Ahead of the upcoming anticipated theatrical release of its next film in the hit Hunger Games franchise, Lionsgate has tapped Versant’s Fandango to help drum up interest and offer an easy path for viewers to buy movie tickets.
As part of a joint streaming takeover effort around the new film The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping, all five earlier films in the franchise will be available to stream for free on Fandango’s ad-supported streaming TV service starting today, October 16 through October 31.
Once they become available, viewers will also be able to purchase tickets directly from the Fandango streaming service for the new film, which releases exclusively in theaters on November 20.
It marks the first time that all five films in the Hunger Game franchise are available to audiences for free at home and is meant to give viewers a chance to revisit the franchise as well as a way to show up in theaters. Collectively, across five films, the Hunger Games franchise has grossed $3.3 billion at the global box office, according to Lionsgate.
In addition to the franchise film collection, the streaming takeover will also feature Hunger Games-themed content and promotional moments surrounding each film, which are meant to help create an immersive experience and build excitement for the next installment.
And Versant will provide additional advertising and promotional support within its larger digital and linear ecosystem as part of what the company’s dubbed a “first-of-its-kind innovative conquest program.”
For Versant (the entity that officially formed in January after a planned split of linear networks and digital properties like Fandango from the rest of Comcast’s NBCUniversal media business), company executives touted the effort with Lionsgate as an example of the businesses ability to reach and help drive consumers at different touchpoints and stops along the entertainment journey.
“This first-of-its-kind takeover demonstrates how Fandango can help studios engage audiences across the full entertainment journey – from rediscovering the films they love at home to building excitement for the next chapter of The Hunger Games franchise on the big screen,” said Will McIntosh, president of Digital Platforms & Ventures at Versant. “We’re thrilled to partner with Lionsgate to give audiences a premium, immersive way to revisit this iconic franchise for free before seeing the new release in theatres.”
In July, Versant expanded and rebranded its AVOD streaming service formerly known as “Fandango at Home” and unified its consumer entertainment experiences under the Fandango brand.
The move brought together both free streaming on-demand content alongside Fandango’s movie ticketing, and TVOD premium rentals and purchase capabilities and offerings within a single ecosystem.
At the time, McIntosh also noted it as an important step in building a more connected entertainment experience for fans, where it’s seeking to position Fandango as a place for different stages of the entertainment journey, spanning discovery of what’s in theaters, renting or buying films at home to streaming movies for free. All of which Lionsgate looks to be trying to tap into and capitalize as it seeks to promote the latest Hunger Games film.
“Fandango’s audience includes passionate moviegoers who enjoy films both in theaters and at home,” said Jim Packer, Chief Revenue Officer at Lionsgate, in a statement. "We’re excited to team with Fandango to give existing Hunger Games fans and new audiences alike the opportunity to watch the original films and purchase tickets for the new movie in theaters all in one place.”