Global rollout of AMC+ gains momentum

Ahead of MIPCOM, AMC Networks announced the global rollout of premium subscription video on demand service AMC+ has gained momentum in recent months with new launches in Spain, Korea, India, New Zealand and Australia. The service’s newest franchise, Anne Rice’s Interview with the Vampire is the #1 new series launch ever for AMC+ and currently has a 98% rating on Rotten Tomatoes with strong critical acclaim.

AMC+ has recently launched across key markets in Europe and the Asia-Pacific region with additional countries to be announced in the coming months. In Spain, the service is now available on Orange TV, Vodafone TV, Jazztel TV and as a channel on Prime Video and Apple TV. In India, AMC+ is available via Prime Video and Apple TV, and the service just launched for the first time in Korea on KT’s Olleh TV. In New Zealand, AMC+ is now available through a suite of direct-to-consumer apps via web, Apple and Android devices. In Australia, the service is available via web, Apple, Android and Amazon Fire devices as well as Prime Video and Apple TV.

Miquel Penella, President of Streaming Services for AMC Networks, commented: “These recent international launches highlight the growing demand for AMC+ across major affiliates and distribution partners as we bring our slate of groundbreaking dramas and epic fan-driven franchises to new audiences. We are looking forward to working with key operators and platforms as we continue the global rollout of AMC+ in the months ahead.”

AMC+ just debuted its newest franchise, Anne Rice’s Interview with the Vampire which has set a new record by becoming the #1 new series launch ever on the service, in both viewership and subscriber acquisition. The Hollywood Reporter called it a “handsomely mounted small-screen iteration that aims to please fans while also attracting new viewers,” while Variety said the show “forges a powerful story of identity that will be both familiar to any Rice fan and feels much different than versions that came before.” Starring Jacob Anderson, Sam Reid, Bailey Bass and Eric Bogosian, AMC Networks has renewed the series for a second season which will be set in Europe with Oscar® and Emmy® Award-winning producer Mark Johnson and Showrunner Rolin Jones executive producing.

AMC Networks acquired Anne Rice’s major literary works, The Vampire Chronicles series and The Lives of the Mayfair Witches series, encompassing 18 titles which have sold more than 150 million copies worldwide, to develop for its own television networks and streaming services under the AMC Studios umbrella, as well as external partner licensing, with the late Anne Rice and her son Christopher Rice serving as executive producers. The new television adaptation of Anne Rice’s Interview with the Vampire will be closely followed by the AMC+ debut of Anne Rice’s Mayfair Witches starring Alexandra Daddario, Jack Huston, Tongayi Chirisa and Harry Hamlin in early 2023 and executive produced by Johnson and Showrunner Esta Spalding.

AMC+ will also premiere the next generation of series from The Walking Dead Universe, including The Walking Dead: Dead City focusing on the popular characters of Maggie (Lauren Cohan) and Negan (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) as they journey to a post-apocalyptic Manhattan, and a highly anticipated spin-off reuniting the fan-favourite characters of Rick (Andrew Lincoln) and Michonne (Danai Gurira), among many other exciting new series.

Dan McDermott, President of Original Programming for AMC Networks and AMC Studios, said, “We’re thrilled with the reception from critics and fans to the rich and vibrant world of our newest franchise, Anne Rice’s Interview with the Vampire which has become the #1 new series launch ever on AMC+ and we’re looking forward to expanding our Anne Rice Immortal Universe in 2023. We also have an outstanding line-up of new dramas ahead in The Walking Dead Universe as well as new seasons from some of our most acclaimed recent series, including Dark Winds, 61st Street, Pantheon and Moonhaven.”

AMC+ includes a wide array of original series which will debut new seasons in 2023, including western noir thriller Dark Winds executive produced by Emmy®-winner George R.R. Martin (Game of Thrones) and Oscar®-winner Robert Redford, which has a 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes; gritty crime drama 61st Street from BAFTA-winner Peter Moffat (The Night Of) and starring Emmy®-winner Courtney B. Vance (The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story); animated spy tech thriller Pantheon featuring an all-star voice cast including Daniel Dae-Kim (Lost) and the late Oscar®-winner William Hurt; and sci-fi thriller Moonhaven starring Dominic Monaghan (Lost) and Joe Manganiello (True Blood). New AMC+ series to debut will include psychological thriller Invitation to a Bonfire starring Emmy®-winner Tatiana Maslany (Orphan Black), drama Parish starring Giancarlo Esposito (Better Call Saul) and the character-driven series Demascus created by accomplished writer and playwright Tearrance Arvelle Chisholm (Boomerang).

AMC Networks continues to pursue a successful streaming strategy targeting distinct audiences. Its strong streaming portfolio includes AMC+ and targeted platforms Acorn TV, Shudder, Sundance Now, ALLBLK and HIDIVE, and reaches 10.8 million paying subscribers in aggregate and is on track to reach 20-25 million subscribers in 2025. The company is in the midst of its biggest year of original programming, continuing its well-established track record of creating popular and acclaimed content and launching fan-driven franchises. BCS Bureau