WarnerMedia is closing down FilmStruck, its OTT streaming service dedicated to older, foreign, independent, and art house-style films from Turner’s Classic Movies and The Criterion Collection.
Filmstruck will cease its US and international operations on November 29. In a press statement, the broadcaster said: “We’re incredibly proud of the creativity and innovations produced by the talented and dedicated teams who worked on FilmStruck over the past two years. While FilmStruck has a very loyal fanbase, it remains largely a niche service. We plan to take key learnings from FilmStruck to help shape future business decisions in the direct-to-consumer space and redirect this investment back into our collective portfolios.”
FilmStruck is a joint venture between Turner International’s Digital Ventures & Innovation Group and Warner Bros. Digital Networks. The service is available in the US, the UK and was launched in France and Spain earlier this year.
The closedown marks the new policy of its new owners AT&T to close down niche services. DramaFever, a streaming service dedicated to Korean dramas, closed down on October 16. Super Deluxe, an internet-turned-TV comedy hub, was shut down earlier this month. NBC’s comedy-focused Seeso has also closed.
Instead of serving niche audiences, WarnerMedia CEO John Stankey is now planning for a direct-to-consumer streaming service for a wider audience, set to launch in the fourth quarter of 2019.
