Anthem Sports & Entertainment has reached an agreement to acquire Hollywood Suite, the owner and operator of four linear TV channels and accompanying digital On Demand service, pending CRTC approval.
Launched in 2011, Hollywood Suite is the largest pure-play movie service in Canada, with its film-focused 70s, 80s, 90s, and 00s channels available in over 10 million homes via Rogers, Bell, TELUS, Amazon Prime Video, Cogeco, Eastlink, and Freedom Mobile, among other cable providers.
Anthem – which has offices and studios in Toronto, Los Angeles, Denver, Nashville, New York, and Cleveland – says Hollywood Suite’s ability to satisfy both traditional linear viewers and on-demand focused digital viewers is a shared strategy that aligns with its Game TV, Game+, Fight Network and AXS TV channels, allowing it to deliver greater scale and investment to the benefit of viewers, content producers, and distributors.
Hollywood Suite, which is known for its championing of Canadian cinema, joins Anthem’s other cinematic offerings, film distribution house Gravitas Ventures, and the popular U.S. film cable channel HDNET MOVIES.
Hollywood Suite President and Co-Founder David Kines will continue to manage the business.
“Anthem is focused on providing fresh and unique content offerings catering to a wide and diverse network of passionate fanbases, and the acquisition of Hollywood Suite helps us further that strategy in a major way,” said Leonard Asper, founder and CEO of Anthem, in the company announcement. “They have a proven track record of success and have enjoyed incredible growth throughout the years, with a strong commitment to providing true movie lovers with wide-ranging offerings from some of cinema’s most consequential eras. We are proud to have them onboard, and we look forward to working closely with David and the Hollywood Suite team to help them reach even greater heights.”
“With a passion and commitment to movies as deep as ours, Anthem is the perfect partner for Hollywood Suite,” said Kines. “Leonard and his team have demonstrated an unparalleled commitment to supporting cinema and independent platforms like us, giving viewers and subscribers the absolute best in film-focused content.”
Subscribe Now – Free!
Broadcast Dialogue has been required reading in the Canadian broadcast media for 30 years. When you subscribe, you join a community of connected professionals from media and broadcast related sectors from across the country.
The Weekly Briefing from Broadcast Dialogue is delivered exclusively to subscribers by email every Thursday. It’s your link to critical industry news, timely people moves, and excellent career advancement opportunities.
Let’s get started right now.
