The two companies combine their award-winning catalogues to maximize Action Sports Film Distribution around the globe
New York, NY – January 15, 2015 – Film/TV distributor and top-ranked multi-channel network, The Orchard, and digital video distributor, Fanclub Media, unite today with some exciting news: the two companies are joining forces to lead the Action Sports feature Film and TV digital distribution business. Through this merger, The Orchard and Fanclub will combine their vast catalogues to become the largest distributor of Action Sports films with 1,000+ productions under one umbrella.
Adding their extensive expertise to The Orchard’s, Fanclub Media CEO, Jim Martin, and VP, Marc Cuevas, will join The Orchard team in Los Angeles and New York, running point on acquisitions and marketing, and client management respectively. Fanclub Media clients will immediately benefit from The Orchard’s global network of digital retailers, access to their comprehensive dashboard, as well as a dedicated Video Operations department, Sales & Marketing team, and YouTube services.
“We’re thrilled to kick off 2015 in strategic partnership with The Orchard,” says Jim Martin. “The Orchard is a leader in Action Sports film distribution and this union of top players will mean better service and greater scale for our clients. We’re looking forward to a big year.”
Founded by Martin in 2008, Fanclub was created to transform the longstanding DVD home video market into a modernized model of Action Sports movie digital distribution. Fanclub was the first company to ever sell an Action Sports film in the iTunes movie store (That); today, the company boasts many of the top selling releases in Action Sports history (The Art of Flight, All I Can, Pretty Sweet).
“This is a very exciting moment for us at The Orchard, as we consolidate our efforts with Fanclub Media to continue to bring the best-quality Action Sports movies to the world,” says Danny Grant, The Orchard’s VP of Sports. “Fanclub is an expert in this niche part of film distribution, so to be joining forces with them is an honor. By utilizing both of our expert services, we’ll be able reach more audiences with our content than ever before.”
On Any Sunday, The Next Chapter is the first of many sports films slated for a 2015 release from The Orchard. The feature, from Red Bull Media House, will hit iTunes on February 17th, followed by a slew of other releases through Fanclub Media.
ABOUT FANCLUB MEDIA
Fanclub Media is an industry leader in Action Sports feature film and TV digital distribution. With content in more than 100 markets worldwide, Fanclub reaches a global audience across all major digital and streaming platforms. Since its inception, Fanclub has exclusively launched many of the top selling releases in Action Sports history. Premium marketing, cutting-edge analytics, and aggressive piracy control have yielded high returns for all of our films. We’re dedicated to continually improving our services and growing our markets to deliver even greater successes for our clients.
ABOUT THE ORCHARD
The Orchard is a pioneering music, video and film distribution company and top-ranked Multi Channel Network operating in more than 25 global markets. With a holistic approach to sales and marketing combined with industry-leading technology and operations, The Orchard amplifies reach and revenue across hundreds of digital, physical and mobile outlets around the world. The Orchard streamlines content owners’ business complexity with an intuitive client dashboard, comprehensive rights management and tailored client support. Founded in 1997, The Orchard empowers businesses and creators in the entertainment industry. For further information, please visit www.theorchard.com.