UPtv Gets Into Easter Spirit with Original Movies
Family members-focused UPtv is celebrating Easter with a lineup of original and acquired programming that incorporates two primetime, religion-centered movie premieres this Sunday.
The primary motion pictures, Faith, Hope & Adore, which follows a divorced dance studio owner’s journey of religion, and Little Group – in which a religion-doubting documentarian infiltrates a church congregation – are element of the network’s “Easter Lives Here” week-extensive programming stunt which released on April 10 and has integrated this kind of obtained movies as The Enthusiasm of the Christ and The Ten Commandments. Also on Easter Sunday the network will debut a gospel music specific, Stellar New music of Hope.
With UPtv’s annual Easter and Christmas programming stunts – along with digital growth by the network’s $5.99 per month SVOD service UP Religion and Household and Rapidly channels Aspire Tv set Lifestyle and Spanish language-based mostly Cine Romántico – the network in excess of the previous two a long time has delivered its ideal income quantities at any time, according to UPtv founder and CEO Charlie Humbard.
Humbard spoke to Multichannel News about the network’s Easter programming emphasis as nicely as the growing attraction of the network’s faith and spouse and children-centered choices. An edited edition of the interview appears down below.
MCN: What is driving UPtv’s viewership and audience appeal?
Charlie Humbard: I believe our programming was perfectly situated for the regrettable instances we all dealt with heading via COVID. We came off our two best yrs for the business enterprise, and a lot of that does communicate to the tension of the earth close to us these days and wanting for that safe haven to go in which men and women celebrate family and faith. Our programming helps affirm your beliefs in loved ones, interactions and religion, so it has a special attraction. We are perfectly suited to method to these vacations that definitely celebrate that like Easter and Christmas.
MCN: Why does not Easter doesn’t deliver a ton of original programming from other networks?
CH: I locate it appealing that they have not, but Easter is one thing we have celebrated for yrs. We ended up the initially cable community to air the Enthusiasm of the Christ in 2014 and it stays the optimum rated material we have ever had. There is an audience there for this time of the calendar year that celebrates the family and religion element of this vacation. Easter for us is like Christmas, and we carry the faith component to Easter that maybe many others are likely to stay away from. But Easter is about faith, renewal and forgiveness, and the tale of Easter can be tailored into modern day themes. Our [Easter weekend] motion pictures have a religion piece to them, but they are also relationship stories that have considerably broader charm.
MCN: What position has the network’s UP Faith and Relatives streaming company played in the network’s recent business enterprise success?
CH: Our subscription support is now crossing one million subscribers, and we have a actually solid programming supplying there with both of those faith and relatives-pleasant content. I like to say it’s Netflix without the dark things – it is really programming for each technology. That has genuinely assisted our enterprise improve. ■