Charles D. King‘s MACRO has acquired the streaming service ALLBLK from AMC Global Media. Continuing the mission to bring Black storytelling to life, King’s takeover is said to be “seamless,” while the platform will remain independent. MACRO said it plans to invest in original programming, strengthen audience engagement, and integrate the streamer into its studio operations.
MACRO was founded in 2015 as a multi-platform media company. Since its inception, the company has produced Judas and the Black Messiah, Fences, Just Mercy, They Cloned Tyrone, and more. “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, which targets Black viewers, was launched in 2014 as UMC, short for Urban Movie Classics, by businessman and BET founder Robert L. Johnson. Original series on the streaming service include G.R.I.T.S., D.O.P.E. Unit, Jupiter Jones, and Wild Rose. The deal also promises to continue supporting ALLBLK’s original slate and content library.
Macro’s Future With ALLBLK
Although financial terms have not been made public, AMC Global Media CEO Kristin Dolan said ALLBLK has had “a fantastic year,” setting the stage for further growth. Since King’s early start, he recognized the lack of opportunities for people of color to break into Hollywood.
In an interview with Forbes, King said he founded MACRO “because Hollywood historically suffered from an inability to provide equilibrium, and lacked enough financing or focus dedicated solely to authentic narratives from people of color.”
Over 10 years later, King’s dream is still alive and thriving, as he recognizes that “ALLBLK adds an additional piece to the vision with this opportunity to build upon what has made the platform successful.”
“Charles and the entire team at MACRO bring the expertise to further ALLBLK’s strong trajectory,” Dolan said. “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.”
Marco’s upcoming projects include If I Go Will They Miss Me and Chris Rock’s upcoming film, Misty Green.
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