Plex Signs Up Lionsgate for Upcoming Ad-Supported Video Service

By Janko Roettgers

LOS ANGELES (Variety.com) – Media center app maker Plex has struck a deal with Lionsgate to add some of the studio’s movies and TV shows to its upcoming ad-supported video service. The news comes just weeks after announced a similar deal with Warner Bros.

“ is one of the biggest names in the business and we know our millions of users will enjoy free access to their library of movies,” said Plex CEO Keith Valory in a statement. “Plex caters to the most passionate and discerning media lovers all over the world, so it is important for us to be able to bring great content like this together in one beautiful app for all of our users across the globe.”

Unlike its U.S.-only deal with Warner Bros., Plex’s partnership with Lionsgate will allow the startup to distribute the studio’s titles worldwide, with some geo-restrictions on a per-title basis. Plex plans to launch the service before the end of the year, and is in talks with additional studios to prepare for that launch.

The company’s ad-supported video service will compete with, an likely feature some of the same titles as similar services from Tubi, Roku and Pluto, just to name a few.  Plex executives believe that they will be able to differentiate their service from the competition by tightly integrating it within the Plex app, which also offers access to local media collections, podcasts, music streaming and over-the-air TV, among other things.

“This is going to be the one place for the media that matters most to you,” said the company’s vice president of marketing Scott Hancock in a recent interview with Variety.