Cinedigm acquires Viewster

US content and channels provider Cinedigm has acquired Swiss OTT VOD service Viewster and its subsidiary platform Viewster Anime, adding a property with a trademark presence in more than 30 countries around the world.

Viewster and Viewster Anime’s offerings will be combined into Cinedigm’s library of channels and content, with the company taking over operation of all content, applications, and social assets belonging to both platforms. Ad sales will be handled in-house and through Cinedigm’s network of partners. Cinedigm expects the acquisition to be completed in January 2019.

Cinedigm plans to make Viewster a core part of its ad-based content strategy, integrating the platform’s entertainment library featuring over 5,000 films and series curated by a community of video creators and pop culture enthusiasts. Viewster offerings span genres including cult classics, horror, comedy, gaming, documentaries, action, and more, with titles including Night Of The Living Dead, Fists Of Fury, Gamers: Beyond The Game, American Grindhouse, Visioneers, Maricraft, Sparkles, Honest Trailers, and Happy Tree Friends.

Cinedigm will continue to distribute Viewster Anime as a standalone brand, featuring its selection of Anime films and series, including Street Fighter II: The Animated Movie, Jin-Roh: The Wolf Brigade, and Fist Of The North Star, as well as series such as Mononoke, From The New World, and Gate, among many others.

“Viewster and Viewster Anime are the perfect complement to the Cinedigm brand and will be integral in further cementing our impact in the fandom arena,” said Erick Opeka, president of Cinedigm Networks.

“In the OTT marketplace, there is an incredibly strong desire for the type of content that they specialize in, and this presents a great opportunity for future growth, especially in the quickly expanding ad-supported realm, where we are focusing much of our growth efforts.  Viewster has built a strong and recognizable brand with a massive worldwide footprint on a number of different devices, and we look forward to continuing this proud legacy—integrating their diverse films and series into our premium programming offerings and providing even more quality content specifically designed for the Anime and fandom communities.”