Time Warner Is Launching a Netflix Competitor Targeted at Film Aficionados

Outside of HBO GO/HBO Now and Hulu, few have been able to compete with Netflix in the realm of streaming video services. Time Warner may have a good shot at standing up to streaming’s reigning champ, however, as the entertainment conglomerate’s Turner imprint is set to launch its own standalone service — one intended specifically for film aficionados. Dubbed FilmStruck and slated to debut this fall, the service — built by the same team behind Turner Classic Movies — will eschew television binge-watching in favor of iconic flicks and, notably, will be the exclusive home of The Criterion Collection (which is currently available via Hulu) and as it looks to boast a library built on “an eclectic mix of contemporary and classic art house, indie, foreign, and cult films.” Said Turner chairman and CEO John Martin, “It’s tailor-made for the diehard movie enthusiast who craves a deep, intimate experience with independent, foreign, and art house films.” FilmStruck will also feature films from Hollywood’s “major movie studios including Warner Bros.,” though it remains to be seen which new releases will be part of the platform’s library.

Nonetheless, expect the likes of Seven Samurai, A Room With a View and countless other classics to be just a click away when the streaming service launches later this year.