Anthem Sports & Entertainment, Inc., a global multi-platform media company, announced today it has reached an agreement to purchase successful Canadian independent broadcaster Hollywood Suite, the owner and operator of four linear TV channels and an accompanying On Demand offering showcasing the best films – uncut and commercial-free – from the 70s, 80s, 90s, and 00s. Launched in 2011, Hollywood Suite is the largest pure-play movie service in Canada, available to over 10 million homes from coast to coast to coast via Rogers, Bell, TELUS, Amazon Prime Video, Cogeco, Eastlink, and Freedom Mobile, among others.
Hollywood Suite has become a household favourite for subscribers in Canada satisfying both traditional lean back linear viewers and on-demand focused digital viewers. Satisfying these two unique audience experiences is a shared strategy for both Hollywood Suite and Anthem. Combined with Game TV, Game+, Fight Network and AXS TV, Anthem will deliver greater scale and investment to the Canadian system, to the benefit of viewers, content producers, and distributors.
Hollywood Suite joins Anthem’s already-impressive portfolio of cinematic offerings: film distribution house Gravitas Ventures, and the popular U.S. film cable channel HDNET MOVIES, home to a diverse range of blockbuster epics and vintage favorites and quickly becoming the fastest-growing network on US television. The acquisition highlights Anthem’s commitment to acquiring premium content and diversifying its portfolio with culturally relevant entertainment across traditional and digital channels serving the film super fans and supporting independent producers.
Hollywood Suite President & Co-Founder David Kines will continue to manage the business. The transaction is subject to regulatory approval by the Canadian Radio-Television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC).
“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,” said David 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.”
A skillfully curated, classic movie offering, Hollywood Suite is comprised of the HS70s channel, highlighting the decade’s most essential classics; the HS80s channel, packed with beloved retro standouts; the nostalgia-fueled HS90s channel; and modern masterpieces from 2000 to today on the HS00s channel. The service also carries select exclusive series such as “Slasher,” “Wreck,” “Blumhouse’s Compendium Of Horror,” and “Mr. Bates VS The Post Office”, as well as original in-house produced series “A Year In Film,” and “Cinema A To Z”.
Hollywood Suite is also a major champion of Canadian cinema, airing iconic films like “The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz”, “Black Christmas”, and “Nobody Waved Goodbye” in stunning digital remasters. The network also passionately supports emerging Canadian talent with new films and series such as “The Burning Season”, “Potluck Ladies”, “Sweet Summer Love”, and “Poly is the New Monogamy”.
