SPI/FilmBox’s FAST channels continue to travel to new markets through key alliances. Docustream, which launched in the US, India and the Netherlands this year, is now available through Amazon’s free ad-supported streaming service IMDb TV in the UK.
“Though Docustream’s entry into the international market is relatively recent, we are excited to see such high demand from content aggregators worldwide for our ad-based digital channel that brings together an incomparable selection of documentaries,” said Georgina Twiss, MD Western Europe & Africa at SPI International. “Following the success of Filmstream, and with our programming expertise in the genre, we wanted to expand our FAST channel portfolio and believe Docustream is a great addition to IMDb TV, which now offers live linear channels in the UK,” added Twiss.
Docustream is an ad-supported digital channel that presents a rich collection of fascinating, award-winning documentaries and TV programming exploring the mysteries and beauty of our planet. Highlights for the month of November include: Khufu Revealed, a fascinating documentary that takes the viewers on a journey to the past that uncovers mysteries surrounding ancient Egyptians; Passport to Explore, an educational travel adventure series geared towards younger viewers; and Fish Life, a visually stunning documentary that depicts the beauty of our underwater universe and the secrets of its inhabitants.
IMDb TV launched three years ago in the US as a free service supported by advertising. Now, the streamer is available to both Amazon Prime members and non-members through the Prime Video app and as a standalone app on Fire TV in the UK.
About SPI INTERNATIONAL
SPI INTERNATIONAL is a global media company operating 42 TV channels, multiple digital products across six continents, and a major player in content distribution and broadcasting worldwide.
SPI was founded 28 years ago and has extensive experience in the TV and broadcasting industry. The company operates multiple free-to-air and pay-TV channels in CEE, Western Europe, CIS and Ex-Yugo regions including key European markets such as Poland, Czechia, Romania, Serbia, the Netherlands and Russia. SPI is one of the premier movie service providers in the countries where it operates, with FilmBox being its flagship movie service. SPI Group owns a suite of legacy brands that have become household names such as FilmBox, Film1, Kino Polska, Stopklatka, Dizi along with different thematic channels and streaming services.
SPI’s brands reach millions of households through operators, partner platforms and SPI’s own digital products globally. Working with over 700 operators worldwide, SPI uses cutting-edge technology providing its subscribers with access to SPI’s linear and on-demand content and FilmBox+ service that has over one million subscribers. The company recently launched a new digital service, Dizi, a state-of-the-art aggregator of the best Turkish series worldwide. SPI also owns and operates the brand assets of Film1 premium movie services in The Netherlands, including four linear channels and an on-demand service.
For over 25 years, SPI INTERNATIONAL has been a leading supplier of theatrical films and television programming in the international markets. SPI’s solid alliances with major license suppliers provide compelling content, with strong recognition and high demand.
SPI International’s FilmBox has launched with Plinq, Trined and KabelNoord in the Netherlands. Viewers can access the channel in the operators’ basic packages.
Global media company SPI International’s FilmBox continues to make waves in the Netherlands as the channel launches with three more service providers following the roll-out on Canal Digitaal, Online.nl, DELTA and Caiway. FilmBox is now available through the basic packages of Plinq, Trined and KabelNoord at channels 19, 23 and 25, respectively.
“Just five months after the debut of FilmBox in the Netherlands, we have almost doubled the channel’s reach providing our curated selection of movies and series through seven Dutch TV platforms to about 600.000 households in the country,” commented Jeroen Bergman, General Manager, Film1 and FilmBox Netherlands. “Considering that the Netherlands is the first Western European market to have launched FilmBox, the exceptional success we have achieved with the channel here is very promising for SPI’s plans to bring FilmBox to other Western European markets,” added Bergman.
FilmBox delivers a compelling slate of Hollywood movies, world cinema classics, local productions and popular series. Content highlights for the month of November include: Aleksandr Chernyaev’s action thriller WAKE UP (2019) starring Jonathan Rhys Meyers; Norwegian thriller AN AFFAIR (2018); and David Fincher’s Academy Award-winning drama THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO starring Daniel Craig and Rooney Mara.
FilmBox broadcasts movies as they are meant to be, without advertising breaks during the movie which makes it one of the only commercial channels in the basic packages to do so. FilmBox is committed to providing viewers with a laidback stress-free entertainment experience without movie interruptions.
SPI International has been active in the Dutch pay-tv market with their thematic brands, and more recently with the premium movie services brand Film1, which operates four linear channels and on-demand services in the region available also via Plinq, Trined and KabelNoord.
About SPI INTERNATIONAL:
SPI INTERNATIONAL is a global media company operating 42 TV channels, multiple digital products across six continents, and a major player in content distribution and broadcasting worldwide.
