Cinedigm (NASDAQ: CIDM), the leading independent streaming company super-serving enthusiast audiences, today announced plans to become a premier provider of content tailored to the African American culture by entering a partnership with J. Alexander Martin, founder of the iconic fashion brand FUBU and successful producer Roberto “Rush” Evans, to launch the For Us By Us Network. The new service will feature high quality movies, authentic and raw content around issues, personalities and trends related to the hip-hop culture and lifestyle. The service will utilize Cinedigm’s industry-leading Matchpoint technology platform to power the full service, making FUBU one of the first brands to leverage the Matchpoint platform on a SaaS basis.
Although there are 41.6 million African Americans, there are currently only 34 FAST channels focused on African Americans comprising only 2% of all available FAST channels according to data published by Variety. This poses a tremendous opportunity to tap into a key demographic and reach an underserved audience within the burgeoning FAST segment of the entertainment industry.
J. Alexander Martin, an iconic fashion mogul, who created major fashion trends in the late 1990s with partner Daymond John who is now a regular on the ABC reality television series “Shark Tank”, netted $350 million
in sales across 5,000 retail stores and eventually grossed more than $6 billion dollars globally, making him one of the most innovative and creative businessmen in the hip-hop world. Responsible for launching one of the most lucrative fashion brands, Martin continues to set a high standard in creating content for the African American culture. The (FUBU) For Us By Us Network apps will be available across web, mobile as well as connected TV and will be powered by Cinedigm’s Matchpoint Blueprint v2.0 platform. The For Us By Us Network will have access to the complete set of video streaming capabilities offered by Matchpoint which will allow the Network the ability to quickly expand into the US market as well as other emerging markets.“As one of the founders of FUBU, I have gained a very deep comprehension and awareness about the urban consumer and what appeals to them not only in fashion, but entertainment as well,” said J. Alexander Martin, co-owner and CEO of FUBU. “We created the For Us By Us Network so that we can provide high quality, positive content for our culture.”
“We are excited to partner with FUBU to bring their seminal lifestyle brand to the rapidly
growing FAST market and establish them as a leader in video streaming services that meet the needs of the African American community. We will bring our extensive expertise in enthusiast channels and our industry-leading Matchpoint platform to create a compelling service for this discerning brand,” said Marc Rashba, Executive Vice President of Partnerships at Cinedigm. “With their longstanding history and stature that this lifestyle brand maintains with the African American community, we plan to grow the reach of this brand with everything at our disposal including original new offerings across theatrical, podcasts, physical products, audiobooks and other formats.”