Cinemax Adds Action Series

Premium Net Moves to Build on Strength With Young Men

By R. THOMAS UMSTEAD -- Multichannel News, 7/18/2011 12:01:00 AM

Cinemax will join sister premium network HBO in the scripted-series arena with the launch of two action-themed series later this year.

The Aug. 12 launch of its first original series, Strike Back, will also be the catalyst for the launch of the network’s MaxGo app for iPad and other portable devices, according to Eric Kessler, co-president of HBO.

The 10-episode action/thriller series Strike Back, based on a U.K. series of the same name, stars Sullivan Stapleton as a former U.S. Special Forces operative who teams with an elite British military unit led by Philip Winchester to try to thwart an international terrorist group.

A second series, based on the popular Transporter movie franchise, will debut later this fall, officials said.

“We looked at all the programming out there, and we looked at the business generally, and we thought it was an opportunity to create longform, serialized, action series,” Kessler said. “We thought Cinemax was the perfect place for that type of programming, because the brand skews male and we decided to reposition the brand from mainstream popcorn entertainment to kind of a younger, edgier personality.”

MALE AUDIENCE

Indeed, the network decided to launch with testosterone-driven action shows in an effort to reach the network’s heavily male audience. Action movies such as Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, X-Men Origins: Wolverine, Terminator: Salvation, Sherlock Holmes and Fast & Furious were rated among the top 10 most-watched movies on the network in 2010, according to Kary Antholis, president of HBO miniseries.

“We looked at the top-rated movies on Cinemax and what we found consistently is that high-octane, high-adrenaline, accessible movies were what people watched and wanted to watch,” he said, adding that women also tune into such programming.

“What we sought to do is to look for projects that we could get into that were in the ballpark of what was competitive with what pay channels pay,” Antholis added.

Kessler said HBO is not looking for additional license fees for Cinemax, given the added value original programming is expected to bring, although he said the network is always talking to operators about its investment in the network.

“This is going to uniquely position Max within the pay TV environment, and the affiliates are very appreciative of that fact that we’re making a significant investment in programming and [they] responded enthusiastically about the launch,” he said.

HBO is putting significant promotion behind the launch of Strike Back — including running spots promoting Cinemax product on HBO for the first time — as well as running spots in movie theaters.

“We are launching this like a significant series on HBO,” Kessler said. “The series will get the full marketing support that we give to HBO shows.”

AFFILIATE ENGAGEMENT
Antholis would not predict how the series will perform but said the positive feedback from affiliates has already made the series a success for Cinemax.

“The success of these shows is in the enthusiasm that they create among the affiliates for Cinemax and for the programming on Cinemax,” he said. “If they’re more engaged to sell Cinemax, to really present it and view it as a premium to subscribers, then we will have done our job.”

Cinemax’s original series will help launch the network’s MaxGo app service, which will be available for Apple and Google Android devices, Kessler said. The app will be similar to the HBO Go app launched last April, which has been downloaded more than 3.5 millon times.

“We think it will do particularly well in the online world,” he said.