Black History Month on FAST Channels
Black History Month on FAST Channels
How Vevo, LOL! Network, Pluto TV and other FAST channels are celebrating Black History Month
With over 60 FAST channels now dedicated to Black culture or content, Black History Month is a rich opportunity for these channels to showcase content and potentially attract new audiences. FASTMaster has been reaching out to various companies to see their plans - for those who have responded, thank you! If you operate a channel in this space and would like to see it included here, send me a DM with details of your programming. My aim is for this to be a growing list over the next month.
AfroLandTV
AfroLandTV plays a crucial role in showcasing diversified Black stories from around the world, offering a platform that elevates narratives often overlooked by mainstream media. By curating a rich array of movies and TV shows, AfroLandTV provides a space for the authentic representation of Black experiences, cultures, and perspectives. This representation is essential in combating stereotypes and misconceptions. The channel’s approach fosters understanding, and appreciation for the diversity within the Black community.
aspireTV Life
aspireTV Life is the FAST extension of cable network aspireTV. When I reached out to the Aspire team, they shared this information with me from Tina Rodriguez, the senior Director of Content Strategy & Acquisition at Aspire:
“Aspire is the leading Black culture and urban lifestyle entertainment brand which includes a linear cable network (aspireTV) and a FAST channel (aspireTV Life). AspireTV Life is the first FAST channel dedicated to sharing the experiences of the multicultural audience through cooking, fashion, travel, design and more. With our FAST offering, we are able to reach new viewers no matter where and how they consume content. Since we know viewers are shifting toward new digital and streaming platforms, aspireTV Life opens up opportunities for innovation and growth that are reflective of the culture and community we serve. We can promote our exclusive original content and brand defining acquisitions beyond the linear landscape.”
I will say that I have watched aspireTV Life from time to time and the cooking shows are great!
In terms of content for Black History Month, here’s what aspireTV Life is offering:
New episodes premiering of The Graduates: NYC and The Graduates: ATL (on Feb. 7).
The sixth season premiere of Urban Indie Film Block on Feb. 19, featuring 10 hours of content.
Black History Month Marathons to celebrate Black History & Culture:
Sunday, February 4th (12:30p-4:00a) – Music (London Live, Jam Session, 6 Minutes to Glory, The Set)
Sunday, February 11th (12:30p-4:00a) – Food (Twisted Dish, City Eats)
Sunday, February 25th (12:30p-4:00a) – Icons (Icons Idols, Influencers, Magic in the Making, Money Moves)
A Valentine’s Day Movie Marathon on Feb. 14 featuring the following movies: The Baby Proposal, Steps of Faith, The Love Letter and First Impressions.
You can find AspireTV Life on Freevee, Plex, Pluto TV and Xumo Play.
BET Her Pluto TV
Airing movie marathons from BET+ Original Movies on February 1st and 29th for the following titles: Carl Weber's Influence; Big Fifty: Delrhonda Hood Story; Love, Marry, Kill; Hello; Dear Best Friend; Tiffany L Warren's Favorite Son; The Final Say; Sacrifice; A Royal Surprise; Block Party; and North of the 10.
You can find BET Her Pluto TV on LG Channels, Pluto TV and VIDAA.
BET Pluto TV
Airing movie marathons on Feb. 2nd and 28th for BET+ Original Movies: Big Fifty: Delrhonda Hood Story, Dear Best Friend, Hello, Carl Weber's Influence, Sacrifice, My Valentine Crush, North of the 10, Block Party, Bid for Love, The Final Say, Tiffany L Warren's Favorite Son, and Sacrifice.
You can find BET Pluto TV on LG Channels, Pluto TV, Roku Channel, Samsung TV Plus, Sling Freestream, VIDAA and Vizio WatchFree+.
Black Brilliance
Vizio’s owned and operated Black culture channel now seems to be a pop-up (it was formerly a persistent channel until the end of 2023), and features classic African-American films, comedies and documentaries, including: MLK: The Making of a Holiday, Ali, Parks & X: The Fight For Change, Toni Morrison: The Pieces I Am, Believe: The Barack Obama Story, Michelle Obama: Life After The White House, Beyonce On Top, and Wu: The Story Of The Wu-Tang Clan.
You can find Black Brilliance on Vizio WatchFree+.
BounceXL
BounceXL is an extension of diginet Bounce TV, the only nationally distributed over-the-air Black-focused network. For Black History month, BounceXL will showcase specials and documentaries featuring Former President Barack and Michelle Obama, Eddie Murphy, Will Smith, Chris Rock and Tyler Perry. Notable movies include “Pride Against Prejudice: The Larry Doby Story,” “Wilma, A Hero Ain’t Nothin’ But a Sandwich,” “The Black Emperor of Broadway” and “The Forgettable Life of Liam White.” Bounce and Bounce XL will also team up to simulcast the “Black History Honors” special Sunday, Feb. 11 at 1 p.m. ET.
You can find BounceXL on CW Channels, Freevee, Google TV, Plex, Pluto TV, Roku Channel, Samsung TV Plus, Tubi, Vizio WatchFree+ and Xumo Play.
