Cinedigm Buys Bloody Disgusting, Taking Bigger Cut at Horror (EXCLUSIVE)

Todd Spangler
·3-min read

Bloody Disgusting, the horror fandom and entertainment outfit first launched 20 years ago, is under new ownership: Streaming media company Cinedigm has acquired Bloody Disgusting to beef up its horror portfolio.

The amount Cinedigm is paying for Bloody Disgusting in the cash-and-stock deal was not disclosed, but Cinedigm said it expects the acquisition will be immediately accretive. The deal follows Cinedigm’s acquisition of genre subscription VOD service Screambox earlier this year.

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Cinedigm is buying Bloody Disgusting from cofounders Brad Miska and Tom Owen and their business partners Peter Luttrell and Heather Luttrell.

Launched in 2001, Bloody Disgusting started out publishing film and TV reviews in the horror genre and has since garnered a loyal fanbase. According to the company, the brand reaches more than 30 million unique horror fans annually across its website, the Bloody Disgusting podcast network, the BD app and on social channels. In 2011, Bloody Disgusting branched into production in 2011 with the “V/H/S” series.

Last year, Cinedigm partnered with the company to launch Bloody Disgusting TV, a free, ad-supported streaming horror channel that launched exclusively on the Roku Channel serving up fan favorites like “The Collector,” “The Hills Have Eyes” and “The Re-Animator” and more.

“Cinedigm’s vision for digital expansion is what makes me confident that they are the right company to join to help bring the vision of Bloody Disgusting into the new streaming generation,” Miska said in a statement. Owen added, “Working with Cinedigm has made it clear that they share our passion for the genre. Their acquisition of Screambox, in addition to our work together bringing Bloody Disgusting TV to life, has allowed me to witness the forward-thinking passion they infuse into all of their endeavors.”

For Cinedigm, Bloody Disgusting is “a huge streaming opportunity,” said Chris McGurk, chairman and CEO of Cinedigm. “Having acquired Screambox earlier this year and having distributed hundreds of horror film and TV titles over the years, we understand the enormous potential that lies within the horror genre. As one of the most passionate fanbases, the community remains largely underserved.”

McGurk added that by acquiring Bloody Disgusting, “we hope to create a larger, more accessible user experience for enthusiasts to discover, stream and discuss the genre with the objective of becoming the No. 1 global streaming destination for horror fans everywhere.”

As part of the acquisition, the Bloody Disgusting team will manage the Screambox subscription-based service going forward. The Bloody Disgusting website will be under Cinedigm ownership but will remain independently operated.

Cinedigm’s streaming channels will be refreshed monthly with content from both Bloody Disgusting and Screambox. The company said it also will continue to acquire new original content. The first in the category is eight-part original series “The Island,” centering around a remote island in the North Sea that falls victim to a merciless and mysterious virus. Cinedigm also recently acquired “Brain Freeze,” the zom-com favorite that opened this year’s Fantasia International Film Festival. In addition, the company will premiere the sinister feature “Not Alone” exclusively on its horror channels this October.

Cinedigm’s properties include a mix of premium SVOD services and dedicated AVOD and FAST channels, including in indie film (Fandor), horror (Screambox and Bloody Disgusting), and family entertainment (Dove Channel), as well as dedicated channels for iconic personalities like Bob Ross and coming soon Elvis Presley.

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