Latest news with #AVOD
Web Release
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Web Release
Film Volt Group To Champions Human-Centric Storytelling at TIFF 2025 with Bold Slate of Projects
UK-Canadian production and distribution company Film Volt Group is making headlines with a powerful new slate of content that places authentic storytelling at the heart of its mission. Led by CEO and Founder Mark Busby, Film Volt Group is showcasing a collection of bold, socially resonant titles including the highly anticipated feature film Daring Greatly and the ground-breaking documentary series Beyond Bionics. These projects signal a return to purposeful filmmaking in an industry increasingly dominated by algorithms and spectacle. 'We've spent the past 18 months developing stories that matter stories that don't just entertain, but resonate,' said Busby. 'Audiences are hungry for truth, for human connection, and for stories that reflect the world around them. That's what we're bringing to Tiff in September.' Daring Greatly: A True Crime Drama That Dares to Go Deeper At the centre of the Cannes slate is Daring Greatly, a true-crime psychological thriller based on real events in Toronto's LGBTQ+ community. Written by British screenwriter Julie Ann White, the film is a gripping, emotional journey that exposes institutional failures while celebrating resilience and the fight for justice. Set for full pre-production later this year, Daring Greatly is part of Film Volt Group's UK-Canada co-production initiative and has already drawn early interest from distributors in North America and Europe. Casting announcements are expected in the coming months, with a launch event planned for TIFF 2025. Beyond Bionics: A Global Documentary with a Human Pulse Film Volt Group is also unveiling Beyond Bionics, an international documentary series exploring the use of prosthetics in war zones and under-resourced communities. With filming taking place in Ukraine, Canada, and parts of Asia, the project is being produced in collaboration with medical NGOs and military veteran organizations. Through personal stories of trauma, recovery, and innovation, Beyond Bionics offers a visceral look at how technology and humanity intersect and how resilience transcends borders. A Mission-Driven Slate Backed by Data All Film Volt Group titles are evaluated using its proprietary Sabre Analytics™ system a forecasting and data modelling tool that assesses audience trends, emotional engagement, and market alignment. Early data shows that purpose-driven films and series with social impact themes have experienced a 42% spike in engagement across AVOD and SVOD platforms over the past year. This data-led strategy is already proving effective, with several Film Volt titles securing international broadcast discussions ahead of TIFF 2025. Partnerships, Platforms, and Global Growth Film Volt Group is actively pursuing co-production, distribution, and financing partnerships for its 2025–2026 slate across the UK, Canada, Australia, the U.S., and beyond. With the launch of new operations in Toronto and a planned studio division in Australia (2025/26), the company is scaling up to meet global demand for meaningful, diverse storytelling. We're building bridges not just between countries, but between creators and audiences,' said Busby. 'From neurodivergent filmmakers to veterans-turned-creatives, our slate reflects the world as it really is.'
Yahoo
11-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Free Streaming Service Zone-ify Offers Video Games Via TV Remote In An AVOD First
EXCLUSIVE: After staging a tariff-inspired U.S.-vs.-Canada wrestling event last month, free streaming platform Zone-ify is rolling out a feature enabling viewers to play video games via their TV remote. The Toronto-based company says it is the first native gaming offering by an AVOD service. Through a partnership with interactive technology firm ES3, a dozen game titles are packaged with the core TV experience, without requiring downloads, consoles or mobile devices. The strategy is similar to where Netflix is going in subscription streaming, with a mobile-only game offering set to expand to the living-room app in the next year or two. More from Deadline 'Ginny & Georgia' Season 3 Debuts At No. 1 On Netflix TV Charts, Boosting Entire Series Back Into Top 10 'Gordon Ramsay's Secret Service' Heats Up Fox's Summer Slate With Another Unscripted Hit, Growing Audience 27% Since Debut & Continuing Network's No. 1 Momentum With 18-49 Demo 'Harry Potter' TV Series Due To Hit HBO In 2026: Everything We Know About The Cast, Who's Creating It, What J.K. Rowling Says & More At launch, the games will be available through U.S. pay-TV providers Comcast Xfinity, Cox Contour, Buckeye Cable, DirecTV U-verse and Rogers Xfinity and Videotron Helix in Canada. Connected TV and smart-TV platforms Amazon Fire TV, Android TV and Google TV (on Sony, TCL and Hisense sets). The gaming component will launch soon on Roku, Apple TV, Samsung, LG and Vizio, Zone-ify said. Now available in 16 million pay-TV homes and 422 million consumer devices, Zone-ify saw a lift from last month's wrestling event. Dubbed the 'Border Brawl,' it boosted live watch time 13 times over average levels, the company said, without specifying the number of viewers. The addition of games means that the company is 'not just a streaming service anymore – we're a full-scale entertainment platform,' Zone-ify President Doug Edwards said. 