Cineverse Corp announced today plans to expand the company’s revenue-generating opportunities in audio and publishing.
Under the direction of the Bloody Disgusting team at Cineverse, Bloody Press is the new publishing arm of the company, focused on creating and bringing audiobooks, e-books and print editions to market. The division’s first title, an adaptation of 2022’s instant cult slasher success, Terrifier 2, will debut in February 2024. It will be penned by Tim Waggoner (author of the best-selling Halloween Ends novelization for Universal Pictures), and available in all of the above formats, furthering the horror icon status of Art the Clown in new ways.
The company also plans to follow this novelizations of the original Terrifier and of the upcoming Terrifier 3, launching day-and-date with next year’s theatrical premiere of the latter on October 25, 2024. A collectible three-volume set is expected to then be available for the holidays.
Cineverse Podcast Network – Expansion following Record Success
The Cineverse Podcast Network, which has shown record success driven by its horror-focused audio content under the ‘Bloody FM’ banner, is now actively developing programming across the anime and general entertainment categories. To lead the charge, the company has appointed Bloody Disgusting’s Tom Owen to the new position of managing director of audio, and Pacific Obadiah to head of original programming for the Cineverse Podcast Network.
With 35 titles now available, Cineverse Podcast Network has seen downloads up 22% month- over-month (September 2023 to October 2023), and podcast revenue up 214% year-over-year (September 2023 vs. September 2022). In October, advertisers on the company’s horror podcasts leading into Halloween included major studios such as Lionsgate, Paramount Pictures and Sony Pictures.
On the horror side, the following was announced today:
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Two major premieres will debut in summer 2024 – a Terrifier podcast, and the previously announced Dead Space: Deep Cover, based on the Dead Space video game (produced in conjunction with Electronic Arts).
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The Dead – from Bloody Disgusting and The George A. Romero Foundation – premiered on October 31 and quickly entered the top 10 on Apple’s podcast charts in the fiction category.
“From the theatrical success of independent films such as Terrifier 2, to the triple-digit growth at SCREAMBOX as we approach two years since acquiring the streamer, we have amassed a strong track record in horror,” said Erick Opeka, Cineverse president and chief strategy officer. “Tom Owen, Brad Miska and the entire Bloody Disgusting team have not only shown the ability to identify and develop great horror content, but also to drive new revenue for the company overall, across every medium, including audio, consumer products, and now publishing.”
Added Owen, “I’m thrilled for the coming debut of Bloody Press, and for the opportunity for Pacific and I to take what we have learned from Bloody FM to expand our audio capabilities into other genres. We are grateful to the fans and brands who have connected with great podcasts like The Dead, Mayfair Watcher’s Society and The Losers’ Club, and can’t wait to bring them Dead Space: Deep Cover, Terrifier and more in the coming months.”
