Lionsgate has inked a deal with rapper and TV mogul Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson to launch a free ad-supported channel, 50 Cent Action.
The new FAST channel will offer premium content from Lionsgate’s library, including the original Power series. Other action fare to land on the FAST channel from the Hollywood studio’s vault will include popular movies like The Expendables, The Hitman’s Bodyguard and Rambo, and over a dozen films that starred Jackson.
Power, the Courtney Kemp-created series Jackson executive produced, launched a run of hits for Starz after its 2014 debut, and the resulting Power universe spawned spinoffs like Ghost and Raising Kanan. Jackson is also behind the crime drama BMF for Lionsgate Television and Starz.
Lionsgate said it will work with Jackson to promote and curate the 50 Cent Action channel. “50 Cent’s movies and television series are synonymous with non-stop action, and we’re thrilled to extend our longstanding partnership into the FAST space,” Lionsgate president of worldwide television distribution Jim Packer said in a statement on Thursday.
Jackson will partner with the Hollywood studio via his G-Unit Film and Television and G-Unit Studios banners. “This channel will bring diverse, action-packed content to audiences everywhere, reflecting my passion for storytelling and providing a platform for fresh, dynamic voices. I look forward to working closely with all the FAST platforms to make this a successful channel,” the rapper said in his own statement.
In The Hollywood Reporter’s July 31 cover story on Jackson, he touted the “huge library” of action movies that will be part of the roster. “I’ll make sure the quality of everything is there,” he said. “The platform has to be able to fit my original material. So you’ll see the Power series — those universes will be there. BMF now has spinoff shows coming. Give me one year and I’ll be ranked the highest FAST channel.”
Lionsgate has launched around two dozen FAST channels worldwide, including Ebony TV and MovieSphere. The studio sees growth potential after pointing to channels targeted at Black audiences making up just 2 percent of all available FAST channels in the U.S. market, when African Americans represent 14 percent of the U.S. population. S: THR
