This is the final piece in a month-long series that will explore a number of alternatives to the “Big Five” streaming services (Netflix, Prime Video, YouTube, Apple, Hulu/Disney+) that have licensed or are open to licensing Canadian content, in English and French, making them viable options in terms of expanding traditional partnerships. While some will prefer to buy from a producer’s library and others will fund or co-fund projects, all are viable options to showcase and spread CanCon across the world.

The data contained in the series is provided by Wendy Lynn Bernfeld, a digital-sector consultant, frequent jury member, and founder of international content and licensing consultancy Rights Stuff.

Today, we look at OTT platforms that serve specific niches.

> Read the other articles in the series

Rather than compete with mainstream providers and fail, there’s a growing contingent of viable, niche, and micro-niche SVoD services with content geared towards a targeted audience. Horror, kids, cultural, queer, and foreign-language content are just some of the subjects that fuel these platforms. For creators with catalog in these themes or niches, there is a growing opportunity to strike deals with some of these providers.

Hopster (London, United Kingdom)

> Visit the website

• Countries served: Currently serving more than 100 regions (and 8 languages) including Canada, via RokuTV;
• Business model: SVoD, some EST, and funding originals;
• B2B model: Flat-fee SVoD. The service is ad-free, but some content and downloads can be on a revenue share or sponsored basis.

This preschool platform has partnered with telecom and cable operators as well as OTT devices in order to bring its localized and foreign-language programming to kids around the world. A Best Streaming Video Platform winner at Kidscreen, Hopster began funding originals in 2018, and it also offers games and educational materials in addition to its programming. Its non-exclusivity terms mean sellers could potentially execute multiple agreements with their content in Canada and around the world.

OUTtv / OUTtv Pro (Amsterdamm, the Netherlands)

> Visit the website

• Countries served: Regions include Benelux, Sweden, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Israel, Spain, UK, Ireland, Hungary, Finland, Poland, Slovakia, and Czech Republic;
• Business model: SVoD, Pay-TV;
• B2B model: (Low) flat-fee deals for multi-region non-exclusives.

Not to be confused with OutTV Canada, this Netherlands-based, LGBTQ+-focused platform can be viewed on cable and digital as a premium channel in certain countries, and it has grown into the largest (and only) curated content provider in Europe of its kind. In addition to a large range of features, series, shorts and webseries across all genres, OutTV incorporates a news and social media component to its platform. It is currently not funding originals or copros, but in July 2020 it acquired Dutch arthouse distributor CINEMIEN, with an eye on spanning theatrical and traditional in addition to online. In the past this platform and the Canadian one had explored collaborations and an unsuccessful merger; now they operate distinctly — and sometimes competitively — so sellers can target programming at both services.

Trace TV / Trace Play (Clichy, France; and London, United Kingdom)

> Visit the Trace TV website

> Visit the Trace Play website

• Countries served: United States, United Kingdom, all of Africa, France, Benelux, Canada, Brazil, Caribbean nations;
• Business model: SVoD, funding;
• B2B model: Flat-fee for SVOD, some revenue sharing.

As an international brand and media group with pay-TV channels and content (including music and sports entertainment), Trace focuses on programming that speaks to the younger-skewing Black community. TraceTV is available in French and English, and it commissions its own series in addition to investing in copros and acquisitions from around the world. TracePlay, meanwhile, is a hybrid service offering programming, radio, live music, and sports.

Walter Presents (London, United Kingdoms)

> Visit the website

• Countries served: United Kingdom and Ireland (for parent company Channel4), United States, Australia, Belgium, Italy, New Zealand (for SVoD or carriage blocks);
• Business model: Free TV (via Channel4), and AVoD (via All4), AVoD and SVoD for Walter Presents depending on the region;
• B2B model: Flat-fee for free TV, AVoD and/or SVoD, revenue sharing for TVoD on All4. Deal-specific exclusive and non-exclusive licensing.

Under parent company Channel4 and in partnership with All4, Walter Presents boasts a lineup that is mainly focused on foreign language series, although its library also contains some feature films with local recognition. Their projects are mainly acquired rather than funded (although Channel4 does fund programming), and they typically prefer dramatic series (including French-Canadian offerings) over other content. In order for consideration, series must already be popular in their home country, they must either be critically acclaimed or award-winning, or they should feature an established cast, writer and/or director. Of note: Walter Presents recently announced it had acquired the rights to stream a first Québecois series, Les pays d’en haut.

