At a time when more Americans are switching off cable and satellite in favor of streaming services, AMC Networks — which has long counted on those cable distribution and ad dollars — is refocusing its efforts on developing premium content.
At the company’s annual Upfront presentation this week, executives concentrated much of their comments on AMC’s TV series, some of which are developed exclusively for its streaming platforms.
AMC Networks is best known as the channel behind hit dramas like “Breaking Bad,” “The Walking Dead” and “Mad Men,” but with those franchises long wrapping up their run on cable TV, the company has struggled to find a new breakout hit in recent years.
Instead, AMC has found more success with repurposing its content for AMC Plus, its cornerstone streaming service, and around a dozen free, ad-supported streaming TV (FAST) channels that are available on leading platforms like Paramount’s Pluto TV, The Roku Channel, Plex and Xumo Play.
“Every media company today is trying to find its own path in a world that looks vastly different than it did five years ago, or even five months ago,” Kristin Dolan, the CEO of AMC Networks, said on Wednesday. “Our path is focused on the clear advantage we have at this moment and going forward — we make great shows.”
Few of those shows and movies will be on cable. “Clown in a Cornfield,” a new slasher film that will land in theaters next month, will have its television debut on Shudder, a streaming service owned by AMC Networks. The movie will also land on AMC Plus, which includes Shudder’s film and TV library.
“Dark Winds” is an outlier — it became a sleeper hit for AMC Networks after back episodes were licensed to Netflix, and as streamers caught up, they signed up for AMC Plus or watched new episodes on cable.
