9 Story Media Group creates its first FAST channel

Cineverse will launch the 9 Story channel in 2024, featuring roughly 1,400 half-hours of animated and live-action programming.

Toronto’s 9 Story Media Group is moving FAST with its digital growth plan.

The prodco has teamed up with Los Angeles-based Cineverse to launch a branded FAST channel globally in 2024.

It will feature around 1,400 animated and live-action half-hours culled from 9 Story’s own library, as well as series the company sells on behalf of third-party partners. Featured titles include Angelina Ballerina, Barney and Friends, Garfield and FriendsLet’s Game, Challenge Dan and Guess How Much I Love You.

FAST is an “important part” of 9 Story’s growth plan, says digital and distribution VP Elianne Friend, and the aim with this first channel is to expand its audience and offer another way to access its catalogue of programming.

According to Cineverse’s EVP of partnerships, Marc Rashba, there’s good demand in the FAST channel market right now for family-friendly IPs because older viewers are going there to rediscover popular characters and shows they used to watch as kids.

Cineverse, which distributes FAST channels along with individual shows and movies on its same-name streaming platform, is available globally online and via connected TV platforms such as Roku, Amazon FireTV, Android and Google TV. Its offering for kids already includes Nihon Ad Systems’ Yu-Gi-Oh! GX, Werner Film Productions’ Dance Academy and WildBrain’s Spider Riders.

This story originally appeared in Kidscreen

Photo courtesy of 9 Story Media Group