Anthem Sports & Entertainment has reached a deal to buy Canadian indie broadcaster Hollywood Suite.
The deal, financial terms of which weren’t disclosed, sees Hollywood Suite’s four linear networks and accompanying on-demand service, joining a bouquet also comprising Game TV, Game+, Fight Network, AXS TV. Anthem also operates movie cable channel HDNet Movies and owns film distributor Gravitas Ventures.
Hollywood Suite launched in 2011 and bills itself as “the largest pure-play movie service in Canada,” with a reach of over 10 million homes through providers such as Rogers, Bell and Prime Video. Its networks include HS70s, HS80s, HS90s and HS00s, all of which show films from the corresponding decades. Also carried are series such as Slasher, Wreck and Blumhouse’s Compendium of Horror, and, somewhat surprisingly, Mr Bates Vs the Post Office.
Once the deal closes, Hollywood Suite President and co-founder David Lines will continue to manage the business. Approval from the Canadian Radio-Television Telecommunications Commission is still need to rubber-stamp the agreement.
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“Anthem is focused on providing fresh and unique content offerings catering to a wide and diverse network of passionate fanbases, and the acquisition of Hollywood Suite helps us further that strategy in a major way,” said Leonard Asper, founder and CEO of Anthem. “They have a proven track record of success and have enjoyed incredible growth throughout the years, with a strong commitment to providing true movie lovers with wide-ranging offerings from some of cinema’s most consequential eras. We are proud to have them onboard, and we look forward to working closely with David and the Hollywood Suite team to help them reach even greater heights.”
“With a passion and commitment to movies as deep as ours, Anthem is the perfect partner for Hollywood Suite,” added Hollywood Suite chief Kines. “Leonard and his team have demonstrated an unparalleled commitment to supporting cinema and independent platforms like us, giving viewers and subscribers the absolute best in film-focused content.”
“On behalf of the board, I would like to thank all of our employees over the last 13 years whose commitment and hard work are responsible for the level of success we have achieved, said Jeff Sackman, co-chair of the Board of Directors and Co-founder, Hollywood Suite. “I would also like to acknowledge the unwavering support of our shareholders who endorsed our vision from the beginning. Together we look forward to supporting Anthem as they take the company into an exciting new era.”
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