Exclusive: As it approaches the launch of its free, ad-supported streaming service, Chicken Soup for the Soul has set content deals with Kin and Reel One Entertainment and lined up a slate of originals.
The service is joining the portfolio of its namesake parent, Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment, which also runs Crackle, Popcornflix and other services. Chicken Soup for the Soul is already available as a free, ad-supported television channel on Plex, FreeCast, Redbox, LG Channels, Stirr, Xumo and Vizio. The full AVOD version, with thousands of on-demand hours of programming, will go live during this quarter.
Kin makes lifetyle shows with talent including Tia Mowry, Adrienne Bailon Houghton, Jeannie Mai, Malika and Khadijah Haqq and Angela Simmons. In addition to circulating on social platforms, they are syndicated to linear broadcast and streaming. One example is cooking show Comfort Kitchen, hosted by Mowry.
Reel One Entertainment specializes in scripted dramas and will also be providing original movies for Chicken Soup. Plans call for one Reel One original to be released each month. Titles in the works include For the Love of Chocolate, Love Afloat, A Priceless Love, A Slice of Chicago Romance, Love for Starters, A Bouquet of Love, Love Map, A Snapshot of Forever, Love Amongst the Stars, The Beauty of Love, Love at the Ranch, and Love in Full Swing. Tom Berry, CEO of Reel One Entertainment, said Chicken Soup’s “vibrantly loyal audience is a perfect fit for the fun and romantic themes our titles will represent.”
Also premiering on Chicken Soup for the Soul will be its latest original, Smart Home Nation. The show is produced by Efran Films in association with Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment and Parkside Entertainment, and hosted by Tanya Memme. Other originals planned for the new AVOD service’s slate include Hidden Heroes, Animal Tales, The New Americans, Project Dad, and Going From Broke. Ashton Kutcher is an executive producer of Going from Broke, which has previously been a big draw on Crackle, according to the company.
“When planning the launch of the Chicken Soup for the Soul AVOD streaming service, we set the bar very high,” said Jeff Meier, head of programming for Crackle Plus, ‘We’ve exceeded our own expectations and are excited to be launching with a robust slate that features lifestyle TV staples, fan-favorite personalities, and engaging movies and originals our target audience will be sure to love.”
The service will also offer classic series and movies from the Sonar library. Titles in that vault include Mothers and Daughters, with Susan Sarandon, Sharon Stone, Courteney Cox, Christina Ricci, Selma Blair and Mira Sorvino; Morning Glory, with Christopher Reeve and Deborah Raffin; and My Boyfriend’s Back, with Sandy Duncan, Jill Eikenberry and Judith Light. The Sonar library came to Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment via the acquisition of Sonar Entertainment last year. In all, Sonar has 1,400 hours of programming, across 600 titles with 268 Emmy and 16 Golden Globe wins among them.
Philippe Guelton, president of Crackle Plus, said last November’s launch of the Chicken Soup for the Soul Fast channel started a number of integration efforts. “We’re launching a branded Chicken Soup ‘tray’ on Crackle, to give fans easy access to the content as it rolls out wide with additional partners over the next few months,” he said.
The service is joining the portfolio of its namesake parent, Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment, which also runs Crackle, Popcornflix and other services. Chicken Soup for the Soul is already available as a free, ad-supported television channel on Plex, FreeCast, Redbox, LG Channels, Stirr, Xumo and Vizio. The full AVOD version, with thousands of on-demand hours of programming, will go live during this quarter.
Kin makes lifetyle shows with talent including Tia Mowry, Adrienne Bailon Houghton, Jeannie Mai, Malika and Khadijah Haqq and Angela Simmons. In addition to circulating on social platforms, they are syndicated to linear broadcast and streaming. One example is cooking show Comfort Kitchen, hosted by Mowry.
Reel One Entertainment specializes in scripted dramas and will also be providing original movies for Chicken Soup. Plans call for one Reel One original to be released each month. Titles in the works include For the Love of Chocolate, Love Afloat, A Priceless Love, A Slice of Chicago Romance, Love for Starters, A Bouquet of Love, Love Map, A Snapshot of Forever, Love Amongst the Stars, The Beauty of Love, Love at the Ranch, and Love in Full Swing. Tom Berry, CEO of Reel One Entertainment, said Chicken Soup’s “vibrantly loyal audience is a perfect fit for the fun and romantic themes our titles will represent.”
Also premiering on Chicken Soup for the Soul will be its latest original, Smart Home Nation. The show is produced by Efran Films in association with Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment and Parkside Entertainment, and hosted by Tanya Memme. Other originals planned for the new AVOD service’s slate include Hidden Heroes, Animal Tales, The New Americans, Project Dad, and Going From Broke. Ashton Kutcher is an executive producer of Going from Broke, which has previously been a big draw on Crackle, according to the company.
“When planning the launch of the Chicken Soup for the Soul AVOD streaming service, we set the bar very high,” said Jeff Meier, head of programming for Crackle Plus, ‘We’ve exceeded our own expectations and are excited to be launching with a robust slate that features lifestyle TV staples, fan-favorite personalities, and engaging movies and originals our target audience will be sure to love.”
The service will also offer classic series and movies from the Sonar library. Titles in that vault include Mothers and Daughters, with Susan Sarandon, Sharon Stone, Courteney Cox, Christina Ricci, Selma Blair and Mira Sorvino; Morning Glory, with Christopher Reeve and Deborah Raffin; and My Boyfriend’s Back, with Sandy Duncan, Jill Eikenberry and Judith Light. The Sonar library came to Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment via the acquisition of Sonar Entertainment last year. In all, Sonar has 1,400 hours of programming, across 600 titles with 268 Emmy and 16 Golden Globe wins among them.
Philippe Guelton, president of Crackle Plus, said last November’s launch of the Chicken Soup for the Soul Fast channel started a number of integration efforts. “We’re launching a branded Chicken Soup ‘tray’ on Crackle, to give fans easy access to the content as it rolls out wide with additional partners over the next few months,” he said.
- 2/15/2022
- by Dade Hayes
- Deadline Film + TV
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