Classic TV Variety
Pluto TV’s channel dedicated to classic variety shows of yore is celebrating Black History Month every Thursday by showing episodes featuring Black artists of shows like The Flip Wilson Show, Showtime at The Apollo, Soul, Johnny Carson, The Ed Sullivan Show and The Carol Burnett Show.
Classic TV Variety is only available on Pluto TV.
Ebony TV by Lionsgate
The partnership between Ebony Magazine and Lionsgate is a great example of a big media company utilizing its premium assets and embracing FAST’s distribution and reach. It’s also important to note that Lionsgate has operated the only Black single IP channel (Are We There Yet?) for a number of years, as I think that combined with Ebony TV, it points to their forward-thinking approach to utilizing premium library content. Ebony TV by Lionsgate also saw several FAST platforms pick it up for Black History Month, which speaks to what is available
The channel features award-winning films, engaging comedies, and popular series that celebrate the global richness of Black culture. Programming highlights include the Golden Globe-nominated drama “The Great Debaters,” starring Denzel Washington and Forest Whitaker; the Dwayne Johnson starrer “Snitch;” “Dear White People,” starring Tessa Thompson; “If Beale Street Could Talk,” starring KiKi Layne; Tyler Perry’s “I Can Do Bad All by Myself,” starring Taraji P. Henson; and Quentin Tarantino’s “Jackie Brown,” starring Pam Grier. Ebony TV by Lionsgate also features shows such as “Are We There Yet?” and “Kevin Hart: What the Fit.”
Susan Hummel, Lionsgate Head of Domestic Channels and EVP & Managing Director, Canada provided this quote to FASTMaster on the strategy around the channel:
“Following the exceptional growth of “MovieSphere by Lionsgate” and 11 of our other FAST channels, we partnered with Ebony Media Group to cater to Black audiences, currently underserved in the FAST space. With Ebony TV by Lionsgate, we have created a channel that celebrates the global richness of Black culture by offering award-winning films like The Great Debaters, cult classics such as Quentin Tarantino’s Jackie Brown and popular series including Are We There Yet? and Kevin Hart: What the Fit, to name a few highlights.”
You can find Ebony TV by Lionsgate on Freevee, Plex, Roku Channel, Samsung TV Plus, Tubi, Vizio WatchFree+ and Xumo Play.
FilmRise Black TV
FilmRise’s channel dedicated to Black content is running a celebration of Black Cinema throughout Black History Month, showcasing top content that features Black actors, plus the period piece The Long Walk Home starring Whoopi Goldberg and Sissy Spacek and documentaries about leaders like MLK, Jr. and President Obama.
You can find FilmRise Black TV on Freevee, Roku Channel, Sling Freestream and Tubi.
LOL! Network
The first FAST network to be started by a celebrity, Kevin Hart’s Hartbeat Productions runs LOL! Network and it is widely distributed across FAST (and is a FAST-first network). I spoke with Hartbeat President and Chief Distribution Officer Jeff Clanagan about how LOL! Network was celebrating Black History Month and he let me know that Hartbeat was “excited about our special lineup, including movies, stand-up specials, and unscripted shows, all designed to celebrate the richness of Black culture and history. Our dedication to Black audiences extends beyond programming. It’s about fostering a space where Black voices, stories, and talents are highlighted consistently, not just during Black History Month but throughout the year."
That’s an important point and applies not just to LOL! Network but many other Black-focused channels. Black History Month often sees the channels placed higher in the EPG than normal and receive more viewership, but they are active all year round serving the Black community. Later this month, I’ll be cataloguing all available channels to help increase awareness as they offer a great overall content offering.
Back to LOL! Network. On the topic of being active all year-round, Jeff told me that their programming is tailored to have a strong impact. “We prioritize compelling Black content that showcases influential Blackpersonalities, a strategy exemplified by featuring content starring Kevin Hart. His star power has been instrumental in driving audience engagement. Our content selection is diverse and resonant, featuring a range of TV shows, movies, and stand-up Comedy specials specifically curated for Black audiences. Shows and movies like Everybody Hates Chris, The PJ’s and Def Comedy Jam have been particularly acclaimed for their authentic representation and storytelling.
Moreover, our approach to marketing is dynamic and continuous, primarily through our extensive social media networks. We maintain a constant dialogue with our audience, engaging millions of followers across various platforms like Facebook, Instagram and YouTube. Through interactive campaigns, content polls, behind-the-scenes glimpses, and exclusive previews, we've built a robust online community that keeps our audience connected and involved.”
You can find LOL! Network on Freevee, Google TV, LG Channels, Peacock, Plex, Pluto TV, Redbox, Roku Channel, Samsung TV Plus, Sling Freestream, Tubi, VIDAA, Vizio WatchFree+ and Xumo Play.
OUTtv Proud
Every Friday, OUTtv Proud is amplifying Black LGBTQ+ voices with titles like Nubia Amplified, Being BeBe and Bob the Drag Queen: Live at Caroline's.
You can find OUTtv Proud on Freevee, Google TV, Plex, Pluto TV and Xumo Play.
