Cinedigm Partners With Gatherer Entertainment, Disrupting Traditional TV Viewing by Launching a Female-First, Curated Over-The-Top Subscription Service
Led by Broadway and Television Veteran Jenna Segal, Gatherer Entertainment SVOD Service Personalizes Users’ Viewing Experiences with Curated Content Including Original Series, Feature Films, Short-Form Content, Podcasts and Community Features
Sherman Oaks, CA(25 Apr 2018)
Cinedigm (NASDAQ: CIDM) and Gatherer Entertainment announced today a partnership to launch the first-ever women’s (35+) lifestyle subscription service (SVOD). The Gatherer Network is expected to launch in the fourth quarter of 2018 across Cinedigm’s addressable base of more than 535 million consumer devices, with distribution plans for web and mobile, including both iOS and Android platforms. Gatherer marks the ninth channel from Cinedigm’s rapidly-growing Digital Networks Group.
Built to serve their hectic lifestyles, Gatherer Entertainment is an entertainment and information hub dedicated to providing women in the key 35-54 demo with a trusted platform complete with carefully curated content. Segal and her team spent a year researching viewing patterns and listening to women discuss how, where and when they watch content. With increasingly busy schedules, balancing lives both at home and in the workplace, women 35+ are leading the OTT charge eschewing cable and satellite in favor of regularly streaming their favorite shows.
The channel will offer viewers a convenient, one-stop-shop of top-tier content touching all aspects of a woman’s life with topics ranging from news, beauty and fashion, to important midlife women’s health and wellness tips, food, wine and cooking profiles, financial insights and planning, crafty DIY, technology updates, travel expeditions, and everything in between. Original scripted content will feature episodes with breaks perfectly suited to fit viewers’ fast-paced lifestyles, while Gatherer’s unscripted series will present news and information uninterrupted in two-minuteformats, hosted by reliable, experienced, relatable women.
Gatherer Entertainment was founded in 2017 by company CEO Jenna Segal whose impressive background includes producing the Broadway show GIGI and off-Broadway production What We’re Up Against, as well as the cult film favorite Black Dynamite, and the “Lady Parts” web series. She previously served as VIACOM’s Director of Production Management, working throughout MTV, VH1, Nickelodeon and Nicktoons as well as CNN and CNBC, all giving her invaluable insight into crafting quality content that will appeal to a diverse range of women.
Gatherer Entertainment’s team also includes company co-founder and CMO Heidi Packer Eskenazi, the founder of boutique consultancy firm HAP Consulting, with over 25 years of experience in strategic branding, marketing and licensing initiatives including serving as a senior executive at VIACOM, overseeing business ventures for MTV and Nickelodeon; and Head Of Strategy And Operations Eric Sherman, an EMMY Award-winning producer and media and entertainment industry veteran with vast experience in management, strategy, and business development, who previously ran cable nets VH1 Classic and Fuse as well as managing the career of Steven Tyler during his run on American Idol.
“Cinedigm is excited to join forces with Gatherer Entertainment, as we work together to serve this important demographic with meaningful content no matter where they are or what device they’re on,” said Erick Opeka, EVP of Cinedigm Networks. “Jenna and Heidi are smart, passionate leaders with a fantastic vision for building a content-centric community, and we look forward to helping them bring it to fruition.”
“We’re the target demo – we’re women, mothers, wives, daughters, and partners and we have no time to hunt for the quality content that entertains us and provides the answers we need,” said Segal.
“Women have tremendous power both at home and in the workplace, and they have an incredible influence on purchases—effectively dominating consumer spending. Yet, somehow, they continue to see less and less of themselves represented in entertainment and informational offerings,” commented Packer.
“Now more than ever in this chaotic and fragmented entertainment landscape, women are in need of diverse streaming options that cater to their interests and can fit their hectic lifestyles. It’s time for Gatherer Entertainment to fill this crucial void with programming that women can enjoy and relate to on their schedule. We are excited to join forces with Cinedigm to provide our viewers with top-tier content created specifically for them,” continued Segal.
This latest venture marks the ninth channel from Cinedigm’s rapidly growing Digital Networks Group, which plans, launches and operates owned-and-operated as well as partner networks. Currently the company operates martial arts network COMBAT GO, factual network Docurama, fandom lifestyle network CONtv, eSports lifestyle network WHAM, Asian music and pop culture network HALLYPOP, a Chinese entertainment channel, and the family-focused Dove Channel and DoveKids. The company plans to continue to pursue additional network partnerships in the coming months.
About Gatherer Entertainment
Gatherer Entertainment is a female-first, curated over-the-top subscription service that disrupts the traditional TV viewing experience. Women need a trusted destination that provides the right entertainment in the right format at the right time. Gatherer Entertainment creates the best well-rounded, curated experience for this demographic. For more information, visit www.gatherertv.com.
About Cinedigm
Cinedigm?(NASDAQ: CIDM) powers custom content solutions to the world's largest retail, media and technology companies. The global company provides premium feature films and series to digital platforms including iTunes, Netflix, and Amazon, cable and satellite providers including Comcast, Dish Network and DirecTV, and major retailers including Wal-Mart and Target. Leveraging Cinedigm's unique capabilities, content and technology, the company has emerged as a leader in the fast-growing digital-first channel business, with four networks under management that reach hundreds of millions of devices while also providing premium content and service expertise to the entire OTT ecosystem. With reciprocal distribution partnerships in both the United States and China, Cinedigm's growing stable of platforms has unprecedented availability in the two largest markets in the world. Learn more about Cinedigm at www.cinedigm.com