Shudder / Acorn TV / Sundance Now / Planet Horror (New York and Los Angeles, United States)

> Visit the Shudder website

> Visit the Acorn TV website

> Visit the Sundance Now website

> Visit the Planet Horror website

• Countries served: United States, United Kingdom, Ireland, Canada (channel specific). Shudder is also available in Germany, Austria, and New Zealand; Acorn in Australia, Latin America, Spain, and the Nordics;
• Business model: SVoD and funding;
• B2B model: Flat fees and revenue sharing for SVoD (typically nonexclusive), funding (investment is normally pre-buy instead of equity).

These four platforms, which live under mother service AMC, each serve their own specific niche. Shudder places emphasis on horror programming, Acorn on British dramas and the Commonwealth, Sundance Now on crime and thriller series, and Planet Horror on Spanish-language horror. The first two have a track record of funding originals and copros or pre-buys with an Anglo-focus. Sundance Now, meanwhile, continues to expand opportunities in Europe.

The post Beyond the Big Five: Niche-Focused OTT Services appeared first on Canada Media Fund.

This is the third piece in a month-long series that will explore a number of alternatives to the “Big Five” streaming services (Netflix, Prime Video, YouTube, Apple, Hulu/Disney+) that have licensed or are open to licensing Canadian content, in English and French, making them viable options in terms of expanding traditional partnerships. While some will prefer to buy from a producer’s library and others will fund or co-fund projects, all are viable options to showcase and spread CanCon across the world.

The data contained in the series is provided by Wendy Lynn Bernfeld, a digital-sector consultant, frequent jury member, and founder of international content and licensing consultancy Rights Stuff.

Today, we look at OTT platforms that focus on factual and documentary programming.

> Read the other articles in the series

OTT services have expanded the opportunity for storytellers to create engaging factual and documentary-focused works that reach a wider audience than ever. Thanks to a variety of platforms now available across the globe, Canadian prodcos are spoiled for choice when it comes to selling nonfiction libraries to new buyers and, in some cases, funding (or co-funding) new projects.

For clarity on the terms and abbreviations used throughout the article, consult our report ‘Making Sense of the Media Distribution Multiverse: Paths to Consumers, Key Concepts and Definitions.’

Curio (London, United Kingdom)

> Visit the website

• Countries served: Nordic countries;
• Business model: SVoD only via telecom/cable carriage;
• B2B model: Flat fee, non-exclusive.

Curio (not to be confused with the Canadian service) brings Nordic audiences curated nonfiction, factual, and doc programming that falls into four categories: civilization, nature and the environment, science and tech, and current affairs and social issues. As the first dedicated doc SVoD service in the area, its emphasis is on docs, reality and non-fiction, with an eye for foreign language content.

Curiosity Stream (Maryland, United States)

> Visit the website

• Countries served: Global (including Canada);
• Business model: SVoD, AVoD (15-second pre-rolls), funds originals, carriage on select platforms (telecom, cable) and OTT boxes in addition to direct-to-consumer;
• B2B model: Flat fee, exclusive and non-exclusive.

The provider, which was founded by former Discovery Networks founder John Hendricks, has expanded from its original mission of providing documentary television that delved into science, technology, history, and wildlife. Now, in addition to offering high-quality docs, the service includes short-form video content, reality, and pseudo-scientific content. Curiosity is currently funding, co-producing and commissioning docs, reality, and non-fiction programming, with some interest in foreign language content (subtitled in English) that matches its high-end look.

DocuBay (Mumbai, India)

> Visit the website

• Countries served: Global (180 countries);
• Business model: SVoD;
• B2B model: Flat fee with some revenue sharing, non-exclusive.

This global streaming service attempts to bring people from around the world together through a large selection of documentaries that fit under specific “bays” (SportsBay, ScienceBay, CrimeBay, etc). Its goal is to upload at least one daily film showcasing directors from across the world. While there is no funding content so far, the platform’s acquisitions span all genres of docs, reality, and non-fiction.

iWonder (Singapore)

> Visit the website

• Countries served: Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, and some South-East Asian countries
• Business model: SVoD, DTC, carried by some Asian operators;
• B2B model: Flat-fee, non-exclusive, sometimes revenue sharing.

