Cinedigm's CONtv Announces Movie, TV Show Programming





Subscription streaming service launching next year is a joint venture with Wizard World, producer of pop culture multimedia conventions

Cinedigm and Wizard World Dec. 11 announced an initial slate of movies and TV programs earmarked for CONtv.com, the $6.99 monthly subscription streaming service launching in 2015 and targeting the Comic Con community.

Wizard World promotes a series of Comic Con confabs in 28 cities, and is not associated with Comic-Con International, organizer of the widely known San Diego Comic-Con.

In addition to original program "Fight of the Living Dead," a horror-competition reality series, CONtv will launch with more than 1,200 titles across the sci-fi, horror, fantasy, anime, grindhouse, martial arts and action genres.

"CONtv is at the apex of fan culture," Bill Sondheim, president of Cinedigm Entertainment, said in a statement. "It's a celebration of the best in fandom, with carefully selected and curated content from some of the industry's top creators."

Superhero action TV shows and movies include "He-Man and the Masters Of The Universe," "Voltron," Trial of the Incredible Hulk, "She-Ra: Princess of Power," Godzilla, Death Race 2000, Elvira: Mistress Of The Dark, Return Of The Killer Tomatoes, Beware The Blob, Transylvania 6-5000 and Night Patrol.

Horror movies include Evil Dead, Re-Animator, Hellraiser, I Spit On Your Grave (1 and 2), Hellboy: Blood & Iron, Rob Zombie Presents The Haunted World of El Superbeasto, Ichi The Killer, Puppet Master and Embrace of the Vampire.

Martial arts movies include: Fists of Fury, Shaolin, Man From Nowhere, War of the Arrows, Legend of the Fist, Yakuza Weapon, Blade of Kings and Lady Ninja.

Video games include Sonic The Hedgehog, Super Mario Bros, Legend Of Zelda, Stargate Infinity, Street Fighter Alpha and Heavenly Sword.

Sci-Fi/fantasy TV includes U.K.'s "Being Human," "Farscape," "Highlander," "Demon King," "Stargate Infinity” and Anime features "Yu-Gi-Oh," "Beyblade," "Digimon," "Ghost in the Shell," "High School Of The Dead," "Saint Seiya," "Angel Beats" and "Clannad."

CONtv has content license agreements with Starz Digital Media, RLJ Entertainment, DHX Media, The Jim Henson Co., Full Moon Films, Sentai Filmworks (a.k.a. Anime Network), Well Go USA and Zodiak Media, among others.

Eric Wold, analyst with B. Riley & Co. in Los Angeles, says successful launches of CONtv and the Dove Movie Channel will be key to driving Cinedigm’s stock valuation going forward.

“More importantly, in our opinion, CONtv will launch just as Wizard World’s Comic Con convention schedule gets under way early next year, which will not only allow for multiple co-marketing opportunities, but will also provide it with the ability to film and add exclusive content directly from those Comic Con conventions (e.g., interviews with stars, panel discussions, etc.),” Wold wrote in a Dec. 12 note.

