Rotten Tomatoes and its “Tomatometer” are going over the top with the launch of a linear streaming channel on the Roku Channel starting today, and soon on Xumo and Peacock.
Spawned 23 years ago in the Web 1.0 era by three Berkley college undergrads, Rotten Tomatoes aggregates reviews of films and TV shows, combining critical reception through its trademark 0-100% “Tomatometer” score.
Now 75% owned by Comcast and 25% owned by WarnerMedia, and under the management of Comcast’s Fandango Media unit, Rotten Tomatoes reported a 157.4% increase in audience visits to its editorial pages in 2020.
And now its trying to cash in through video, launch a channel that starts with 10 originally produced shows and more than 100 hours of content.
Shows include Countdown, which showcases the top-rated movies and TV series on the Rotten Tomatoes platform; The Vault, a “nostalgic” look back at some of the best interviews, red carpet chats, games and other assets from the Rotten Tomatoes archives; and Five Favorite Films, in which filmmakers and movie starts talk about the flicks they like best.
The lineup doesn't answer every pressing question a viewer might have--such as, how could a middling premium cable show like Survivor's Remorse score higher on the Tomatometer than The Wire and The Sopranos? But there are a bunch of other shows in the launch stable.
“The channel will not only deliver an around-the-clock celebration of entertainment but continue our brand promise to help fans find what to watch, by delivering the best movie, TV and streaming recommendations,” said Sandro Corsaro, Rotten Tomatoes senior VP & chief creative officer.