Current world news and curated documentaries is the name of the game for this platform, which was co-founded by former iflix Chief Content Officer James Bridges. The SVoD service includes roughly 1,000 titles across more than 50 genres, a number that encompasses features, series, and shorts. Typically iWonder does not offer funding, however its recent original ‘Coronavirus and Me’ could lead the service to expand into more such opportunities in the future.

Insight TV (Amsterdam, Netherlands)

> Visit the website

• Countries served: Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, North America (Geoblocking as required);
• Business model: Pay-TV, SVoD, AVoD, some carriage and other partnerships (Telus and Blue Ant Media in Canada), funding;
• B2B model: Flat fee, funding, co-production.

This 4K, U-HD, HDR broadcaster with SVoD/AVoD variations deals with big budgets in order to create the specs for its docs, non-fiction, factual, and lifestyle/reality programming. The company invests money into fast-paced, non-fiction content that revolves around interesting characters and trending communities. It also looks for millennial-skewed content and appears open to more foreign language content (including French so long as it includes an English version). In the past Insight commissioned service work, generally retaining IP, but recently it has diverted into split-rights deals in working with more copros.

Tënk (France)

> Visit the website

• Countries served: France, Belgium, Switzerland, Luxembourg, Canada;
• Business model: SVoD;
• B2B model: Revenue share.

This French platform recently entered Quebec, where it has been purchasing Quebecois and Canadian docs to complement its curated SVoD library of French and other EU region offerings. At time of press, Tënk is currently only available in French, however bilingual plans are in place and content should be available in both languages soon.

The post Beyond the Big Five: Sanctuaries for Documentaries appeared first on Canada Media Fund.

This is the second piece in a month-long series that will explore a number of alternatives to the “Big Five” streaming services (Netflix, Prime Video, YouTube, Apple, Hulu/Disney+) that have licensed or are open to licensing Canadian content, in English and French, making them viable options in terms of expanding traditional partnerships. While some will prefer to buy from a producer’s library and others will fund or co-fund projects, all are viable options to showcase and spread CanCon across the world.

The data contained in the series is provided by Wendy Lynn Bernfeld, a digital-sector consultant, frequent jury member, and founder of international content and licensing consultancy Rights Stuff.

Today, we explore good fits for arthouse and indie film and TV content.

> Read the other articles in this series

Thanks to an unprecedented number of viewing platforms, there’s never been a more exciting time for creators to break from mainstream storytelling and fulfill their artistic visions. For Canadian producers and sellers looking to expand their reach outside of the country, indie- and arthouse-focused SVoD platforms and OTT services create even more viable opportunities to engage with audiences.

For clarity on the terms and abbreviations used throughout the article, refer to our report ‘Making Sense of the Media Distribution Multiverse: Paths to Consumers, Key Concepts and Definitions’

Mubi (London, UK; San Francisco, USA; regional offices)

> Visit the website

• Countries served: North America, Australia, New Zealand, UK, Ireland, France, Germany, Italy, Norway, Turkey, Netherlands, Belgium, India, South-East Asia at time of press, with more to come, as the platform is expanding;
• Business model: Core SVoD service with additional library for renting older films, distributor, producer, some other models/rights used as applicable (TVoD/day-and-date windowing);
• B2B model: Usually revenue sharing; limited co-production funding.

This global film site formerly known as The Auteurs focuses on international cult, classic, independent, and arthouse content across the drama, comedy, doc, adult animation, foreign language, and cinematic horror genres. The platform incorporates social media, a database, and online magazine The Notebook within its website. It rotates 30 films per month, with the option for viewers to also rent previously streamed titles. Users can also access MUBI Go, which offers a weekly cinema ticket for films not currently on its SVoD service, combined with VoD. Although the platform is open to taking content in its original form (including foreign language with subtitles), it only recently improved financial deals with sellers to begin adding MPAA studio library deals, including Sony and Paramount. Other international suppliers now include Miramax, Studio Canal, Pathé, eONe and Wild Bunch.

