Kitsap County Uncut Sets Deal with HOODX Television for Broadcast-Centric Skinny Bundle Service

[K-Blao]

Lions Den 360 Promotions and Marketing has reached a deal with HOODX Television Network to carry Kitsap County Uncut as part of the skinny bundle channel package that the TV network plans to officially launch in February of 2018.  

HOODX intends to launch the low-cost streaming package under the YouTube and Strimm umbrella, industry sources said.  HOODX moves in this area add a heavyweight contender to the crowded field of “virtual MVPDs” lining up to reach the next generation of pay TV subscribers with services delivered via broadband rather than traditional wired cable, satellite TV or telco packages.  

"When you take a look at what Tidal and Spotify are doing with their platforms, it's great to see that they are able to build a platform to pay artists with,"  HOODX CEO, K-Blao said.  "What HOODX is doing differently is that we are giving artists a platform to publish their music videos in a low cost, pay per view way.  This is not only online, but on television as well.  Kitsap County Uncut's blueprint fit our blueprint like a hand to a glove."

It is understood that the HOODX-Lions Den 360 deal will encompass carriage of the television distribution that HOODX owns through their independent partnerships through Comcast, Time-Warner, Verizon, and Cox Cable.  HOODX is also in works with a deal with Youtube and several other online television platforms.

HOODX has a lot of competition in its quest to capitalize on the rising ranks of cord cutters and cord nevers. Dish Network launched its Sling TV service in January 2015. Sling offers two different basic packages for $20 a month, to which customers can add various themed channel packs for $5, or tack on premium channels like HBO or Starz. It currently has an estimated 764,000 subscribers, according to SNL Kagan.

Tidal has 4.2 million users at a rate of $9.99 per month.  Tidal offers exclusive video content and concerts not offered on any other platform.  It is a lot less expensive because it focuses on music first, videos second.  Tidal does not offer movies or tv shows.

Sony Playstation's Vue product is essentially a regular-sized cable package delivered via the internet — with a monthly cost of $40 for 60 channels. Vue is more expensive than Sling, though it also includes more channels. Vue only launched nationwide in March, so subscriber numbers are a little thin.

Hulu announced last May that it would be launching a live OTT package in early 2017. Hulu has only officially signed Turner networks on, but deals with Disney and 20th Century Fox are just about done. Analysts put the potential price for the package around $40.

AT&T’s DirecTV Now is a bid to offer consumers more mobility in their video package, but it is not designed to be a low-cost service. The product is set to launch toward the end of 2016 with more than 100 channels, an offering for customers who want to watch their TV anywhere they are, and who don’t want to have to deal with a satellite dish or having to wait for the cable guy.

Google has also been offering TV packages over the internet to its Google Fiber customers since its inception, giving customers a robust lineup of around 180 channels for an extra $60. But an August report from The Information said Google is cutting costs at its Fiber division, halving the staff. Analyst Craig Moffett of MoffettNathanson estimated in early September that Google Fiber had just 68,715 TV subscribers.

Meanwhile, HOODX has been taking big steps to enhance the video offerings on #HOODXLIVE, which remains the only all hip hop platform on television. A year ago, the company launched HOODX Television Network (beta), the $10 a month subscription service that gives customers access to exclusive video content and HOODX Radio streaming music library.  

"Right now everything is still in beta, so we have a "paid by honor" system," K-Blao said.  "Those who believe in what we are doing pay $10 per month to receive our updates, get thier videos distributed, and most importantly, build their fan base.   We allow all of our affiliates to offer package deals to their fans using our platform.  

Kitsap County Uncut will begin airing on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Fridays on #HOODXLIVE.  The #HOODXLIVE television schedule is on HOODX.com.