language free ad-supported streaming movie channel dedicated entirely to romance movies. Cine Romántico warms the heart with stories full of love, joy, emotion, and laughter. Escape to romance with the best in Hollywood TV movies all in Spanish. With a vast array of star-driven movies featuring contemporary storylines, some of the titles on the service include Brimming with Love, Love Throws a Curve, Hopeless Romantic, Groomzilla, Instant Nanny and The Wedding Do-Over.
> CMG Local News Stations – Viewers will be able to catch up on the latest local and breaking news from CMG’s award-winning television stations across the country – regardless of where they live. CMG-owned stations include WHIO (Dayton), WJAX (Jacksonville), WSB (Atlanta), WSOC (Charlotte), WPXI (Pittsburgh), WFTV (Orlando), KIRO (Seattle), KOKI (Tulsa), WHBQ (Memphis) and WFXT (Boston).
> Electric Now – Electric Entertainment presents, Electric NOW, the one-stop shop for fans to enjoy all their favorite shows for free with commercials. Featuring a wide variety of "genre" entertainment, including fan-favorite TV series and movies like Leverage, The Librarians, The Outpost, and Almost Paradis. ElectricNOW allows anyone to stream premium content, or enjoy a 24/7 broadcast with exclusive marathon events.
> Happy Kids – HappyKids is a free and safe channel that entertains & educates kids of all age groups. Watch Popular shows, Music, Stories, Movies, Vlogs - segmented both by age group & interest. HappyKids is awarded with the Kidsafe+ COPPA certified seal.
> Red Green Show – The Red Green Show follows the hapless handyman Red Green, his nerdy nephew Harold, and a colorful cast of characters as they film a do-it-yourself TV show. Standing on a foundation of popular recurring bits, the classic sitcom-sketch comedy hybrid ran on Canadian television for 15 years racking up 23 Gemini nominations.
> Sony Canal Novelas, Sony Canal Competencias, Sony Canal Comedias – Sony Pictures Television’s (SPT) free ad-supported streaming TV (FAST) destination for U.S. Hispanic audiences, Sony Canal is a portfolio comprised of three Spanish-language FAST channels, featuring an original production slate from SPT’s International Production library that audiences have come to love. Targeting the rapidly growing US Hispanic community, the channels showcase distinctive content in three genres: telenovelas, competition series/game shows and comedies.
> Sony Canal Novelas is dedicated to the world’s most popular classic telenovelas and modern serial dramas like Zorro: La Espada y la Rosa, El Mariachi and more. Thrills, passion, plot twists and heartwarming stories make these compelling series must-see.
> Sony Canal Competencias is dedicated to the most exciting reality competition shows from Latin America like Escape Perfecto, the Mexican adaptation of the hit SPT format Raid the Cage, which keep viewers on the edges of their seats as contestants face their challenges.
> Sony Canal Comedias bring you culturally relevant modern remakes from Latin America that will keep audiences laughing, featuring TV’s most iconic sitcoms and comedy series like Married with Children, The Nanny and more.
> Everything 80s – Relive the decade of perms and shoulder pads! The unmistakable synth-pop sound is bound to remind viewers of all their greatest ‘80s memories.
> Tastemade en Espanol – Tastemade en Espanol is a Spanish language streaming network with more than 175 hours of programming. It offers a diverse library of food, travel, and home & design content with Tastemade originals and series in English with Spanish subtitles.
> Wu Tang Collection - Wu Tang Collection TV is the world’s largest and best curated martial arts channel! It features hundreds of rare and exciting kung fu films going all the back to the 1970s picked by experts for audience’s viewing enjoyment.
> Yahoo! Finance – Yahoo Finance is the leading source of business and financial news focused on providing trusted information with diverse perspectives for all ages and backgrounds. Yahoo Finance’s content and tools help consumers break down the markets, provide insight on their personal finances and help them make informed investment decisions for today and their future.
