24 Apr FAST Times: Ad-Supported Channels Go Ultra-Niche for the Ultimate Binge [Media Play News]
STEPHANIE PRANGE
April 24, 2023 | TV painter Bob Ross is suddenly having a resurgence — and not just because there’s a new Owen Wilson movie, Paint, based on the late, soothing artist who died almost 27 years ago.
A channel solely featuring Ross, whose “The Joy of Painting” ran on public television from 1983 to 1994, is one of Cinedigm’s most successful in the booming free ad-supported streaming television, or FAST, marketplace, according to chairman and CEO Chris McGurk.
It’s “like Mister Rogers for millennials and Gen Z,” McGurk said last August at the OTT.X Summit.
“The success of The Bob Ross Channel has been a joy to watch — no pun intended,” adds Yolanda Macias, Cinedigm’s chief content officer. “When we first saw how well this iconic content did on platforms like Twitch — a platform focused on gamers and video game-related content — it opened our eyes to the possibilities of broadening the audience for this feel-good, inspirational, unique programming.”
The Bob Ross Channel can be found on Amazon Freevee, Atmosphere TV, Cineverse, Fubo, LG, Pluto TV, Samsung TV Plus, Sling TV, Redbox, The Roku Channel, Tubi, Vizio WatchFree, Xumo and more.