Verizon FiOS TV Customers Get New Video-on-Demand Documentaries From SnagFilms

NEW YORK, Oct. 21 /PRNewswire/ -- Verizon's FiOS TV customers will be among the first to get a new selection of documentaries available on demand when the company launches SnagFilms on Friday (Oct. 22).  SnagFilms' initial lineup consists of 10 films, which will be joined by up to five more by year-end.  All SnagFilms programming can be found as a branded SnagFilms folder within the "Foreign & Indies" folder on FiOS TV VOD.

"We consistently look to give our FiOS TV customers the best in on-demand programming, including more than 1,000 movies every month," said Tricia Lynch, director of content strategy and acquisition for Verizon. "SnagFilms makes a great addition to our growing VOD offering, and we're excited for our customers to enjoy their award-winning documentaries."

SnagFilms CEO Rick Allen said, "We are delighted to bring a special selection of our documentary films to FiOS TV customers on demand, extending our mission to make great films available to the broadest audience via the best possible delivery platforms."

SnagFilms is committed to finding the world's most compelling documentaries, whether from established heavyweights or first-time filmmakers, and making them available to the wide audience these titles deserve. The company is making the following films available, for $4.99 each:

• 'A Galaxy Far, Far Away' – A look at the world of STAR WARS fans, including conventions, nationwide premieres, the homes of devoted fans showing off their treasures, and box office ticket lines of die-hard fans who waited eagerly for 42 days to buy tickets.

• 'Ballad of Bering Strait' – Seven Russian teenagers come to America to become country music stars.

• 'Farther Than The Eye Can See' – One of the top adventure films of all time, featuring blind climber Eric Weihenmayer's renowned climb to the summit of Mt. Everest.

• 'Mondo Hollywood' – The underground cult classic documentary of the psychedelic 1960s.

• 'Needle Through Brick' – A film about the struggle for survival of traditional art and culture in the face of a rapidly changing and modernizing world.

• 'Lovecraft: Fear of the Unknown' – This film takes a look at the oldest and strongest emotion of mankind – fear – and the oldest and strongest kind of fear, which is fear of the unknown.

• 'Yoga, Inc.' – A documentary that asks whether yoga can survive big business with its good karma intact.

• 'Independent America' – The story of the frustrating, spirited battle of a people dedicated to bringing their communities back to life.

• 'From the Mara to the Marathon' – Anthony Edwards travels to the Maasai Mara in Kenya to bring a Maasai to run in the New York City Marathon.

• 'Pond Hockey' – This film chronicles the changing culture of hockey from the open ice to climate-controlled arenas.

SnagFilms joins FiOS TV's extensive VOD service, which offers 18,000 monthly titles including 3,300 in high definition.  FiOS TV also offers a broad collection of programming that includes more than 520 all-digital channels with up to 140 HD channels, as well as next-generation interactive services including an advanced interactive media guide; social networking, news and entertainment widgets; DVR management via broadband or select cell phones; and more.  

For the latest news, updates and information about FiOS TV, visit www.verizon.com/newscenter and http://www.verizon.com/athomeblog.

About Snag Films

SnagFilms features free ad-supported viewing of more than 1600 award-winning titles from some of the greatest names in documentary film. All films are shareable across the web. Since its launch in July 2008, SnagFilms' library has been featured on over 2 billion web pageviews, via more than 100,000 affiliates, and is distributed throughout AOL channels, and the websites of the Miami Herald and IMDb; portals like Hulu and Fancast; hundreds of non-profits, special interest sites and blogs; and thousands of social network pages. Beginning later in October, SnagFilms will be featured on the Starbucks Digital Network, available in 6700 Starbucks in the US. OVGuide has twice named SnagFilms a Top Site and MovieMaker Magazine named SnagFilms to its annual list of "50 Best Websites for Moviemakers."

The company was founded and is majority owned by digital entrepreneur, documentary film producer, professional sports teams' owner and philanthropist Ted Leonsis, and is additionally backed by AOL co-founder and Revolution LLC Chairman, Steve Case; philanthropist and former digital executive Jean Case; operating executive and philanthropic venture capitalist Miles Gilburne; a group led by Ted and Jim Pedas, founders of Circle Films; and the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation.

The SnagFilms family also includes indieWIRE, for more than 14 years the web's top source of news, reviews and information about independent film.

About Verizon

Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE, Nasdaq: VZ), headquartered in New York, is a global leader in delivering broadband and other wireless and wireline communications services to mass market, business, government and wholesale customers.  Verizon Wireless operates America's most reliable wireless network, serving more than 92 million customers nationwide.  Verizon also provides converged communications, information and entertainment services over America's most advanced fiber-optic network, and delivers innovative, seamless business solutions to customers around the world.  A Dow 30 company, Verizon last year generated consolidated revenues of more than $107 billion.  For more information, visit www.verizon.com.

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SOURCE Verizon