Filmin / Filmin Kids (Barcelona, Spain)

> Visit the Fimin website

> Visit the Filmin Kids website

• Countries served: Spain, Mexico, Portugal;
• Business model: SVoD, TVoD, funding;
• B2B model: Flat-fee SVoD; revenue sharing; originals and some co-productions.

This innovative, upscale Spanish-language platform and its kid-friendly spinoff have been around since 2007 with the goal of controlling and monetizing the online distribution of their own films. There are currently more than 10,000 titles on the main service, including more than 1,000 shorts. Filmin (which falls under the EuroVOD umbrella) boasts the largest VoD catalogue of any European company, and when it snaps up foreign, non-Spanish content, it focuses on local and high-end indie and arthouse, as well as some commercialized film and series across all genres.

UniversCiné / Uncut / Vod.lu / Sooner (Paris, France; Brussels, Belgium)

> Visit the UniversCiné website

> Visit the Uncut website

> Visit the Vod.lu website

> Visit the Sooner website

• Countries served: France, Belgium, Switzerland, Luxembourg, Netherlands;
• Business model: SVoD with some recent day-and-date windowing and PVoD, TVoD;
• B2B model: revenue sharing for TVoD; flat-fee for SVoD.

The French independent film platform curates features, series and shorts across all genres and boasts a catalogue of more than 11,500 films for distribution in TVoD, SVoD and in some cases EST. Until recently its mandate was mainly European films (UniversCine lives under the EuroVOD umbrella), however recently it appears interested in outside content for potential SVoD and other platforms. That could make French-Canadian content especially appealing, although it’s worth noting other foreign-language properties (including English) usually require subtitles and sometimes dubs. There are some exceptions, which would be reflected in the deal price.

Filmbox Live / Filmbox Arthouse / Film1 (central Europe; New York City, USA)

> Visit the Filmbox Live website

> Visit the Filmbox Arthouse website

> Visit the Film1 website

• Countries served: Turkey, USA, central Europe, Netherlands, Brazil, Latin America;
• Business model: SVoD, linear and basic pay-TV;
• B2B model: (Relatively low) flat-fee for SVoD and pay-TV, sometimes buying other windows at same time; non-exclusive library deals.

These platforms live under the SPII and SPI International umbrella (the company is a seller and distributor which also runs Filmbox linear and VoD), and through that synergy they have a mix of content purchased uniquely for those services as well as content under other distribution windows. Filmbox Live also grabs content from the linear channel Filmbox Arthouse, including indie and arthouse films from around the globe. Its non-funded content typically includes features, series and shorts across a wide list of genres, although it is uninterested in lifestyle-reality content and only has limited space for docs and horror.

Cinetree (Amsterdam, Netherlands)

> Visit the website

• Countries served: Netherlands;
• Business model: SVoD, TVoD library films;
• B2B model: Flat-fee for SVoD; revenue sharing for TVoD; limited originals funding.

This feel-good Netherlands SVoD platform curates 15 indie and foreign films (including French-language ones) per month for short windows, then offers TVoD for its older catalogue. Its content is generally uplifting, with warm stories targeted at the human spirit. The platform includes a variety of genres including drama, comedy, sci-fi, foreign language, adult animation and kids and comedy, but it avoids lifestyle-reality programming and horror. Cinetree has funded limited originals in the past, but so far it has not branched out with co-productions.

World Movies Network (Sydney, Australia)

> Visit the website

• Countries served: Australia
• Business model: Free TV / AVoD for World Movies Network, TVoD and AVoD for parent company SBS On Demand
• B2B model: Flat-fee license for older catalogue; flat fee for free TV; revenue sharing for TVoD

World Movies Network recently transitioned to a free TV and AVoD channel that brings international content to an Australian audience. It actively seeks out non-Australian and non-English-language library content, including French-language content, which can pave the road for French-Canadian titles. In general the platform is interested in all genres of French-language content across features, series and shorts.

The post Beyond the Big Five: Good Homes for Indie and Arthouse Content appeared first on Canada Media Fund.

This is the first piece in a month-long series that will explore a number of alternatives to the “Big Five” streaming services (Netflix, Prime Video, YouTube, Apple, Hulu/Disney+) that have licensed or are open to licensing Canadian content, in English and French, making them viable options in terms of expanding traditional partnerships. While some will prefer to buy from a producer’s library and others will fund or co-fund projects, all are viable options to showcase and spread CanCon across the world.

