Versant-owned multicast business Free TV Networks has inked new distribution agreements with Paramount and Dish Network’s Sling TV for three of its networks, the company announced on Friday.
Two networks — 365BLK and Outlaw — are now available on Paramount-owned CBS television stations in more than a dozen markets, Versant said. The networks are taking the place of Fave TV, a network that Paramount abruptly closed at the beginning of the month. The Desk was the first to report on the deal between Versant and Paramount for the two multicast networks.
The other distribution agreement covers the free streaming channel Pam Grier’s Soul Flix, which is now available on Dish-owned Sling TV and Sling Freestream. That channel launched around this time last year, and has already amassed more than 13 million hours of viewing, Versant said in a press release.
“These agreements accelerate our growth plans and represent our first major expansion under Versant,” said Jonathan Katz, the President of Free TV Networks. “Free TV Networks’ partnerships with CBS and Sling Freestream are strategic steps forward that amplify scale, broaden reach, and deliver meaningful value to our viewers and advertisers.”
“These agreements represent an early example of how we’re putting our strategy into action,” said David Pietrycha, Chief Revenue and Business Officer of Versant. “By expanding Free TV Networks’ distribution across both broadcast and FAST platforms, we’re diversifying our entertainment business, extending our reach to new audiences, and advancing a scalable, free, ad-supported model that complements our broader portfolio and supports our long-term growth strategy.”
Versant closed on its acquisition of Free TV Networks last month. Versant’s other assets include cable networks that were previously owned by Comcast’s NBC Universal.
