Crackle, Crackle Classics, Chicken Soup for the Soul, Popcornflix, and Truli Bring Thousands of New Movies, TV Shows, and Originals to Local Now’s Robust Channel Lineup 

Crackle Plus, a Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment, Inc. (Nasdaq: CSSE) company, and one of the largest operators of streaming advertising-supported video-on-demand (AVOD) streaming services, announced today the agreement to launch five FAST channels on Local Now, Allen Media Group’s fast-growing, free streaming platform for local news and entertainment in America. Crackle Plus FAST channels include Crackle, Crackle Classics, its newly launched Chicken Soup for the Soul streaming service, action-fueled network Popcornflix and Truli, its faith and family streaming service.

Local Now’s audience will gain access to the expansive Crackle Plus library that uplifts, entertains, and inspires audiences with original and exclusive programming from Crackle, including the series Taboo and the feature film The Mercy; Crackle Classics’ film and TV series such as Laurel and Hardy and Little Rascals libraries; adventure and action-packed shows from Popcornflix such as the feature 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea and the two-part limited series Jules Verne’s Mysterious Island; an extensive collection of female-led shows from Chicken Soup for the Soul including Smart Home Nation and Mothers and Daughters; and family-friendly and faith-based content from Truli such as the critically acclaimed Bible series The Chosen. 

“We’re thrilled to bring our vast library of content to Local Now viewers, which between our five streaming services, will offer something for everyone,” said president of Crackle Plus, Philippe Guelton. “Expanding our distribution with Local Now also reflects our commitment to providing consumers with high quality, entertaining content for free with the support of advertisers who can now reach a brand new audience.” 

“Crackle is a household name in family entertainment, and we are thrilled to partner and add their five channels to Local Now’s stellar lineup,” said Byron Allen, founder, chairman, and chief executive officer of Allen Media Group – the parent company of Local Now.  “Local Now is strongly committed to the free streaming space, and we continue to grow our platform by working with amazing brands like Crackle to deliver our viewers high-quality free content.” 

The Crackle Plus streaming services are currently distributed through 70 touchpoints in the U.S. on platforms including Amazon FireTV, RokuTV, Apple TV, Smart TVs (Samsung, LG, Vizio), gaming consoles (PS4 and Xbox One), Plex, iOS and Android mobile devices and on desktops at Crackle.com, with previously announced plans to expand to over 90 touchpoints. Crackle is also available in approximately 500,000 hotel rooms in the Marriott Bonvoy chain.

Crackle Plus’ recent releases include the exclusive scripted series Les Norton, which stars Alexander Bertram and Rebel Wilson, Tia Mowery’s Comfort Kitchen, the suspense thriller Blast, Inside the Black Box, hosted by Joe Morton and the award-winning BBC series Sherlock, starring Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman. They also recently announced season three of the award-winning series Going From Broke. 

Local Now offers more than 450 free streaming channels, including a Local Now channel in every DMA in the country, as well as more than 14,000 movies, TV shows, and documentaries. The Local Now app is available on Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, Android TV, Xfinity, Vizio, Samsung, Android and iOS devices.