SnagFilms launches on Roku with Acclaimed Non-Fiction Films

WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--SnagFilms today announced that a collection of SnagFilms’ award-winning documentaries are now available for film fans to access on their Roku streaming players. The leading Internet TV platform, Roku allows viewers to instantly stream 150 of SnagFilm’s acclaimed films, for free, on their televisions.

“With our launch on the Roku platform, SnagFilms continues to fulfill its mission of creating virtual movie theaters wherever film fans have high-speed connections, and making the best independent films available to the widest possible audience.”

“Our partnership with Roku means that users of its innovative, easy-to-use streaming player can now access top-quality films, on demand, from SnagFilms,” said Rick Allen, CEO of SnagFilms. “With our launch on the Roku platform, SnagFilms continues to fulfill its mission of creating virtual movie theaters wherever film fans have high-speed connections, and making the best independent films available to the widest possible audience.”

“SnagFilms has done a great job of curating some of the world’s most compelling documentaries from a diverse list of filmmakers,” said Jim Funk, vice president of business development at Roku. “We are excited to now offer these films to a home audience that might otherwise never be able to get to the film festivals and theaters where such movies are shown.”

Since its launch in July 2008, SnagFilms has distinguished itself as the premiere distributor of non-fiction films online. SnagFilms has streamed more than 400 million minutes of film through its website and popular iPad app, as well as over 110,000 affiliated websites including partner pages like AOL, Comcast, Hulu and the Starbucks Digital Network. The company will begin distributing fictional indie films later this year.

Documentary films being made available for the first time on Roku include:

• Buena Vista Social Club
• Waiting to Inhale
• The Eyes of Tammy Faye
• Heavy Metal Parking Lot
• Return to Tarawa
• Lovecraft: Fear of the Unknown
• Mr. Death: The Rise and Fall of Fred A. Leuchter, Jr.

About SnagFilms

SnagFilms features free sponsor-supported viewing of more than 2,100 award-winning titles from some of the greatest names in film. Since its launch in July 2008, films in SnagFilms’ library have been viewed more than 18 million times. More than 400 million minutes of SnagFilms titles have been streamed across over more than 110,000 affiliated sites and webpages, including through partners such as AOL, Comcast, Hulu, the Starbucks Digital Network, Boxee, Roku, IMDb, the Miami Herald, hundreds of non-profits, special interest sites and blogs — and via a new free application for the iPad. SnagFilms’ titles have been featured on over 2.5 billion pageviews across the SnagFilms network.

SnagFilms also offers selected titles via paid VOD with Comcast and FiOS, as well as on iTunes, Amazon and other partners.

SnagFilms was recently named one of the fastest growing technology companies in Washington, DC-area. 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 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 digital executive Jean Case; operating executive and philanthropic venture capitalist Miles Gilburne; a group led by Ted and Jim Pedas, founders of Circle Films; the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation; New Enterprise Associates and Comcast Ventures.

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