Pluto TV Icons
One of Pluto’s movie channels, Icons is featuring marathons for famous Black actors throughout February:
Feb. 4 - Wesley Snipes: The Art of War, The Art of War II, Undisputed, Gallowwalkers, King of New York.
Feb. 9th - Eddie Murphy: Imagine That, Norbit, Boomerang, Harlem Nights, Eddie Murphy: Raw.
Feb. 10th - Forest Whitaker: Platoon, Jason's Lyric, In Too Deep, Hurricane Season, Catch 44.
Feb. 16th - Richard Pryor: Harlem Nights, Hit!, Wild in the Streets.
Feb. 17th - Halle Berry: Boomerang, Things We Lost in the Fire, Dark Tide, Monster's Ball.
Feb. 20th - Sidney Poitier: The Defiant Ones; Paris Blues; Lilies of the Field; The Greatest Story Ever Told; Duel at Diablo; To Sir, With Love; In the Heat of the Night; They Call Me Mister Tibbs!; Six Degrees of Separation.
Feb. 23rd - Samuel L. Jackson: Twisted, Cell, The Spirit, Hard Eight, Black Snake Moan, Unthinkable, Fresh, Soul Men, Shaft.
Feb. 24th - Omar Epps: Higher Learning, In Too Deep, The Wood, Scream 2.
Feb. 25th - Don Cheadle: Hotel Rwanda, Crash, Colors, Traitor.
Pluto TV Icons is available exclusively on Pluto TV.
Shades of Black
Fuse Media's Shades of Black features Black culture, entertainment, movies and lifestyle content. Shades of Black is celebrating Black History Month each Friday evening in February beginning at 6 pm with programming blocks featuring powerful, award-winning documentaries such as "Free Angela and All Political Prisoners," "Good Hair," with Chris Rock, Maya Angelou and Al Sharpton, "Facing Ali," "Michelle Obama: Life After The White House," "Eddie Murphy: Laugh 'Til It Hurts," "Everybody Loves Chris Rock," "American Promise," "Champs," and "The Color of Medicine: The Story of Homer G. Phillips Hospital."
Shades of Black is available on Plex, Pluto TV, Roku Channel, Samsung TV Plus, Freevee, Google TV, Rewarded TV, TCL TV+, Xumo Play, and Vizio WatchFree+.
Vevo
The music video FAST giant offers three channels dedicated to Black music (Vevo Hip-Hop, Vevo R&B and Vevo True School Hip-Hop) but isn’t limiting Black Music Month celebrations to these channels. Given Black artists touch all genres, Vevo is running special content across all of their channels, with highlights noted below:
Vevo ‘70s has a special called Legends of the ‘60s and ‘70s airing throughout February, as well as Best Of’s for Bob Marley, James Brown, Tina Turner, Michael Jackson & The Jacksons, Earth Wind & Fire, Stevie Wonder, Barry White, Sly and the Family Stone, and Rock Royalty: Thin Lizzy.
Vevo ‘80s is running a special Legends of the ‘80s alongside Best Of’s for Chaka Khan, Michael Jackson, Tina Turner, Janet Jackson, Prince, Lionel Ritchie, Whitney Houston, New Edition, Salt-N-Pepa, LL Cool J, Sade, Kool & The Gang, Luther Vandross, Eric B. & Rakim, Billy Ocean, Run-D.M.C., Bobby Brown, and Rock Royalty: Living Colour.
Vevo ‘90s and Vevo 2000s are each running Black History Month specials celebrating Legends of the respective decades.
Vevo 2010s has Legends of the 2010’s as well as an Artist Spotlight: Pharrell Williams special.
Vevo Country has specials on Black country stars, running Artist Spotlights on Darius Rucker, Kane Brown and Mickey Guyton.
Vevo Pop celebrates the contributions to pop music from Black artists with Artist Spotlights for Beyoncé, Victoria Monét, SZA and DJ Khalid.
Vevo Latino and Vevo Reggaeton & Trap have a special for Black History Month on Afro-Latinos, whilst Vevo Íconos Latinos runs a focus on Afro-Latino Legends.
Vevo Hip-Hop has specials on Today’s Hip-Hop Superstars and Hip-Hop Legends and Artist Spotlight’s on Kendrick Lamar, Public Enemy, Rapsody and Queen Latifah.
Vevo True School Hip-Hop is running a special on Hip-Hop Legends.
Vevo R&B has specials on Today’s R&B Superstars and R&B Legends, with Artist Spotlight’s for Erykah Badu, Jill Scott, Bob Marley, and Alicia Keys.
Vevo Retro Rock has a Black History Month special called Black Music Rocks! with artist features under the Rock Royalty line for Rage Against The Machine, Lenny Kravitz, Living Colour and Thin Lizzy.
Vevo Hip-Hop is available on Freevee, Plex, Roku Channel, Samsung TV Plus and Vizio WatchFree+.
Vizio R&B is available on Freevee, Pluto TV, Roku Channel, Samsung TV Plus, VIDAA and Vizio WatchFree+.
Vizio True School Hip-Hop is available on Pluto TV.