Turner is to launch its first international SVOD service under the FilmStruck brand.
FilmStruck will be a joint venture between Turner International’s Digital Ventures & Innovation Group and Warner Bros. Digital Networks. It will debut in the UK, where it will be known as FilmStruck Curzon.
The service will draw primarily on the extensive Warner Bros. library and the Criterion Collection library, as well as other global and local content partners
“We’re thrilled to take this significant step together as a joint venture with Warner Bros. Digital Networks, after many years of growing collaboration across various other projects with Warner Bros. as a whole,” said Aksel van der Wal, Executive Vice President, DV&I.
“FilmStruck helps us realise a shared vision for what we see as a clear gap in the market for film lovers around the world. We’re also delighted to be working with a partner of Curzon’s heritage and prestige.”
In the UK, FilmStruck will feature a branded Curzon area within the service curated in collaboration with Curzon, including access to titles from the Curzon Artificial Eye film library.
The cinema chain already has a VOD service running in the UK, including Virgin, BT TV, Apple and Amazon Fire, though it left Freesat in October. Turner launched Filmstruck in the US in October 2016.
“It is tremendously exciting to see Filmstruck Curzon launching in UK. We look forward to collaborating on the curation of the site and introducing this excellent service to our customers across the Curzon group. Our shared vision with Turner and Warner Bros. Digital teams has enormous potential. Curzon is thrilled to be joining at this early stage and see this collaboration as a further marker in our commitment to premium consumer services in the UK and internationally,” said Philip Mordecai, Director of Digital Ventures, Curzon.
Turner International now offers three international SVOD brands, with EI Plus in Brazil and the recently launched Nordics brand Toonix respectively providing sports and kids & family OTT products.
In August, Curzon received €480,000 under Creative Europe’s promotion of audiovisual works online scheme, one of seven such UK companies granted funding.