Some of the most interesting moments from AMC Global Media in the coming months will no longer be available on traditional screens.
The company, which owns properties such as AMC, IFC and HiDive, is accelerating its expansion into unexpected places, establishing connections with communities in places that may have previously been untouched by television.
For example, AMC has a new partnership with Meta to make its programs and movies available through Meta Quest, a standalone virtual reality headset formerly known as Oculus. “We plan to release a number of streaming apps on MetaQuest later this year, starting with AMC+,” Kim Kelleher, president and chief commercial officer of AMC Global Media, said in a presentation to advertisers Wednesday evening. “Our flagship streaming service will be one of the first entertainment apps available on this breakthrough device. This is a very meaningful and far-reaching new partnership for us, and it highlights our ability to move quickly and innovate to serve our viewers.”
Under Mr. Kelleher, AMC has become completely uninterested in distributing its own programming, instead focusing on gathering impressions from its programming on streaming services, the FAST channel, and TV manufacturers’ video services.
AMC will host a fan event at New York’s Beacon Theater in June and will perform original music during a live performance following the screening of the premiere episode of the Vampire Lestat series of the same name, scheduled to premiere on television on Sunday, June 7th. Lestat, played by actor Sam Reid, will be touring with sponsors POM Wonderful and Fender Musical Instruments Corporation.
AMC will expand its partnership with Sphere Entertainment by creating custom content for Sphere Entertainment’s signature events and content spaces aimed at enriching the “Best Christmas Ever” programming schedule. The companies are teaming up again for a new Halloween-themed promotion to enhance AMC’s “FearFest” event. This holiday season run will be called “Sphere of Cheer,” and the companies’ team-up will expand beyond “Sphere of Fear.” Both AMC and Sphere are controlled by the Dolan family.
