Charles D. King‘s media company, MACRO, has acquired ALLBLK from AMC Global Media, marking its entry into direct-to-consumer streaming.
MACRO, the multi-platform entertainment company behind films such as Judas and the Black Messiah, One of Them Days, Sorry to Bother You, They Cloned Tyrone, and the forthcoming Josephine and If I Go Will They Miss Me, as well as Apple TV’s Government Cheese and the Netflix original series Gentefied, plans to invest in new original programming to usher in ALLBLK’s next phase of expansion, the company said. With the acquistition, MACRO says it is committed to greater creative collaboration across its studios and network, and a heavy focus on audience development and community engagement to deepen the platform’s relationship with core viewers.
No terms of the deal were disclosed.
“At a time of significant disruption and consolidation across the media industry landscape, MACRO sees an opportunity to invest in a focused platform with a clear audience and strengthen it through greater resources, content and creative partnerships,” King said in a statement. “ALLBLK adds an additional piece to that vision with this opportunity to build upon what has made the platform successful. We’re proud of our longstanding partnership with AMC Global Media and excited to lead ALLBLK into its next chapter.”
“ALLBLK has had a fantastic year, establishing a strong foundation for continued growth under the stewardship of MACRO, a strategic partner in which we’ve been an investor for nearly a decade,” AMC Global Media CEO Kristin Dolan said. “Charles and the entire team at MACRO bring the expertise to further ALLBLK’s strong trajectory. They have a great vision for ALLBLK, and I’m particularly pleased that we will continue to be involved as investors and through a new content licensing agreement between our companies that will serve these passionate fans for years to come.”
ALLBLK, formally known as UMC, was launched in 2014 by BET co-founder Robert L. Johnson and is the first streaming service created specifically for Black television and movies. Its current library consists of original series such as G.R.I.T.S., D.O.P.E. Unit, Jupiter Jones and Wild Rose; independent films; Black cinema classics; We TV originals and stage plays. The platform will continue to operate independently, ensuring a seamless viewing experience for subscribers.