Shout! Factory, a multiplatform entertainment company, has launched a free, ad-supported video-streaming service stocked initially with 1,000 hours of TV shows including episodes of cult classic Mystery Science Theater 3000″ movies, comedy specials and other programming.
The new service, Shout! Factory TV, has a business model similar to Sonys Crackle and the free version of Hulus service. Its available on the Web at ShoutFactoryTV.com as well as on Roku set-tops; the company said it plans to expand to additional connected devices soon.
The programming on the Internet-video service is culled from Shouts library of entertainment licensed from major studios, indie producers and others including Westchester Films, Timeless Media Group and Scream Factory.
Shout president and co-founder Garson Foos said the new service is aimed at diversifying the companys revenue so that its not as reliant on DVD sales of its library.
DVDs are still a good business for us, but digital growth is undeniable, and erosion of DVD sales is accepted, he said. Weve been succeeding in acquiring digital rights on a lot of content
but the big household-name providers like Netflix and Hulu are not as interested in niche, library content, which is where we focus.
Content in the initial lineup includes 30-plus episodes of Mystery Science Theater 3000″; animated comedy series Home Movies from Adult Swim; Its Garry Shandlings Show; Father Knows Best; Dennis the Menace; The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis; and The Ernie Kovacs Show.
Specials include Steve Martins Comedy Is Not Pretty and Steve Martin: Wild and Crazy Guy, as well as Mel Brooks: Make a Noise. Films include 16 titles from Werner Herzog, a selection of Roger Corman movies, the Marx Brothers A Night in Casablanca, A Room With a View, Hoop Dreams and Volker Schlondorffs 1985 Death of a Salesman, starring Dustin Hoffman.