The data contained in the series is provided by Wendy Lynn Bernfeld, a digital-sector consultant, frequent jury member, and founder of international content and licensing consultancy Rights Stuff.

Up first: the ‘Mainstreamers’ — a category consisting of SVoD platforms often created by telecoms, cable operators or TV operators to compete in local or multi-region markets.

> Read the other articles in the series

Contemplating traditional broadcasters and specialty stations is no longer the only way to fund mainstream Canadian content in this over-the-top (OTT) world. Canadian prodcos must expand their horizons and consider a slew of subscription video-on-demand (SVoD) services outside of the traditional Netflix-Prime Video offerings.

For clarity on the terms and abbreviations used throughout the article, consult our report ‘Making Sense of the Media Distribution Multiverse: Paths to Consumers, Key Concepts and Definitions’

Ziggo Movies & Series (Amsterdam, Netherlands)

> Visit the website

• Countries served: Netherlands, Belgium, and UK (via Virgin);
• Business model: Linear channel carriage, TVoD, tiered-bundle and standalone SVoD (including Home of HBO);
• B2B model: Usually, revenue sharing for TVoD and AVoD; flat-license fee for SVoD; non-exclusive VoD, with some exclusivity exceptions.

VodafoneZiggo — a part of Liberty Global International (LGI, based in Denver, USA) — is comparable to Bell or Rogers (in the Netherlands, it is a merged telecom and cable operation) in that it carries linear packages mixed with on-demand options that are available on set-top boxes and mobile apps. Its “Movies & Series” and “XL” services boast features and series, in addition to shorts and web series. The service offers a slew of scripted fare across all genres, but tends to place less emphasis on non-theatrical docs and reality in favour of major and mini-major productions, as well as English-language and international European products. Ziggo and its related VoD services also carry foreign language programming, including French-language films and series. However there is no recent French-language funding, and there has been no overall funding for originals in 2019, nor so far in 2020 (at time of press) other than via their pay-TV networks in the related LGI group (Telenet Belgium, Virgin UK).

Orange S.A. / Orange Cinéma Séries (Paris, France)

> Visit the VoD Orange website

> Visit the Orange Cinéma Séries website

• Countries served: In telecom overall, 27 countries including France, Belgium, Spain, Poland, Romania, Africa, and Morocco. In video-on-demand, the main regions are France, central Europe, Spain, Africa, and Morocco;
• Business model: Linear, pay-TV, SVoD, TVoD, EST, hybrid packages;
• B2B model: Flat fee for TV and SVoD; revenue share for TVoD; non-exclusive VoD, with some deal-specific exceptions.

The telecommunications corporation Orange S.A. operates one of the largest French SVoD providers in Europe and Africa. It is ahead of Amazon Prime in reach, and second only to Netflix. It purchases and funds content to populate its services, including major and mini-major productions, and local indies (including Canadian). It is interested in all mainstream genres, with less emphasis on non-theatrical docs, non-fiction and reality, although the priority is French programming across all genres. OCS first funds French content, then European projects in order to hit investment requirements, although international French-language content can be an exception. In 2019 OCS and Orange Studio committed to invest $US114 million in original series over the next five years.

Viaplay (Sweden; London, UK; regional offices)

> Visit the website

• Countries served: Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, the Baltics;
• Business model: Linear channel, TVoD, EST, SVoD, free TV/AVoD, VR;
• B2B model: Flat fee for TV and SVoD; revenue share for TVoD; non-exclusive for VoD, with some deal-specific exceptions.

The satellite and pay TV company (co-owned by Nordic Entertainment Group in the Nordic regions and by Sony in Hungary and Viasat World internationally) is a leading service comprising many free TV, pay-TV, and VoD channels in the Nordic countries and that is loaded up with mainstream content including sports, TV, film and children’s programming. Consumers access it through a variety of options including OTT devices, apps, connected TVs, game consoles and more. Its main focus is mainstream series and feature films across all genres. However there is limited interest in docs and reality, which are more likely a fit for their free TV/AVoD platforms. The company invests heavily in originals via NENT (including at least 80 originals in 2020 at time of press), whether local commissions, co-pros, or projects at the gap-funding stage. First priority goes to local Nordic and Baltic content, then to the rest of Europe — although there is an appetite for English Canadian and acclaimed French-Canadian content.