SPI was founded 28 years ago and has extensive experience in the TV and broadcasting industry. The company operates multiple free-to-air and pay-TV channels in CEE, Western Europe, CIS and Ex-Yugo regions including key European markets such as Poland, Czechia, Romania, Serbia, the Netherlands and Russia. SPI is one of the premier movie service providers in the countries where it operates, with FilmBox being its flagship movie service. SPI Group owns a suite of legacy brands that have become household names such as FilmBox, Film1, Kino Polska, Stopklatka, Dizi along with different thematic channels and streaming services.
SPI’s brands reach millions of households through operators, partner platforms and SPI’s own digital products globally. Working with over 700 operators worldwide, SPI uses cutting-edge technology providing its subscribers with access to SPI’s linear and on-demand content and FilmBox+ service that has over one million subscribers. The company recently launched a new digital service, Dizi, a state-of-the-art aggregator of the best Turkish series worldwide. SPI also owns and operates the brand assets of Film1 premium movie services in The Netherlands, including four linear channels and an on-demand service.
For over 25 years, SPI INTERNATIONAL has been a leading supplier of theatrical films and television programming in the international markets. SPI’s solid alliances with major license suppliers provide compelling content, with strong recognition and high demand.
SPI/FilmBox has struck a deal with streaming service Mitele Plus for its premium drama hub Dizi. Dizi content will be offered via a branded corner in the platform to viewers in Spain and Andorra
In a move that reinforces Dizi’s expansion into the Spanish market, SPI/FilmBox and Mediaset España’s streaming service Mitele Plus, announce that they have signed a distribution agreement to bring SPI’s premium drama brand Dizi to Spain and Andorra. The deal will make hundreds of hours of riveting Turkish drama series available with Spanish dubbing to Mitele Plus subscribers via the Dizi branded corner.
“Dizi has achieved remarkable success globally since its launch, which reflects our commitment to always providing a good story to our audiences through our brand,” said Berk Uziyel, CEO at SPI International. “Through our partnership with Mitele Plus subscribers can enjoy some of the most unique and critically-acclaimed drama series with 100% Spanish dubbing,” added Uziyel.
Established in April 2019, Dizi reaches millions of households worldwide, available in 50 countries and counting, including Western European countries like Luxembourg, Switzerland and more recently Portugal. With an award-winning slate of globally acclaimed Turkish drama series, the Dizi content highlights available for Mitele Plus subscribers include popular series like 20 Minutes, The Red Scarf, Heart of the City, Karadayi, Kurt Seyit and Shura, The End, the hit global sensation Ezel and International Emmy Award-nominated Black Money Love.
About Mitele Plus
Mitele PLUS, exclusive content from Spain’s premier audio-visual group
Mitele PLUS is Mediaset España's premium television platform. For more than a decade, Mediaset España has been the undisputed leader of the Spanish audio-visual market by linear and digital viewer numbers and Spain's largest original content creator. In addition to the content available on Mitele – Mediaset España's open digital platform which offers the group's full catalogue of live content and on-demand entertainment, fiction, sports and news – Mitele PLUS offers exclusive content, sneak previews and special events to subscribers only.
Its exclusive package features live original productions such as “Sobreviviré” (I Will Survive) hosted Monday through Thursday by journalist Nagore Robles; “Secret Story” with an exclusive 24-hour channel providing advance broadcasts of daily recaps and Sunday shows; “La última tentación” (The Last Temptation) and “Got Talent” with a sneak preview the day before the general broadcast. The service also offers an extensive package of international fiction titles delivered for viewing in advance of their free-to-air broadcasting, featuring content such as “Nina, a different nurse”; Spanish series like “Señoras del (h)AMPA” (Dangerous Moms) and famous Turkish TV shows such as “Love is in the air”, “Omer: Stolen Dreams”, “My Home, My Destiny”, “Our Story”, “Surprise Marriage”, “Sweet Revenge”, “My Sweet Lie”, “Room Number 309”, “Erkenci Kus”, “Dolunay”, “Don't Let Go”, “Hidden Truths", “Love for Rent”, “Kara Sevda”, “Sühan”, “Icerde”, “Stiletto vendetta” and 'Total Divas', to name just a few.
The service recently launched the movie channel Acontra+, with an extensive opening catalogue of 240 national and international full-length features spanning various genres, classic and modern, with the option to watch them dubbed or in original version with subtitles. In sport, the platform offers all the sports content broadcast by Mediaset España free-to-air in addition to the combat sports channel, “Fight Sports”. Mitele PLUS tops off its offering for “Mitele Club” subscribers with special events starring well-known Mediaset España presenters and personalities.
About SPI INTERNATIONAL:
SPI INTERNATIONAL is a global media company operating 42 TV channels, multiple digital products across six continents, and a major player in content distribution and broadcasting worldwide.
