Byron Allen's Allen Media Group And Frndly TV Broadens Distribution Partnership

LOS ANGELES and DENVER, June 10, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Byron Allen's Allen Media Group (AMG) and Frndly TV today announced the broadening of its distribution partnership. As part of this new distribution arrangement, AMG's television network The Weather Channel will extend its current carriage agreement with Frndly TV, a leading family-friendly virtual multichannel video program distributor (vMVPD) offering live networks and on-demand content. Frndly TV customers will continue to have easy access to the #1 TV News Brand of the Year for eleven straight years, the #5 Most Trusted Brand in America and Immersive Mixed Reality (IMR) technology.

In addition, Frndly TV is adding more family-friendly content to its line-up. Customers will enjoy two new AMG services: the Emmy-nominated Recipe.TV television network and the streaming service, Local Now. The pact increases the Frndly TV line-up of live, linear channel offerings to 18 while keeping the current price structure for its subscribers. Recipe.TV and Local Now will be available to all Frndly TV customers before the end of June.

Recipe.TV is America's multiple Emmy-nominated destination for the best in the culinary world, showcasing international locations and the world's greatest culinary artists, superb restaurants, and unique recipes. Local Now delivers localized content to over 225 markets in the U.S., boasting and endless supply of local and national news, superstar talent, and marquee content partners.

"In addition to extending our carriage arrangement for The Weather Channel, we're thrilled to make two more of our flagship content platforms -- Recipe.TV, and our streaming service Local Now -- available to Frndly TV subscribers," said Byron Allen, Founder/Chairman/CEO of Allen Media Group. "Our multiple Emmy-nominated network Recipe.TV and our streaming service Local Now offer compelling and vibrant lifestyle content with an unmatched combination of customized local news and information, weather, traffic, and sports."

"We are very pleased to add two great channels in Recipe.TV and Local Now to our lineup," said Michael McKenna, Chief Programmer Officer of Frndly TV. "Recipe.TV perfectly fills a programming genre that our customers were asking us for. And Local Now – with its hyper-local focus on more than 225 cities across the U.S. – gives us a quality news and information offering.  Both are very welcome, family friendly additions to our Frndly TV lineup."

About Allen Media Group / Entertainment Studios
Chairman and CEO Byron Allen founded Allen Media Group/Entertainment Studios in 1993. Headquartered in Los Angeles, it has offices in New York, Chicago, Atlanta, and Raleigh. Allen Media Group owns 23 ABC-NBC-CBS-FOX network affiliate broadcast television stations in 19 U.S. markets and twelve 24-hour HD television networks serving nearly 180 million subscribers: THE WEATHER CHANNEL, PETS.TV, COMEDY.TV, RECIPE.TV, CARS.TV, ES.TV, MYDESTINATION.TV, JUSTICE CENTRAL.TV, THEGRIO.TV, THIS TV, LOCAL NOW TV, and PATTRN. Allen Media Group will add its thirteenth network, THE WEATHER CHANNEL EN ESPANOL in 2021. Allen Media Group also owns LOCAL NOW and THE GRIO free-streaming AVOD services, powered by THE WEATHER CHANNEL and content partners, which delivers real-time, hyper-local news, weather, traffic, sports, and lifestyle information. Allen Media Group also produces, distributes, and sells advertising for 67 television programs, making it one of the largest independent producers/distributors of first-run syndicated television programming for broadcast television stations. Allen Media Group International Television continues to extend its corporate branding and content around the globe.  It currently has active license agreements and programming in South Africa, The United Arab Emirates, Australia, The Bahamas, Canada and New Zealand.  With a library of over 5,000 hours of owned content across multiple genres, Allen Media Group provides video content to broadcast television stations, cable television networks, mobile devices, multimedia platforms, and the World Wide Web.  Our mission is to provide excellent programming to our viewers, online users, and Fortune 500 advertising partners.

Entertainment Studios Motion Pictures is a full-service, theatrical motion picture distribution company specializing in wide release commercial content. ESMP released 2017's highest-grossing independent movie, the shark thriller 47 METERS DOWN, which grossed over $44.3 million. In 2018, ESMP also released the critically-acclaimed and commercially successful Western HOSTILES, the historic mystery-thriller CHAPPAQUIDDICK and the sequel to 47 METERS DOWN, 47 METERS DOWN: UNCAGED. The digital distribution unit of Entertainment Studios Motion Pictures, Freestyle Digital Media, is a premiere multi-platform distributor with direct partnerships across all major cable, digital and streaming platforms. Capitalizing on a robust infrastructure, proven track record and a veteran sales team, Freestyle Digital Media is a true home for independent films.

In 2016, Allen Media Group purchased The Grio, a highly-rated digital video-centric news community platform devoted to providing African-Americans with compelling stories and perspectives currently underrepresented in existing national news outlets. The Grio features aggregated and original video packages, news articles and opinion pieces on topics that include breaking news, politics, health, business and entertainment. Originally launched in 2009, the platform was then purchased by NBC News in 2010. The digital platform remains focused on curating exciting digital content and currently has more than 100 million annual visitors. For more information, visit: www.entertainmentstudios.com

About Frndly TV
Frndly TV is the first sub-$10 live, over-the-top television service build from the ground up with the American family in mind.  Starting at only $5.99/mo., Frndly TV offers top-rated live TV networks including Hallmark Channel, INSP, UPtv, Game Show Network, Curiosity Stream, The Weather Channel and others.  Frndly TV delivers positive, uplifting family friendly programming at a family friendly price.  For more information, visit www.frndlytv.com

SOURCE Allen Media Group