Cinedigm Entertainment Group ("CEG"), a division of Cinedigm Digital Cinema Corp. (NASDAQ: CIDM), and Alloy Digital, LLC ("Alloy Digital"), a leading next generation media company, have entered into a strategic content distribution partnership. Cinedigm will offer packaged content from Alloy Digital's immensely popular SMOSH and Clevver Media YouTube channel brands on ancillary transactional sales platforms, digital store fronts, VOD, SVOD, and home entertainment platforms. The two companies are also exploring a pilot program using Cinedigm's digital distribution capabilities into movie theatres to bring Alloy Digital's highly engaging content brands to audiences across the United States. Additionally, the companies plan to develop recurring alternative content channels for theatres, as well as other independent film ventures.
"Given our digital footprint in theatres and our dominance across all digital distribution platforms, partnering with Alloy Digital, a prolific, successful and forward-looking media company, is a match made in heaven," said Chris McGurk, Chairman and CEO of Cinedigm. "Together, we are rewriting the rules of distribution for a wide variety of content which audiences are clearly hungry to see."
In the first phase of the partnership, the SMOSH and Clevver Media brands of Alloy Digital will produce a series of specials tailored to its core 12-34 year-old audience, which Cinedigm will distribute to transactional sales platforms.
Alloy Digital CEO Matt Diamond said, "Cinedigm's strong ancillary transactional sales platforms will allow us to further monetize these proven properties against a young audience with a strong appetite for our high-quality,professionally produced content. SMOSH and Clevver Media have entered YouTube's exclusive one billion-plus view club, and partnering with Cinedigm will provide new and innovative platforms for further growth."
Both Cinedigm and Alloy Digital have been in rapid growth mode this year. In April, Cinedigm acquired entertainment distributor New Video, the largest worldwide digital aggregator of independent content and leading distributor of quality entertainment. This deal enables Cinedigm to acquire and distribute independent films and specialty content both theatrically and through digital, mobile and home media platforms.
Alloy Digital's owned-and-operated properties now include three of YouTube's top-25 funded original premium 100 channels (and five overall). Alloy Digital has acquired and further developed four strong content providers since July 2011, starting with SMOSH, an online leader in teen and young adult comedy content and the third most subscribed YouTube channel overall; Generate, a next generation studio and talent management company, in January 2012; B5 Media, the fastest-growing women's lifestyle digital publishing and media network, in April 2012, and Clevver Media, YouTube's top entertainment news provider, in June 2012.
Additionally, SMOSH has launched two hugely successful spin-off YouTube channels this year with Shut Up! Cartoons, now top ranked in subscribers among all of YouTube's funded original content channels, and SMOSHGames, which became the No. 1 gainer among all YouTube channels in its recent phenomenal first week debut.
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