BeTV/BeTV Go (Brussels, Belgium)

> Visit the website

• Countries served: Belgium, Luxembourg;
• Business model: Pay-TV, SVoD, TVoD and co-productions;
• B2B model: Revenue sharing for TVoD; flat fee or revenue sharing for AVoD; flat fee for SVoD.

The premium service has recently expanded to compete with emerging streamers and now offers a hybrid of subscription options that allow consumers to access a mostly mainstream content lineup across all genres — including drama, comedy, kids/family, sci-fi, limited docs, and foreign language (with an emphasis on French-language programming). Although there is limited funding available for local originals, the service appears to be open to more French-language co-productions in the future after one of its key previous partners, Canal+ France, shut down its Canalplay service.

Salto (Paris, France)

> Visit the website

• Countries served: France;
• Business model: Its founders are in free TV (under public national broadcaster France Télévisions, TF1 and M6), but Salto is their new, combined SVoD service. More details are expected to trickle in as we move closer to its launch date.
• B2B model: In beta-testing phase, to be confirmed upon launch.

After a lengthy start due to regulatory delays, Salto (the SVoD service under public national broadcaster France Télévisions and other aforementioned partners) is in the beta-testing phase (at time of press) with a projected launch in the fall of 2020. The service is expected to offer all genres including foreign language content, and the platform will sink a projected €250 million over three years into 15,000 hours of content. First dibs will go to French and EU fare, but French-Canadian programming could also find a home on the platform.

Stan (Sydney, Australia)

> Visit the website

• Countries served: Australia;
• Business model: SVoD, funding;
• B2B model: Flat fee (exclusive and non-exclusive licenses) for SVoD; free TV license deals under Channel 9.

Channel 9’s SVoD service has made big strides since its 2015 launch, growing into the second-largest such service in Australia after Netflix. Stan carries mainstream international mini-major content (Starz, Lionsgate), and offers a lineup of series and features across all genres. It places less emphasis on documentaries and non-fiction in favour of mainstream English-language programming, with limited lifestyle and reality content. The platform generally buys separately for its own service and has a track record of funding originals (‘Philip K. Dick’s Electric Dreams,’ ‘Wolf Creek’), and it may be in the market for more kids and family programming following Disney’s decision to pull its content from the platform in 2019, in order to launch Disney+.

Proximus Movies and Series/Proximus Pickx (Brussels, Belgium)

> Visit the website

• Countries served: Belgium (both French and Flemish Belgium);
• Business model: Linear channel carriage, SVoD, TVoD, co-production, funding;
• B2B model: TVoD revenue sharing; (low) flat fee for SVoD; non-exclusive library and holdback against free TV; some exclusives particularly against other Belgian TV networks.

Proximus continues to explore SVoD, TVoD and OTT options through set-top box hosting (Netflix, Disney+), and targeted packages. Its mainstream content typically includes drama, comedy, kids/family and the occasional adult animation, horror or sci-fi, although it may be open to more arthouse style films and co-productions in the future. Foreign-language content is always a plus, as the service requires Dutch, Flemish and French-language versions (although English-language content can be taken, at a lower price).

Showmax (Johannesburg, South Africa)

> Visit the website

• Countries served: South Africa and the rest of the African continent;
• Business model: MNET and Multichoice channels have linear pay-TV carriage deals (under Naspers group in Africa), premium pay-TV (MNET/ Multichoice) and some TVoD. Showmax is their SVOD and TVoD;
• B2B model: flat-fee for pay TV and SVoD; revenue sharing for TVoD.

This SVoD competitor to Netflix lives under the Naspers Group and carries a variety of mainstream features, series, shorts and (some) web-series that span drama, comedy, and kids/family programming. It also features some theatrical horror and docs, but has limited space for non-local reality TV and lifestyle. The service occasionally funds originals, is open to co-productions, and already carries some Canadian content (‘Burden of Truth’). The main focus remains on English-language programming, although some French-language films may be the exception that confirm the rule.

The post Beyond the Big Five: The ‘Mainstreamers’ appeared first on Canada Media Fund.