SPI was founded 28 years ago and has extensive experience in the TV and broadcasting industry. The company operates multiple free-to-air and pay-TV channels in CEE, Western Europe, CIS and Ex-Yugo regions including key European markets such as Poland, Czechia, Romania, Serbia, the Netherlands and Russia. SPI is one of the premier movie service providers in the countries where it operates, with FilmBox being its flagship movie service. SPI Group owns a suite of legacy brands that have become household names such as FilmBox, Film1, Kino Polska, Stopklatka, Dizi along with different thematic channels and streaming services.
SPI’s brands reach millions of households through operators, partner platforms and SPI’s own digital products globally. Working with over 700 operators worldwide, SPI uses cutting-edge technology providing its subscribers with access to SPI’s linear and on-demand content and FilmBox+ service that has over one million subscribers. The company recently launched a new digital service, Dizi, a state-of-the-art aggregator of the best Turkish series worldwide. SPI also owns and operates the brand assets of Film1 premium movie services in The Netherlands, including four linear channels and an on-demand service.
For over 25 years, SPI INTERNATIONAL has been a leading supplier of theatrical films and television programming in the international markets. SPI’s solid alliances with major license suppliers provide compelling content, with strong recognition and high demand.
SPI/FilmBox has struck a deal with IMPS and LAFIG Belgium for the VOD rights of the classic cartoon series The Smurfs. The series will be available to viewers on SPI owned digital assets with English, Turkish, Dutch and Polish language options
Global media company SPI International acquired the digital distribution rights of the classic TV series The Smurfs and the feature length film The Smurfs and the Magic Flute from LAFIG Belgium and IMPS, the worldwide licensors of the beloved cartoon characters, for its own digital assets. The deal, which was negotiated by Revi Benshoshan, Director of Acquisitions at SPI International, and Anne-Claire de Briey, Licensing Manager Audiovisual at IMPS, gives SPI worldwide AVOD and SVOD distribution rights to the content on SPI owned or operated digital assets such as FilmBox on demand branded corners, FilmBox+ and Film1 streaming services and the ad-supported digital channel Filmstream. The classic series will be available on-demand with English, Turkish, Dutch and Polish dubbing options.
“The Smurfs is an iconic and worldwide recognizable brand that has been touching people’s lives in a positive way for decades. We are very excited to acquaint a new generation of viewers with the magical world of Smurfs and to inspire those who grew up with the beloved series to tend to their inner child more often,” commented Revi Benshoshan.
“This new distribution deal with SPI/FilmBox is fantastic news. It makes me so happy to know that so many parents will be able to share their love for the Smurfs with their kids watching this great series together,” said Véronique Culliford, President of IMPS/Lafig and the daughter of Peyo, creator of the Smurfs.
About Peyo, LAFIG Belgium/IMPS (International Merchandising Promotions & Services)
IMPS, together with LAFIG Belgium, are the official licensors of the little blue-skinned characters ‘The Smurfs.’ Over the years, IMPS has worked in close collaboration with its agents worldwide to develop successful licensed merchandising, retail and co-branded promotions, publishing activities, broadcasting deals, theme parks, live shows and family entertainment centers that have secured the everlasting success of the Smurfs. IMPS is run by Véronique Culliford, the daughter of Pierre Culliford, the creator of the Smurfs, who is better known under his pseudonym Peyo. Véronique has run IMPS since 1984 and controls with LAFIG Belgium the rights to the Smurfs characters and the Smurfs licensing worldwide.
About SPI INTERNATIONAL
SPI INTERNATIONAL is a global media company operating 42 TV channels, multiple digital products across six continents, and a major player in content distribution and broadcasting worldwide.
SPI was founded 28 years ago and has extensive experience in the TV and broadcasting industry. The company operates multiple free-to-air and pay-TV channels in CEE, Western Europe, CIS and Ex-Yugo regions including key European markets such as Poland, Czechia, Romania, Serbia, the Netherlands and Russia. SPI is one of the premier movie service providers in the countries where it operates, with FilmBox being its flagship movie service. SPI Group owns a suite of legacy brands that have become household names such as FilmBox, Film1, Kino Polska, Stopklatka, Dizi along with different thematic channels and streaming services.
SPI’s brands reach millions of households through operators, partner platforms and SPI’s own digital products globally. Working with over 700 operators worldwide, SPI uses cutting-edge technology providing its subscribers with access to SPI’s linear and on-demand content and FilmBox+ service that has over one million subscribers. The company recently launched a new digital service, Dizi, a state-of-the-art aggregator of the best Turkish series worldwide. SPI also owns and operates the brand assets of Film1 premium movie services in The Netherlands, including four linear channels and an on-demand service.
For over 25 years, SPI INTERNATIONAL has been a leading supplier of theatrical films and television programming in the international markets. SPI’s solid alliances with major license suppliers provide compelling content, with strong recognition and high demand.
