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Diversifying Streaming Services: BLKFAM

Diversifying Streaming Services: BLKFAM

It's time to put marginalized voices on the map.

Thanh Lieu
February 28, 2024

Good days. Have you refueled your body and mind with some food yet?

This is Roll the Tape, our weekly market recap of recent transactions and updates in the industry.

If you’re new here, welcome to The Produced. Check out our previous issues:

B-Roll #2: The Rise and Rise of A24
B-Roll #1: Deep Dive into Streaming Services vs. Movie Theatres
Primer Issue: What in the World is the Produced Newsletter?

Re-watched Parasite today. Catch me yapping about its cinematography non-stop.

Recent Transactions

Warner Bros. Discovery recently reported a $55 million loss in EBITDA for its streaming and premium pay-tv services, but still managed to secure a $103 million profit for 2023.
The Canadian federal government is renewing its $100 million fund to Telefilm Canada over the next two years.
The European Film Market in Berlin saw a global interest in star-featured movies in the $20 million-$50 million production budget. Dakota Johnson, Chris Evans and Pedro Pascal to star in Celine Song’s next film.
- Three of them in once place? Count me in.
Despite mounting pressures from investors from underperforming projects like live-action “Little Mermaid,” Disney’s dividends and stock buybacks remain intact.

Good Days, Good News

Discussed in our recent B-Roll issue, there is a demand from new generations of socially conscious moviegoers, which is keeping studios accountable for what and how they represent diverse groups of people and experiences.

They need to fill the enduring gap in the film market that has long been marginalizing BIPOC talents and underrepresented cultures.

And BLKFAM is doing just that.

BLKFAM, the first Black-owned streaming platforms

BLKFAM is the first and only Black-owned, Black-focused family streaming platform with:

Empowering content highlighting characters of color and diverse gender experiences
Original music driven content from mostly Black creatives
1,000+ hours of new animation titles
20+ syndicated series

Its vision enables BLKFAM to sign with a board of equity partners, including Actress Whoopi Goldberg and Tom Leonardis, president of Whoop, Inc. Entertainment Venture.

Actress Whoopi Goldberg signed with BLKFAM as its equity partner. Image

Films are Food for Thoughts

Films entertain. Films inform.

And films force you to feel in all the ways you never thought you are capable of.

“Island in Between,” an Oscar-nominated documentary short is a prime example of film as a vehicle to provoke emotions. Here is a little snippet of what this film is about:

“As U.S. policymakers try to bolster defense for Taiwan vis a vis mainland China, the film talks of the “crazy gymnastics” that the country finds itself in between the two world superpowers.” - Deadline