MUMBAI: Comcast and Sony Pictures Entertainment unveiled plans to premiere a new Horror and Thriller multi-platform network on Halloween, 31 October, 2006.

Plans for the new advertising-supported network were unveiled by Comcast president emerging networks Diane Robina and Sony Pictures Television president Steve Mosko.
The network will captivate fear seekers and fans of the horror film genre - one of the fastest-growing genres at the box office. It will debut on video on demand and the internet at launch, and will add a wireless platform in the future. The channel is the first multi-platform network that leverages the combined assets of the Sony and MGM libraries, which make up the largest collection of its kind in the world. Comcast and Sony announced their intent to create new distribution platforms for this content when the companies and other investors purchased the MGM library last year.
Horror and thriller films have emerged on the mainstream film scene in the last several years with box office numbers skyrocketing. Twenty per cent of the feature films released by major studios in 2005 were in this category, and one in three of those debuted at number one at the box office. The genre, which now features top Hollywood stars and grosses more than $1 billion a year, has a growing fan base in the sought-after 18-34 demographic.

"Horror fans not only like this genre, they are passionate about it. This is the first channel of its kind devoted solely to serving this expanding audience and a great advertising opportunity to reach this demographic. The number of horror fans is growing exponentially, and they are hungry for this kind of multimedia experience. This is the perfect time and the ideal platform to introduce a dedicated horror experience," said Robina.

"We are excited to be launching the first of our joint channels with our partners at Comcast. More and more people are looking to a variety of sources for their entertainment, and this new channel will be available on multiple platforms simultaneously, redefining the idea of what a network is," said Mosko.

The network will feature film and TV contemporary thrillers, suspense dramas, horror titles and more on Comcast's On Demand service on 31 October and will launch its multimedia fan website the same day.

"The depth of offerings available from the Sony and MGM libraries is unparalleled. We have hundreds of titles at our disposal to satisfy every thrill seeker," added Robina.

Horror movie fans will get the online experience they want through a video-rich, multimedia online environment that will become the horror destination for the fan community, and will include: exclusive horror outtakes, music downloads, a scream fest, original animation and behind-the- scenes footage. The network will add a wireless component that will feature horror ringtones, sound effects and other features designed specifically for the mobile experience.

The companies will announce the new network's name and additional details about the multimedia content in the coming months.