Refinery29 To Launch Ad-Supported OTT Service In Q4, Will Expand Live Events Business

Refinery29 announced today the launch of its first OTT service called Channel29 — an ad-supported platform that will comprise live and on-demand video as well as ecommerce. Set to bow in the fourth quarter on mobile devices, smart TVs, and the company’s existing digital destinations, Channel29 will seek to “strengthen Refinery29’s audience relationship through radically inclusive content,” according to a press release.

At its NewFront presentation this afternoon, Refinery29 also announced an expansion of its pop-up events initiative, 29Rooms (pictured above), to San Francisco and Chicago. In 2017, 29Rooms — which hosts interactive spaces comprised of 29 artist-curated rooms — attracted over 45,000 attendees in New York and Los Angeles.

Refinery’s 2018 NewFronts slate features ten new and six returning series — many with a socially-conscious bent. Notable callouts include the company’s first-ever Snapchat show, Beauty Evolution; the Michaela Angela Davis-hosted America. The Beautiful, which will showcase black women who are redefining American politics, culture, and style; and a six-part documentary series called Pride

that will chronicle the fight for LGBTQ civil rights from executive producer Christine Vachon (Killer Films).

Returning series include Try Living With Lucie, The Mention, and Style Out There.

Last month, Refinery undertook a comprehensive redesign of its flagship website that focuses on getting consumers to take action — be it to watch video or shop. Since the redesign, Refinery’s newly-tapped COO Sarah Personette said that on-site shopping has increased by 400%. On the video front, Refinery said that, over the past year, its audience of 425 million consumed 4.1 billion minutes of video — including a 720% increase in watch time on YouTube as well as a 132% rise in audience engagement on Instagram.