SILVER SPRING, Md., March 9, 2015 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- UMC - Urban Movie Channel ("UMC"), RLJ Entertainment Inc.'s (Nasdaq:RLJE) most recently launched proprietary digital channel, is now available on Roku. UMC features urban-themed movies showcasing the best drama, documentaries, comedies, horror, and stage plays.
Roku is the easiest way to stream content on televisions and has been ranked "the number one streaming device" by TIME magazine and called a "nearly perfect product" by Forbes magazine. Roku is one of the easiest and best ways to watch your favorite UMC movies from the comfort of your home or office. It's easy to set up – just plug it in, connect with the Internet, add the UMC channel, sign in, and watch.
UMC was developed to provide the African American and urban creative and talent community an outlet to directly reach their fan base without the traditional restrictions associated with studio content development and distribution models. The vision for UMC is to quickly become the preeminent provider of quality urban entertainment to what has largely been an underserved, yet highly engaged audience.
Among the titles currently available on UMC are the new and exclusive drama Mysterious Ways starring Gary Dourdan (CSI: Crime Scene Investigation) and Wendy Raquel Robinson (The Game); live stand-up performances featuring Kevin Hart and Charlie Murphy; documentaries Dark Girls and I Ain't Scared of You: A Tribute to Bernie Mac; new & classic feature films The Colony starring Laurence Fishburne, The Telephone starring Whoopi Goldberg, All Things Fall Apart starring 50 Cent, Mario Van Peebles, and Ray Liotta, and The Suspect starring Mekhi Phifer; and stage plays Sugar Mommas and What My Husband Doesn't Know by David E. Talbert.
RLJ Entertainment was created by Robert L. Johnson, the founder of Black Entertainment Television (BET) and The RLJ Companies, as well as the Chairman of RLJ Entertainment. RLJ Entertainment is a leading creator, owner and distributor of media content across digital, broadcast and physical platforms. The Company leverages its branding expertise, access to content and direct to consumer skills to optimize the value of its programs for distinct audiences. RLJ Entertainment is focused on driving growth through the development of interest-based entertainment services for targeted audiences in niche genres including British television, urban, action/thriller, horror, comedy, and fitness, by using new technologies to deliver that content to consumers.
Roku is a leading streaming platform delivering entertainment to millions of customers in the U.S. For more information visit www.roku.com.
RLJ Entertainment, Inc. (Nasdaq:RLJE) is a premier independent owner, developer, licensee and distributor of entertainment content and programming in primarily North America, the United Kingdom and Australia. RLJE is a leader in numerous genres via its owned and distributed brands such as Acorn (British TV), Image (feature films, stand-up comedy), UMC (urban), Acacia (fitness), Athena (documentaries), and Madacy (gift sets). These titles are distributed in multiple formats including broadcast television (including satellite and cable), theatrical and non-theatrical, DVD, Blu-Ray, digital download, and digital streaming.
Via its relationship with Agatha Christie Limited, a company that RLJE owns 64% of, RLJE manages the intellectual property and publishing rights to some of the greatest works of mystery fiction, including stories of the iconic sleuths Miss Marple and Poirot. RLJE also owns all rights to the hit UK mystery series Foyle's War.
RLJE leverages its management experience to acquire, distribute and monetize existing and original content for its many distribution channels, including its branded digital subscription channels, Acorn TV, Acacia TV, and UMC, and engages distinct audiences with programming that appeals directly to their unique viewing interests. Through its proprietary e-commerce web sites and print catalogs for the Acorn and Acacia brands, RLJE has direct contacts and billing relationships with millions of consumers. www.rljentertainment.com
UMC - Urban Movie Channel is a premium subscription-based streaming service exclusive to RLJ Entertainment, Inc., and is devoted to the development, production, and acquisition of feature films, comedy specials, stage plays, documentaries, music, and entertainment for the African American and urban audience. Launched initially in 2007 as One Village Entertainment, UMC titles are distributed across multiple platforms that range from theatrical, broadcast, Blu-ray™/DVD, digital streaming and downloading and features may be watched online or from any mobile device. www.urbanmoviechannel.com