CSSE Pacts with KC Global Media for Asian Expansion

Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment (CSSE) is working with Andy Kaplan and George Chien’s KC Global Media to expand its reach into Asia’s FAST and AVOD markets.

Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment, which operates the Crackle and Redbox streaming services in the U.S., has inked an AVOD licensing deal with KC Global Media and will align with the company for the launch of a slate of FAST channels. The shows licensed include Lionel Messi: The Greatest, BTS: Global Takeover and Adele: Homecoming. KC’s pay-TV channels in Southeast Asia and Korea include AXN, Animax, ONE and GEM.

“One of our areas of focus in 2023 is to grow the availability of our owned content globally—and monetize it in every way possible,” said Elana Sofko, chief strategy officer of Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment. “We always seek to work with prominent media companies already successful in the markets we are entering. KC Global Media is a company with deep relationships throughout Asia, and we know we can continue to scale our international business together.”

Kaplan, co-founder and chairman of KC Global Media, added, “As we head into 2023, one of our key strategic goals is to increase our volume and diversity of premiums content in our current portfolio. Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment is one of the largest content providers, and this strategic partnership gives us an edge as we provide more value to our partners and affiliates in the region. This, in turn, will also enable us to reach out to new audiences and new territories and create more opportunities around the world as we continue to grow our business with our affiliates and streaming platforms.”