Freedom's just another word for nothing to lose?
Tubi has entered into what it calls an "exclusive" multiyear slate deal with Lionsgate, becoming the "premier" free-to-consumer, AVOD home to 30 of the so-called mini-major studio's titles.
The agreement, which is said to include more than 200 Lionsgate movies overall, starts with immediate Tubi access to Shattered, a low-budget thriller built around the crowd-pleasing themes of kidnap, torture and extortion, and starring John Malkovich, Frank Grillo and Cameron Monaghan. (The movie, and its 19% aggregated critics score on Rotten Tomatoes, had a brief international theatrical run back in January.)
On June 27, Tubi will roll out Pursuit, an even more universally panned action-thriller (9% score), starring John Cusack and Emile Hirsch.
Still feeling impulsed to taste just how expired that month-old container of 2% milk is?
Starting this fall, Tubi users can stream Wolf Hound, a World War II-themed action film, starring Trevor Donavan, James Maslow and Michael Wayne Foster. Scoring an aggregated 13% among critics, this movie flies into "every cliché it can," wrote the San Jose Mercury News' Randy Myers.
These films will join additional "soon-to-be announced star-driven titles that include Morgan Freeman, Bruce Willis, Mel Gibson, Anna Paquin and Martin Lawrence," among other well-knowns seeking paychecks, Tubi said.
Notably, Lionsgate was an early investor in Tubi the startup, before the company's $440 million purchase by Fox three years ago. Lionsgate has since been a go-to Tubi partner for films and TV shows.
“Bringing together an exclusive free offering of thirty upcoming releases, as well as beloved movies and series from Lionsgate’s world-class content library, will deliver even more value to our viewers," said Adam Lewinson, chief content officer at Tubi.
“This agreement reflects our ability to have multiple bespoke content licensing deals with an expanding array of buyers in every part of the content ecosystem,” added Lionsgate President of Domestic Television Distribution Ryan Lowerre. “We’re pleased to expand our longstanding relationship with Tubi, a leader among AVOD platforms, to bring an exciting slate of star-driven multiplatform films to their viewers.”
