IFC Films Moves First Pay Window to Sister Streamer AMC+, Which Unveils Plan for Weekly Movie Premieres

variety.com:

Michael Schneider Variety Editor at LargeIFC Films is moving its first pay television window to AMC+, in a bid by AMC Networks to carve out a weekly exclusive movie premiere every week of the year for its in-house streaming service.

Under the new deal, announced on Tuesday, AMC+ will be the exclusive streaming home of movies from AMC Networks Film Group — which includes IFC Films, IFC Midnight and RLJE Films — in the “Pay 1” window, following theatrical and digital distribution.The films, premiering each Friday on AMC+, will stream 90 days after their initial theatrical release, but select titles will premiere day-and-date in both theaters and simultaneously on AMC+.

IFC Films had previously held distribution pacts with Showtime and Hulu. The new pact starts on May 6, with the streaming premiere of IFC Films’ “Clean,” starring Adrien Brody and RZA. “Clean” was released in theaters on January 28.As part of the 52-week premiere strategy, the last Friday of each month — dubbed “The Final Friday” by AMC+ — will feature a horror film release from AMC Networks’ Shudder label.

Shudder continues to acquire genre titles with the help of IFC Films and RLJE Films.In taking AMC Networks Film Group’s output in house, the company hopes to further grow AMC+ as its flagship streaming destination; besides airing episodes of signature series like “The Walking Dead” early, as well as exclusive runs of series such as crime drama “Kin” and mystery “Ragdoll.”The streaming service has also already dabbled in exclusive streaming movie premieres, running one a week through November and into December in 2021, including a couple of releases that were day-and-date with theatrical.