Turner reveals SVoD launch date

FilmStruck will carry classic Japanese movie Seven Samurai

US media giant Turner has announced that its first direct-to-consumer streaming service will launch this month.

FilmStruck has been developed by Turner Classic Movies (TCM) with US movie distributor Criterion Collection and will specialise in contemporary and classic art house, indie, foreign and cult films.

It will launch on October 19, allowing subscribers paying US$6.99 per month to watch ad-free movies anywhere and any time on the device of their choice.

Customers can also pay US$10.99 a month to access the service and gain access to The Criterion Channel, or US$99 for the year.

Films from indie studios such as Janus Films, Flicker Alley, Icarus, Kino, Milestone and Zeitgeist will feature alongside movies from Hollywood big-hitters such as Warner Bros.

Among the hundreds of titles to be featured on FilmStruck are Seven Samurai, A Hard Day’s Night, A Room With a View, Blood Simple, My Life as a Dog, Mad Max, Breaker Morant and The Player.

“Turner smartly identified a strategic way to move into the direct-to-consumer business by creating an over-the-top offering that was additive to the TV landscape, with programming not readily available in the streaming marketplace and that was completely differentiated from what TCM already offers,” said Coleman Breland, president of Turner Content Distribution and TCM.

“FilmStruck super-serves a niche and devoted audience of film fans and will be a strong addition to Turner’s portfolio of leading brands.”