Programming includes the exclusive world premiere of Haunted Gold Rush and US premiere of Hotel Paranormal Season 2
Blue Ant International holds worldwide rights for Haunted Gold Rush
(Toronto, ON – Oct 19, 2022) International producer, distributor and channel operator, Blue Ant Media announced today the launch of its free, ad-supported streaming TV (FAST) channel HauntTV on VIZIO WatchFree+ in the U.S. The channel’s extensive library of paranormal-themed programming is now available to VIZIO’s audiences beginning this month.
Additionally, VIZIO will premiere two exclusive original series from Blue Ant Media during its Fall Fest line-up.
- The global premiere of Haunted Gold Rush (2 x 60’; HD), Blue Ant Media’s first-ever original FAST-first docu-series explores the ghostly mysteries along an historic Gold Rush Trail in British Columbia, told through the eyes of a strong female force of paranormal investigators, Corine Carey, Leanne Sallenback and Kelly Ireland. British Columbia’s Cariboo Gold Rush trail was a bustling, wild and often violent place in the 1800s. Today, the 650 km stretch of land is considered a hotspot for paranormal activity and has hundreds of stories of hauntings from more than a dozen locations. Ghost sightings along this trail are nothing new, but recently there have been numerous intense and dramatic reports. Now, three paranormal detectives have been called in to take an unprecedented road-trip and retrace this historic Gold Rush Trail. The documentary follows them as they solve mysteries and witness hauntings along the way. Haunted Gold Rush is produced by Small Army Entertainment in association with Blue Ant Media. Blue Ant International oversees global distribution.
- The exclusive U.S. premiere of Hotel Paranormal, Season 2. Narrated by Emmy® Award-winning and Oscar®-nominated actor Dan Aykroyd, who is a firm believer in the paranormal, the second installment of this fan-favorite series ramps up the scares with more real-life stories of otherworldly run-ins at hotels. The terrifying paranormal encounters take place at 4-star hotels, bed and breakfasts, highway motels and inns around the world. From hotel workers and guests witnessing objects flying across the room to uncovering trapped ancient spirits and experiencing demonic possession, Hotel Paranormal brings to life terrifying encounters with dramatic recreations and paranormal expert insights. Hotel Paranormal is produced by Saloon Media, a Blue Ant Media company. Blue Ant International oversees global distribution.
Following the Fall Fest premiere on VIZIO, these series will appear on the HauntTV channel, with Haunted Gold Rush premiering on October 27 and Hotel Paranormal, Season 2 on October 28:
“October is perfect timing for VIZIO to bring HauntTV’s exclusive line-up of paranormal and ghostly programming to its audiences, just ahead of Halloween,” says Jamie Schouela, President, Global Channels & Media, Blue Ant Media. “VIZIO has been a key collaborator and we’re excited to celebrate HauntTV’s launch on the platform and to have VIZIO premiere two Blue Ant Media original productions, including our first-ever original to premiere globally on a FAST platform.”
“Our continued mission is to provide our users with the content they crave and the data shows that Fall is primetime for viewing paranormal content for our users,” said Greg Barnard, Director of Content Acquisition at VIZIO. “We are pleased that we can provide these exclusive releases on WatchFree+ for our users, while expanding our collaboration with Blue Ant Media.”
Programming highlights available now on HauntTV include:
- Ghost Chasers (10 x 60’), exploring some of Europe’s most haunted locations, in search of proof ghosts really exist
- Ghostly Encounters (83×30’), following the first-hand real-life accounts of those who have experienced chilling spectral run-ins
- World’s Scariest Hauntings (10 x 60’), exploring some of the most terrifying ghost and horror stories from around the globe
- Paranormal Survivor (50 x 60’; HD; Season 2 and Season 3), that chronicles the horrifying real-life ghostly encounters or ordinary people. Their bone-chilling stories are told first-hand and unfold slowly using terrifying reenactments
- Boogeymen (26 x 60’; HD; Seasons 1 and 2), an in-depth look at the history of local monsters in picturesque towns according to believers and skeptics.
This announcement builds on Blue Ant Media’s momentum and expansion into the emerging free streaming space around the world and expands the company’s existing distribution with VIZIO. The company’s global wildlife and nature brand, Love Nature, and true crime brand, Total Crime, are also available on the platform.
Blue Ant Media’s suite of FAST (free, ad-supported streaming TV) channels offer audiences curated, exclusive programming that is free to access on growing platforms like VIZIO WatchFree+, The Roku Channel, Xumo, Samsung TV Plus and VIX. The company’s growing global portfolio of FAST channels include Love Nature, HauntTV, Total Crime, CrimeTime, Homeful and HistoryTime.
Blue Ant Media is a privately held, international content producer, distributor and channel operator. We own and operate numerous production companies in North America and Asia-Pacific, creating content for broadcasters and streaming platforms in multiple genres including factual entertainment, natural history, documentary and adult animation. Our distribution business, Blue Ant International, offers a substantial catalog of content, including one of the world’s largest 4K natural history offerings. Blue Ant Media operates linear and free streaming channels under several brands including Love Nature, Smithsonian Channel Canada, BBC Earth (Canada), BBC First (Canada), HauntTV, CrimeTime, Total Crime, Homeful and HistoryTime. Blue Ant Media is headquartered in Toronto, with eight international offices in Los Angeles, New York, Singapore, Tokyo, London, Washington, Mumbai and Beijing. Blueantmedia.com Twitter⼁Instagram⼁LinkedIn
About VIZIO:
Founded and headquartered in Orange County, California, our mission at VIZIO Holding Corp. (NYSE: VZIO) is to deliver immersive entertainment and compelling lifestyle enhancements that make our products the center of the connected home. We are driving the future of televisions through our integrated platform of cutting-edge Smart TVs and powerful operating system. We also offer a portfolio of innovative sound bars that deliver consumers an elevated audio experience. Our platform gives content providers more ways to distribute their content and advertisers more tools to connect with the right audience. For more information, visit VIZIO.com and follow VIZIO on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.