Crackle Plus Collaborates with Nielson’s Gracenote to Enable Improved Discoverability of Content Across All Devices

Rhea-AI Summary

Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment (Nasdaq: CSSE) announced a partnership with Gracenote on November 18, 2021. This collaboration aims to enhance content discoverability for Crackle, Popcornflix, and Chicken Soup for the Soul streaming services. By utilizing Gracenote's entertainment metadata and IDs, viewers will find it easier to search and engage with over 90,000 hours of content. The partnership is expected to improve visibility as Crackle Plus expands its distribution across various platforms, including Amazon FireTV and RokuTV.

Positive

• Collaboration with Gracenote enhances content discoverability for streaming titles.
• Access to enriched metadata will improve user engagement and consumption.
• Expands Crackle Plus distribution to over 64 platforms, increasing audience reach.

Negative

• None.

Gracenote metadata and content identifiers will help viewers more easily find and watch Crackle, Popcornflix, and Chicken Soup for the Soul content

COS COB, Conn., Nov. 18, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment Inc. (“the Company”) (Nasdaq: CSSE), one of the largest operators of streaming advertising-supported video-on-demand (AVOD) networks, announced today a new collaboration with Gracenote, the world’s leading entertainment metadata and content ID provider under Nielsen (NYSE: NLSN).

With this agreement, Crackle Plus systems will use Gracenote entertainment metadata and unique Gracenote IDs to make Crackle, Popcornflix and Chicken Soup for the Soul streaming service titles more searchable and discoverable by viewers across streaming, multichannel video programming distributor (MVPD), connected TV (CTV), and digital search platforms. Crackle Plus will also cooperate with Gracenote on distribution of free ad-supported streaming TV (FAST) channels starting with the upcoming Crackle and Popcornflix launches. Gracenote will provide a set of enriched metadata such as titles, cast and crew, runtime, ratings, synopsis, theme, mood, and episodic imagery. Crackle Plus will use the metadata across its varied AVOD brands and streaming applications, to maximize engagement and consumption of its content.

Crackle Plus AVOD networks offer audiences over 90,000 hours of content across its network of streaming services. Each piece of content has its own set of data that must be accessed by any platform offering these titles. The information Gracenote provides is tagged with industry-standard Gracenote IDs allowing to seamlessly connect video assets across all platforms. Given the dozens of different devices and networks Crackle Plus content is available on, Gracenote’s ability to rapidly enable universal search and discovery on the world’s leading video on demand (VOD) and FAST platforms is now more important than ever.

“Making content more easily searchable and discoverable across VOD and FAST platforms is one of our missions at Gracenote,” said Simon Adams, chief product officer at Gracenote. “This is especially important for Crackle Plus networks given the breadth of their content and their wide distribution through both linear and FAST streaming channels. Our work together will result in even higher visibility and consumption of their vast programming library.”

“The Crackle Plus team is very excited to be working with Gracenote,” said Philippe Guelton, president of Crackle Plus. “This relationship means that we can be even more effective for our delivery partners and in turn improve the navigation, search, and discoverability of our amazing originals, exclusives, blockbusters, and classic TV series across the OTT landscape. This becomes exponentially important as Crackle Plus streaming services become available on more endpoints every month.”

The Crackle Plus networks are currently distributed through 50 touch points in the U.S. with announced plans to expand to over 64 touch points including Amazon FireTV, RokuTV, Apple TV, Smart TVs (Samsung, LG, Vizio), gaming consoles (PS4 and XBoxOne), Plex, iOS and Android mobile devices and on desktops at Crackle.com. Crackle is also available in approximately 500,000 hotel rooms in the Marriott Bonvoy chain.

Gracenote is the content solutions pillar of Nielsen providing entertainment metadata, content IDs and related offerings to the world’s leading creators, distributors and platforms. Gracenote technology enables advanced content navigation and discovery capabilities ensuring consumers can easily connect to the TV shows, movies, music and sports they love while delivering powerful content analytics making complex business decisions simpler. Learn more at gracenote.com.

ABOUT CHICKEN SOUP FOR THE SOUL ENTERTAINMENT
Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment, Inc. (Nasdaq: CSSE) (the “Company”) operates streaming video-on-demand networks (VOD). The Company owns Crackle Plus, which owns and operates a variety of ad-supported and subscription-based VOD networks including Crackle, Chicken Soup for the Soul, Popcornflix, Popcornflix Kids, Truli, Pivotshare, Españolflix and FrightPix. The Company also acquires and distributes video content through its Screen Media subsidiary and produces original video content through the Chicken Soup for the Soul Television Group. Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment is a subsidiary of Chicken Soup for the Soul, LLC, which publishes the famous book series and produces super-premium pet food under the Chicken Soup for the Soul brand name.

ABOUT NIELSON
Nielsen shapes the world’s media and content as a global leader in audience measurement, data and analytics. Through our understanding of people and their behaviors across all channels and platforms, we empower our clients with independent and actionable intelligence so they can connect and engage with their audiences—now and into the future.

An S&P 500 company, Nielsen (NYSE: NLSN) operates around the world in more than 55 countries. Learn more at www.nielsen.com or www.nielsen.com/investors and connect with us on social media.

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
This press release includes forward-looking statements within the meaning of the federal securities laws. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts. These statements are based on various assumptions, whether or not identified in this press release, and on the current expectations of management and are not predictions of actual performance. Such assumptions involve a number of known and unknown risks and uncertainties, including but not limited to our core strategy, operating income and margin, seasonality, liquidity, including cash flows from operations, available funds, and access to financing sources, free cash flows, revenues, net income, profitability, stock price volatility, future regulatory changes, price changes, the ability of the Company’s content offerings to achieve market acceptance, the Company’s success in retaining or recruiting officers, key employees, or directors, the ability to protect intellectual property, the ability to complete strategic acquisitions, the ability to manage growth and integrate acquired operations, the ability to pay dividends, regulatory or operational risks, and general market conditions impacting demand for the Company’s services. For a more complete description of these and other risks and uncertainties, please refer the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2020, filed with the SEC on March 31, 2021, and for further information regarding our recent acquisition of the Sonar library and related assets, please see our Current Reports on Form 8-K, as amended, filed with the SEC on May 27, 2021 and July 1, 2021. If any of these risks materialize or our assumptions prove incorrect, actual results could differ materially from the results implied by these forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date hereof and the Company expressly disclaims any obligation or undertaking to release publicly any updates or revisions to any forward-looking statements contained herein to reflect any change in the Company’s expectations with respect thereto or any change in events, conditions or circumstances on which any statement is based.

INVESTOR RELATIONS
Taylor Krafchik
Ellipsis
csse@ellipsisir.com
(646) 776-0886

MEDIA CONTACT
Kate Barrette
RooneyPartners LLC
kbarrette@rooneypartners.com
(212) 223-0561

FAQ

What is the significance of the partnership between CSSE and Gracenote?

The partnership improves content discoverability for CSSE's streaming services, enhancing viewer engagement through enriched metadata.

How many platforms will Crackle Plus be available on after the partnership?

Crackle Plus plans to expand its distribution to over 64 platforms.

What content services are affected by the CSSE and Gracenote collaboration?

The collaboration impacts Crackle, Popcornflix, and Chicken Soup for the Soul services.

When was the announcement of the CSSE and Gracenote partnership made?

The announcement was made on November 18, 2021.