'We are evolving into a destination for watching, playing, and engaging – all in one place.' The company has plans to rapidly expand its game catalog and offer customized titles for advertisers and sponsors. Zone-ify's news came on the opening day of the Stream TV Show in Denver. Executives from Amazon, Tubi, Warner Bros. Discovery, NBCUniversal and other companies are taking part in panel discussions through Friday. Best of Deadline List Of Hollywood & Media Layoffs From Paramount To Warner Bros Discovery To CNN & More Sean 'Diddy' Combs Sex-Trafficking Trial Updates: Cassie Ventura's Testimony, $10M Hotel Settlement, Drugs, Violence, & The Feds A Full Timeline Of Blake Lively & Justin Baldoni's 'It Ends With Us' Feud In Court, Online & In The Media
Yahoo
02-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Allen Media Group Hires Moelis to Explore Sale of TV Stations
Byron Allen's Allen Media Group has retained the investment bank Moelis & Company to help it explore financial and strategic alternatives, including a potential sale of its 28 owned and operated ABC-NBC-CBS-FOX affiliate television stations in 21 U.S. markets Over the last six years, AMG has invested over $1 billion in acquiring television stations and has become one of the largest independent privately held owners of Big 4 network affiliated stations. 'We have received numerous inquiries and written offers for most of our television stations and now is the time to explore getting a return on this phenomenal investment,' Allen said in a statement. 'We are going to use this opportunity to take a serious look at the offers, and the sale proceeds will be used to significantly reduce our debt.' An AMG representative declined to comment further. In addition to the stations, AMG has ten 24-hour HD cable television networks serving nearly 300 million subscribers, broadcast syndication, HBCU GO Sports, five digital streaming platforms and the free-streaming AVOD service, Local Now. In January, S&P Global put AMG on a negative credit watch, noting the company had an outstanding balance of $99.9 million on its $100 million revolving credit facility and had $60.1 million in cash as of Sept. 30, 2024. In February, the company refinanced the credit facility, extending its debt maturities to 2027. Additionally, Bloomberg previously reported that the company also has an $840 million term loan maturing in 2027. AMG also underwent a round of layoffs in May 2024 across every division designed to 'drive future business opportunities and support our growth strategies in our rapidly evolving industry,' the company said at the time. The pivot comes as Allen has public expressed interest in being a buyer rather than a seller of TV assets. More to come… The post Allen Media Group Hires Moelis to Explore Sale of TV Stations appeared first on TheWrap. Sign in to access your portfolio
Broadcast Pro
30-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Broadcast Pro
Animotion Media partners with HappyKids to expand access to children's content
Through this collaboration three of Animotion's series are now available to millions of families via the HappyKids platform. Animotion Media Group, a production and distribution company known for its children's animated content, has announced a strategic partnership with HappyKids, a free AVOD streaming platform for kids. The collaboration brings three of Animotion's beloved animated series — Beardy Bodo (Travel Season), The Fixies (Seasons 1–4) and BabyRiki (Season 4) — to millions of families via the HappyKids platform. HappyKids has earned a reputation as a trusted destination for safe, family-friendly entertainment. With a vast catalog of curated shows, movies, music, educational vlogs, stories and DIY content, the platform is completely free and parent-approved. Accessible across Roku, Fire TV, Apple TV, and major mobile devices, HappyKids currently serves over 24m parents globally. Valeria Korotina, Chief Commercial Officer at Animotion Media Group, said: 'We're proud to partner with HappyKids – a platform that shares our