Lionsgate Inks FAST Channel Licensing Deal With DirecTV

DirecTV has struck a licensing deal with Lionsgate that will make five streaming channels available to the platform’s streaming and satellite customers using the DirecTV app.

The first Lionsgate channels to reach DirecTV subscribers are MovieSphere for premium movies, HerSphere with female-driven stories, Ebony TV and the single-series comedy channels for Are We There Yet? and Anger Management. 

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MovieSphere features films from Lionsgate’s library, ranging from Oscar-winning and -nominated movies like The Hurt Locker and Winter’s Bone to the Saw franchise. The channel is already available on 18 free streaming platforms, including Roku, Samsung TV Plus and Pluto TV, with plans to expand to more outlets.

The free ad-supported Ebony TV channel features premium content from the studio’s library like The Great Debaters and Dear White People. DirecTV will add more channels from Lionsgate’s FAST (free, ad-supported streaming TV) portfolio in the coming months as part of the multi-year deal.

“We’re pleased to partner with DirecTV to bring their customers our robust portfolio of FAST channels, giving them access to compelling content ranging from blockbuster films to groundbreaking series that celebrate global audiences,” Jim Packer, president of worldwide television distribution at Lionsgate, said in a statement on Thursday.

Lionsgate’s FAST channel lineup includes sci-fi and fantasy network OuterSphere and single-series channels featuring Nash Bridges, Ghost Hunters, Nashville and Celebrity Name Game episodes.

“We want to enable our customers to select from a wider variety of genres and to explore their most avid interests in greater depth,” Rebecca Nelson, senior vp of content and programming at DirecTV, said in her own statement about the Lionsgate FAST channel licensing deal.

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