Online Doc Platform in VOD Drive

WASHINGTON D.C./NEW YORK: The two-year-old online documentary portal SnagFilms is set to roll out VOD packages on pay-TV platforms Comcast and Verizon FiOS.

Founded by Ted Leonsis, an award-winning doc film producer and AOL vice-chair emeritus, SnagFilms features more than 1,500 documentaries, streamed free to consumers on 90,000 websites and webpages. “We started SnagFilms two years ago for four simple reasons,” Leonsis said. “We wanted to use the scale and interactivity of the web to bring great films to a broader audience. We wanted to create new tools and revenue opportunities for the entire indie ecosystem—filmmakers, festivals, film schools, non-profits, journalists and advertisers. We wanted to provide context and a community for film fans and the industry. And we wanted to deepen the reach of what we call filmanthropy by utilizing powerful films to catalyze discussion and lead to positive social change through individuals contributing what they could, whether it’s their time, money, or even the pixels on their Facebook page on which they could open a virtual theater with a great documentary film they’d snagged from SnagFilms. Today we announce a series of advances toward all of these goals.”

The VOD services on Comcast and FiOS will will include special selections from SnagFilms’ library, and new titles that will be offered on a monthly basis. In addition, the company will make select titles available for purchase on iTunes; for rental from YouTube’s premium program; and both free and for purchase on the iPad. Mobile deals are also in the works: initial distribution will be available on two unnamed carriers with a reach of 6 million subscribers. This fall, SnagFilms will extend its reach to Internet-connected TVs, Blu-ray players, gaming consoles and set-top boxes.

SnagFilms has also expanded its content offerings, now delivering films from Lionsgate, documentary aggregator New Video/Docurama, USC’s School of Cinematic Arts and the National Film Board of Canada.

“Our first two years were aimed at building our library and making those films widely available,” said SnagFilms CEO Rick Allen. “Our 1,500 films are available on mainstream media sites like the Miami Herald, new media leaders like AOL, Hulu and Fancast, non-profit websites as varied as the USO’s and Nature Conservancy’s, and thousands of blogs, special interest sites and social network pages. We’ve brought a global audience to see films that may never have been shown in their local theaters, increased the engagement of audiences with powerful documentary films, and genuinely encourage philanthropic activity in support of causes important to passionate filmmakers. Two years in, we believe we are benefiting every aspect of the indie world, and define our success as a ‘double bottom line’ business that does well by doing good.”