New York, NY – October 10, 2023 – EBONY Media Group, theparent company of EBONY Magazine, has partnered with global content leader Lionsgate (NYSE: LGF.A, LGF.B) to launch EBONY TV by Lionsgate. Powered by a curated schedule of premium content from Lionsgate’s 18,000 title library, the new FAST channel continues to expand the EBONY brand into an always-on media company offering programming from an African American point of view. The channel will be available starting tomorrow, October 11 first on Samsung TV Plus (channel 1054), followed by additional platforms including Roku, Tubi, and Amazon Freevee by the end of the month.
EBONY TV by Lionsgate will feature award-winning films, engaging comedies, and popular series that celebrate the global richness of Black culture. Programming highlights will include the Golden Globe-nominated drama The Great Debaters, starring Denzel Washington and Forest Whitaker; the Dwayne Johnson starrer Snitch; Dear White People, starring Tessa Thompson; If Beale Street Could Talk, starring KiKi Layne; Tyler Perry’s I Can Do Bad All by Myself, starring Taraji P. Henson; and Quentin Tarantino’s Jackie Brown, starring Pam Grier. The channel will also feature shows such as Are We There Yet? and Kevin Hart: What the Fit.
“EBONY has long been an outlet our culture could count on for news and entertainment,” said EBONY CEO Eden Bridgeman Sklenar. “Our new partnership with Lionsgate and the launch of EBONY TV is an extension of our brand that will provide our audience with Black-focused programming that furthers our mission to Move Black Forward.”
“With the exceptional growth of MovieSphere by Lionsgate over the past year, we are excited to collaborate with EBONY to launch our first FAST channel providing premium Lionsgate content tailored to Black audiences,” said Lionsgate Head of Domestic Channels and EVP & Managing Director, Canada Susan Hummel. “EBONY is the perfect partner to help bring our expansive library to a demographic that has been previously underserved in the FAST space.”
Channels targeted at Black audiences make up just 2% of all available FAST channels in the U.S., when African Americans represent 14% of the U.S. population.
EBONY TV will cater to this underserved audience while becoming a strong addition to Lionsgate’s robust FAST channel lineup, including 12 total channels from MovieSphere, HerSphere and OuterSphere to single IP channels such as Nashville and Ghost Hunters.
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About EBONY
For more than 75 years, EBONY has served as the leading voice of the Black American experience and is the most influential Black-owned media company in the world. Under new ownership and leadership, EBONY has grown into a multi-media entity, covering cultural news, entertainment, and lifestyle with a commitment to Move Black Forward with EBONY.com, EBONY Studios, and JET. EBONY continues to be the leading authority and anchor for all facets of Black culture, illuminating the Black perspective and serving as the ultimate curator for the past, present, and future of the Black and African American experience.
EBONY Media Group is a division of 1145 Holdings, LLC.
About Lionsgate
Lionsgate (NYSE: LGF.A, LGF.B) encompasses world-class motion picture and television studio operations aligned with the STARZ premium global subscription platform to bring a unique and varied portfolio of entertainment to consumers around the world. The Company’s film, television, subscription and location-based entertainment businesses are backed by an 18,000-title library and a valuable collection of iconic film and television franchises. A digital age company driven by its entrepreneurial culture and commitment to innovation, the Lionsgate brand is synonymous with bold, original, relatable entertainment for audiences worldwide.
About Samsung TV Plus
One of the first FAST platforms from a device manufacturer, Samsung TV Plus today boasts over 2,200 channels globally and thousands of shows and movies on-demand reaching over 500 million devices globally across TV and mobile.
About Amazon Freevee
Amazon Freevee is a streaming video service with thousands of premium movies and TV shows, including Originals and free ad-supported (FAST) Channels, available anytime, for free. All FAST Channels available on Freevee can be accessed through the Freevee app, as well as within Fire TV and Prime Video.
EBONY Contact:
BJ Coleman
[email protected]
Lionsgate Contact:
Laurel Pecchia
[email protected]
