TNT and TBS will be adding Front Row, a low-commercial destination for the linear premieres of HBO Max originals and key TNT and TBS shows.
Beginning this summer TBS and TNT will get the Max originals Love Life, Close Enough, 12 Dates of Christmas, Titan and Class Action Park, WarnerMedia announced at its upfront presentation Wednesday.
Season one of The Flight Attendant will also be available on TBS in 2022 ahead of the debut of season two on HBO Max. A sneak peak of The Flight Attendant on TBS in November was seen by 1.6 million viewers.
Media companies like WarnerMedia that have launched streaming networks have been accused of pulling resources from their linear channels, shortchanging viewers and advertisers.
“Front Row is a great example of the strength of WarnerMedia’s broad distribution, moving with consumers,” said Tony Goncalves, executive VP and chief revenue officer for WarnerMedia. “We know viewers discover content in a variety of ways, and with 'Front Row' we are giving more of them an opportunity to encounter our groundbreaking Max Originals. To put it simply, we’re growing audience. That’s valuable to each and every one of our partners from distributors to brands.”
TNT content including Rich People Problems (working title), Cody and Brandi Rhodes’ Rhodes to the Top, Claws and Snowpiercer, and TBS programming to be announced will also be presented with limited commercials.
“Our first consideration is the consumer experience, and we are always thinking of ways to innovate upon, experiment with, and improve that experience,” said Brett Weitz, general manager of TBS, TNT and truTV. “‘Front Row’ is a sure way to continue to reward the 215 million people who invited us into their homes in 2020 by enabling the great shows on HBO Max to be added to our vast content offerings in a way that has fewer interruptions but adds power and focus to those advertising partners that are also invested in being consumer-first. It’s win/win for our fans and our advertisers.”
