Hollywood is now embracing streaming technology with news of major studio Lionsgate’s decision to stream 200 big-name movies, all for free. The films will be distributed through humor website Break.com, which Lionsgate has maintained a small stake in since 2007.
Tim Packer, Lionsgate’s president of worldwide television and digital distribution, praised his company’s move as an exciting opportunity. “Break has built an enormous, engaged viewing audience by creating and curating world-class video content. We’re pleased to supply them with a broad range of titles to enable them to continue expanding their offering into longer-form, professionally produced content.”
“People are watching on all different platforms now,” added Break.com parent company DEFY Media CEO Matt Diamond, referencing the decision to release the slice of Lionsgate’s library on console, desktop, and mobile. “This just expands what they consume.”
Break.com plans to operate on turf dominated by Netflix and Amazon Instant Video, drawing on their success with humorously specific categories like “Never Ending Sequels” and the planned release of a new film every week.
The extensive library, featuring films running the gamut from critical darlings like Requiem for a Dream and Winter’s Bone to crowd-pleasers like Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights, will be released through humor website Break.com’s Movies On Demand platform. Streaming will be supported on desktop, iOS, Android, and Roku to start, with Xbox One soon to follow.
Lionsgate’s decision to open generally wide-release films for streaming creates an opening for consumers favoring big-studio fare over the indie and foreign flicks dotting the competition’s landscape. Direct studio support could also serve to ease concerns by advertisers about oft-hostile negotiations between other streaming services and distributors.
