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American digital multicasting and FAST network media company From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Free TV Networks is an American specialized digital multicasting and advertising-supported video on demand network media company owned as a joint venture between Warner Bros. Discovery, Lionsgate and Gray Television. The company owns and operates two broadcast television networks and plans to launch four FAST streaming networks that each carry programming with specified formats targeted at individual demographics. The company was founded and is led by broadcasting veteran Jonathan Katz, who previously launched what is now the Scripps Networks division of competitor E. W. Scripps Company.
| |
| Company type | Joint venture |
|---|---|
| Industry | Media |
| Predecessor | Circle (broadcast operations) |
| Founded | November 7, 2023 |
| Founder | Jonathan Katz |
| Headquarters | Atlanta, Georgia , United States |
Key people | Jonathan Katz (President/CEO) David Decker (President, Content Sales, Warner Bros. Discovery) Jim Packer (President of Worldwide Television Distribution, Lionsgate) Pat LaPlatney (President/Co-CEO, Gray Television) |
| Products | Television networks |
| Brands |
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| Owners | |
| Website | freetvnetworks |
The venture launched with two digital multicast television networks on January 1, 2024, each resembling networks Katz originally launched, which are The365, a channel for Black audiences (similar to Bounce TV) and Outlaw, a network for Western programming (similar to Grit).[1] The venture launched its third broadcast network, Defy, on July 1, 2024 in partnership with A&E Networks, which features action and male-targeted reality programming from A&E Network's library; Scripps's Defy TV (which previously carried said library) ended operations the day before with the move of that programming library to Defy and was replaced by Ion Plus.[2][3] Other channels to launch at a later time on AVOD platforms include FAST streaming versions of the former two networks as well as VCR Action (similar to Ion Mystery), a channel for older action/crime programming, and VCR Haha, a network for older comedic programming (similar to Laff).[4]
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