Crackle Launches Original Concert Series "Playing It Forward" with Surprise Street Performance by Grammy® Award Winning Artist John Legend in Los Angeles

LOS ANGELES, Nov. 27, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Crackle, the multi-platform entertainment network, announced today the launch of its first original music series, "Playing It Forward," presented by FedEx.  The special street performance-style follow-doc is produced by Team Downey, an entertainment company founded by Robert Downey Jr. and Susan Downey, alongside veteran music producer/composer Tony Berg and Kevin Lake. The "Playing It Forward" music movement will showcase surprise street performances by some of the world's biggest artists in unplanned, unexpected environments across the country benefiting music education and charities of the artists' choice.  The first episode will be available at http://www.crackle.com/c/playingitforward tonight, and features a surprise show by acclaimed singer and songwriter John Legend.  The Grammy Award-winning artist performed three fan favorites, "All of Me," "Ordinary People," and "Shine" to an unsuspecting and amazed crowd at the Culver City Town Plaza in Los Angeles.

"Music is a shared passion among our viewers and we're excited to open a door to some of the industry's biggest artists, making them accessible to our audience—all while raising money and awareness for charity and music education," said Executive Vice President of Digital Networks at Sony Pictures Television and GM of Crackle, Eric Berger. "'Playing it Forward' is more than a concert series—it's a movement that shows the value of music and a gift to fans around the world - we're excited to kick it off with a surprise set from John Legend, to air across all U.S. Crackle platforms."

In addition to creating unforgettable content, "Playing It Forward" is committed to changing lives and supporting organizations dedicated to preserving music education.  Through each episode of "Playing it Forward," $100,000 will be donated to the charity of the artists' choice.  The first episode will benefit the Show Me Campaign, created by Legend, which works to break the cycle of poverty by giving children access to quality education through the promotion of scalable, proven solutions and programs.

Additional unexpected performances from "Playing it Forward" will be announced at a later date. Fans can get more details and uncover clues to the next performance by visiting http://www.crackle.com/c/playingitforward and following Crackle on Facebook and Twitter at facebook.com/crackle and twitter.com/crackle. 

For event b-roll and photography, please visit http://www.epklink.com/PlayingItForward.

About Crackle:

Crackle, a unit of Sony Pictures Television, programs Hollywood movies, TV shows and original series and films for the world's connected audience. With 43 million viewers across 22 countries, Crackle specializes in genres such as Action, Comedy, Crime, Horror and Sci-fi. Original programming on Crackle includes the psychological thriller Chosen, starring Chad Michael Murray; Cleaners, starring David Arquette and Gina Gershon; the first ever made for digital movie Extraction, starring Danny Glover; and the Emmy® nominated Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee, starring Jerry Seinfeld. Crackle is always freely accessible on every screen, with no subscription or authentication required. Visit Crackle's site at www.crackle.com. You can also or find Crackle on Facebook at www.facebook.com/crackle or follow Crackle on Twitter @Crackle for real time updates.

About FedEx Corp.:

FedEx Corp. (NYSE: FDX) provides customers and businesses worldwide with a broad portfolio of transportation, e-commerce and business services. With annual revenues of $45 billion, the company offers integrated business applications through operating companies competing collectively and managed collaboratively, under the respected FedEx brand.

Consistently ranked among the world's most admired and trusted employers, FedEx inspires its more than 300,000 team members to remain "absolutely, positively" focused on safety, the highest ethical and professional standards and the needs of their customers and communities. For more information, visit news.fedex.com.

SOURCE Crackle