AMC Theaters Agrees to Distribution Deal with Free Streamer Mansa to Distribute Original Films
Distribution deals between theaters and streaming services are a fairly new innovation, though they are gaining in popularity. In March, Apple announced that it would spend up to $1 billion every year to start distributing its films theatrically, and Amazon committed to a similar sum to produce up to 15 movies a year for theater chains.
But Mansa is doing those other streamers one better. According to Deadline, the service — which was founded David Oyelowo, Nate Parker and Chiké Okonkwo along with tech entrepreneur and film financier Zak Tanjeloff, and focuses on Black culture— has announced a deal with AMC Theaters to have its original movies shown in cinemas across the United States.
“A fundamental aspect of our business is to lift up underrepresented voices that have long been left out of traditional entertainment circles and distribution models,” said Mansa Chief Commercial Officer Chris Yates. “With this partnership in place, we will be able to begin to shift the status quo and give our filmmaker partners the distribution, exposure and recognition they deserve.”
Specific titles and release dates for Mansa films headed to AMC theaters have yet to be announced. As part of the partnership, Mansa and AMC will create special events around some of the films, featuring Q&A sessions with key members of the movie’s production including actors and filmmakers.
For its part, Mansa pledges to “create lasting, long-term relationships with all creators and talent who produce original content with the platform, who will share in the company’s success and become a part of its growing network of creatives.”
Mansa is a new, free ad-supported streaming platform. It had a year-long “stealth” beta-testing phase, and has secured more than $8 million in financing thus far. The service’s core belief is that Black culture is pop culture, and by authentically curating the best in Black culture, it will attract not only Black audiences, but broad mass market audiences as well.
The deal between Mansa and AMC is yet another sign that streamers are willing to help theaters get back on their feet after the COVID-19 pandemic. It seems unfathomable to think that streamers would willingly surrender the opportunity to put the biggest movies on their platforms and have those titles all to themselves, but most streamers don’t see anywhere near the kind of revenue from those movies that theaters can generate.
Mansa may find itself dealing with Amazon in the near future, thanks to this deal with AMC. Amazon reportedly had interest in acquiring AMC in March, though the company did not comment on the report. If Amazon does follow through and buy AMC in the coming months, it will be fascinating to see if Mansa’s deal is left intact, or if Amazon abrogates it in favor of using AMC theaters to distribute its own movies exclusively.
