New SnagFilms Experience To Activate Passionate Community Around Great Indie Films

WASHINGTON, June 6, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- SnagFilms Inc., a privately owned media and technology company with roots in the independent film industry, announced today the private beta launch of the new SnagFilms experience – a free streaming social video platform offering thousands of award-winning movies from independent filmmakers. The new social video experience will first release to the public at SnagFilms.com in early Summer 2013 before rolling out to mobile devices.  

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20130606/NY27463LOGO-a )

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20130606/NY27463-b )

The SnagFilms community is already more than 4 million viewers strong, and collectively watches millions of free movies per month thus making it one of the largest free video on demand services available today. The company is now ramping up to activate its passionate community around indie films with an entirely new SnagFilms experience designed from the ground up to help more people find and share great free-to-watch movies and documentaries online.

The new social discovery features include custom profiles for SnagFilms members so anyone can easily become a film aficionado among their friends by simply adding and reviewing the films they love. Other members of the community can then find film recommendations provided by trusted friends or critics, receive personalized recommendations based on previous movie preferences, and easily find great movies selected by the SnagFilms editorial team. 

"People are naturally interested in films recommended by friends or a favorite critic, yet discovering movies available on-demand is often limited to the latest Hollywood releases," said Rick Allen, founding CEO of SnagFilms. "That might work for major blockbuster movies, but thanks to the new SnagFilms experience, people can easily find gems within a vast offering of classics, indies and hits.  Our platform connects you with other fans in ways that are extremely social, well-curated and personalized for each of our users."

Since SnagFilms first launched five years ago, the company has successfully bridged the divide between the independent film industry, digital distribution partners and advertisers to give consumers instant access to free movies from award-winning independent filmmakers and studios via the web, mobile and TV set-top devices or services.

Furthermore, the company has the financial strength to emerge as a major player in the digital entertainment market thanks to its proven ad-supported model as well as strategic support and growth capital from its investor group, which includes founder Ted Leonsis, Steve Case's Revolution Ventures, New Enterprise Associates (NEA), Comcast Interactive Capital (CIC), Terry Semel's Windsor Media and others.

With the launch of the new SnagFilms experience, the company will add even more free movies, create richer community engagement and extend its substantial device footprint, which currently includes iOS devices, Android devices, Windows 8 devices, Xbox LIVE, Roku, Sony, Kindle, Blackberry RIM and Boxee – all of which make it easier for people to discover and watch great films, and share their favorites with their friends.

"We believe that consumers are growing hungrier for movies on-demand, yet most major Hollywood studios are reluctant to embrace innovation at the pace needed to keep up with this demand," said Allen. "It presents a unique opportunity for a strategic, tech-driven entertainment company like SnagFilms to lead innovation in the digital video market and fulfill consumer demands by offering a massive library of great films from the indie world in new ways that go beyond just a VOD destination."

To request an invite to the private beta and join the growing SnagFilms community to discover the world of indie films, please visit http://new.snagfilms.com.              

About SnagFilms

SnagFilms is a premier, ad-supported, social video-viewing platform offering entertainment lovers an extensive library of free movies on demand.  The platform features world class discovery tools empowering members to discover, watch and recommend a wide range of professional online video content.  The SnagFilms viewing experience is available everywhere, enabling audiences to watch professional, award-winning video, including on over 110,000 affiliate sites and its sector-leading applications on  mobile, set-top box and home entertainment devices.

Co-founded in 2008 by Ted Leonsis and Rick Allen, SnagFilms, Inc. was honored as one of Red Herring's 2013 Top 100 Technology Companies in North America.  The company also counts Indiewire and SnagReleasing among its integrated business units.  The Indiewire Blog Network is the independent film industry's leading news, information, and networking service.  SnagReleasing is a full-service film distribution company bringing a selection of distinctive films to audiences worldwide through every release window, including theatrical, pay digital, TV and physical media.  SnagFilms, Inc. is headquartered in Washington, DC, and has offices in New York and Los Angeles.

SnagFilms and its respective logos are trademarks, registered trademarks, or service marks of SnagFilms. Other products and company names mentioned are the trademarks of their respective owners.

SOURCE SnagFilms