values of safe, enriching, and accessible content for families. It's a joy to know that more kids across North America will now be able to discover our stories, laugh with our characters, and learn through play.' Korotina added: 'We are excited to bring our unique and educational animated content to a wider audience through HappyKids. Our mission has always been to deliver entertaining content with depth, shows that spark curiosity, encourage discovery, and stay with kids long after the screen turns off.' Among the titles now available, The Fixies is a globally recognised animated series that introduces children to basic science and technology concepts through engaging storytelling. Beardy Bodo (Travel Season) combines humor and life lessons with a journey through global cultures, while BabyRiki offers music-driven educational content designed to support early childhood development. Soma Sengupta, Head of Partner Relationships at HappyKids, stated: 'At HappyKids, we're always looking for exceptional content that is both safe and enriching. Animotion's IPs align perfectly with our mission , The Fixies spark scientific curiosity, Beardy Bodo celebrates global exploration, and BabyRiki supports early childhood development in a joyful and gentle way.' The partnership reflects a shared commitment to delivering meaningful and accessible children's entertainment — content that's not only fun and educational but also free for families to enjoy.
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Business Standard
27-05-2025
- Business
- Business Standard
JioHotstar races ahead, now second only to Netflix with 280 mn subscribers
JioHotstar, the streaming platform of India's biggest media conglomerate, JioStar, has reached 280 million subscribers since its launch in February, bringing it closer to Netflix, the US-based subscription video-on-demand (SVOD) OTT platform with over 300 million subscribers. 'Within a short period of three and a half months… we have got 280 million paid subscribers,' said Kevin Vaz, chief executive officer (CEO), entertainment, JioStar, in an earnings call in April. 'Globally, we are very close to Netflix, which gets this [subscriber base] from across the world.' In comparison, Amazon Prime Video has over 200 million Prime members (some countries have Prime Video services bundled with their Prime membership, while in some regions Prime Video exists as a standalone video service, which is not included under Prime membership). Earlier, in April, Media Partners Asia Insights, through its LinkedIn post, had projected that JioHotstar would reach 300 million subscribers before the IPL final in May, which is now rescheduled to June 3. JioHotstar did not respond to an email query on when it expects to surpass Netflix's subscriber base. A major differentiator between Netflix and rivals Prime Video and JioHotstar is the advertisement-supported model (AVOD) adopted by the latter two. Prime Video will introduce limited advertisements from 17 June. At launch, the combined platform of JioCinema and Disney+ Hotstar had around 50 million subscribers, which surged to over 200 million in April, largely due to the Indian Premier League (IPL). Since the start of this year, JioHotstar has gained momentum not only due to its wide range of international content from top American studios—such as Warner Bros., Discovery, HBO, NBCUniversal's Peacock, Disney and Paramount—but also due to ongoing major cricket events like the International Cricket Council (ICC) Champions Trophy, the Women's Premier League, and the IPL. 'JioHotstar has a large broadcasting network and this network has a huge base in the majority of the sports event rights in India. This becomes a huge advantage for it [JioHotstar, particularly in cricket streaming], and compared to this, it is hard for others [other major OTT platforms like Netflix and Prime Video] to achieve that scale in India,' said a media buying executive. In the same earnings call, Vaz highlighted that JioHotstar's content library of 320,000 hours is six times larger than that of Netflix or Amazon Prime Video. He added that the India–New Zealand ICC Champions Trophy final match achieved a concurrency of 61 million, setting a world record for the number of people watching a sports event simultaneously. 'If I have to put it into perspective, as many of us might know of the Super Bowl in the US. Let me tell you, their peak concurrency could be one-fourth of it [compared to the India–New Zealand final match],' Vaz noted. He further said that JioHotstar's catalogue includes 250 original titles—the highest among its contemporaries. On a monthly basis, the Indian OTT platform has 503 million users, which is considered significant compared to other major platforms in the country.
