Three New Original Series Premiere on Redbox and Crackle Celebrating Black History Month

Docuseries HBCU Homecomings: The Journey to the Yard, The HBCU Honors Award Show, and powerful historical documentary Miami’s Richmond Heights: The Black Shangri-La are now available to stream for free on Redbox and Crackle

Series are part of an ongoing relationship with Publicis Media’s APX Content Ventures to create quality content that elevates diverse voices and storylines

American Family Insurance is a presenting sponsor of HBCU Homecomings: The Journey to the Yard

NEW YORK–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment (NASDAQ: CSSE) continues celebrating Black History Month with the premiere of three new original series. The docuseries HBCU Homecomings: The Journey to the Yard presented by American Family Insurance, The HBCU Honors Award Show, and the powerful historical documentary Miami’s Richmond Heights: The Black Shangri-La are now available to stream for free through the Redbox and Crackle apps. The titles were produced by Hip Rock Star, an award-winning, socially-conscious media production and 360 agency, and are part of an ongoing relationship with Publicis Media’s APX Content Ventures to create quality content that elevates diverse voices and storylines.

“We’re thrilled to be working with Hip Rock Star and APX Content Ventures to bring these amazing series to our viewers,” said Phil Oppenheim, chief content officer of Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment. “I know our audience will find them inspiring and insightful.”

“The debut of these highly anticipated series parallel so harmoniously with the importance of telling and preserving Black history,” said Jessica Garrett Modkins, CEO and founder of Hip Rock Star and the docuseries’ executive producer, director, and writer. “It is our mission to be a catalyst for truth – to provide intentional documentation of our Black experience. APX’s support of Black content curators is unprecedented and provides an opportunity for filmmakers to continue to validate the life experiences of Black people. Telling these stories and honoring the amazing individuals in our projects is essential to preserving our history. I am honored that we can give viewers distinctive, meaningful, and comprehensive content and entertainment that elevates our unique experiences, voices, and timeless stories surrounding the Black community.”

The new series available starting today on Redbox and Crackle include:

HBCU Homecomings: The Journey to the Yard

Through narration, interviews, archival photographs, videos, and much more, HBCU Homecomings: The Journey to the Yard showcases the exhilarating journey of homecomings at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). From packing and missed flights to cars towed and late-night parties, it is all Black joy! An authentic walk through the HBCU experience and culture, schools featured include Bethune Cookman University, Florida A&M University, Grambling State University, Hampton University, Howard University, North Carolina A&T State University, and Jackson State University.

The HBCU Honors Award Show

The inaugural HBCU Honors Award Show showcases the “Who’s Who of HBCUs,” and celebrates the best and brightest HBCU alumni across various industries. The event was held at the Black Archives-Historic Lyric Theater in Miami, Florida. Emmy award-winning actress and producer Wendy Raquel Robinson, a Howard University alumna, hosted the all-star night of Black Excellence. HBCU Honors salute game-changers, innovators, legends, and history-makers. The event pays tribute to HBCU alumni who have made an indelible mark on the Black community and beyond. With recent HBCU historical firsts, including the inauguration of United States Vice President Kamala Harris, these institutions of higher learning have been placed on the world’s center stage. Eight esteemed HBCU alumni were lauded during the awards ceremony who excelled at the highest levels in aerospace and aviation, business, entrepreneurship, public service, media, entertainment, and academia. Visit https://hbcuhonors.org for more information.

Miami’s Richmond Heights: The Black Shangri-La

Based on the book, “Images of America: Miami’s Richmond Heights” by co-authors Patricia Harper Garrett and The Historical Society’s Founder and Executive Director, Jessica Garrett Modkins, Miami’s Richmond Heights: The Black Shangri-La explores the lives of early Black World War II veterans in detail and the rationale of the white developer Captain Frank C. Martin who perpetuated social change during Jim Crow. Martin made a bold and unpopular decision in 1949 to build a self-contained community for these veterans. The documentary introduces the grandchildren of the 1949 Black World War II veteran homeowners. It explores how the tight-knit community propelled them to their chosen professions and how the legacy continues today. The documentary will also take a closer look at the socioeconomic fabric of this time, segregation, and civil rights.

Publicis Media’s APX Content Ventures is a next-generation unit within Publicis Media that seeks to find, fund, and elevate partners and properties that amplify diverse voices, empower women, and build community, connection, and trust. APX clients will have the exclusive opportunity to be featured prominently in the series via deep brand integrations, custom content, sponsorships, and other show-adjacent segments. The companies previously came together to produce the Crackle original series Inside the Black Box, which features revealing conversations, exciting performances, workshops, and discussions about race’s role in the entertainment industry.

Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment’s Crackle and Redbox streaming services are currently distributed through nearly 160 touchpoints in the US on platforms including Amazon Fire TV, RokuTV, Apple TV, Smart TVs (Samsung, LG, VIZIO), gaming consoles (PS4 and Xbox One), Plex, iOS, and Android mobile devices and on desktops at Crackle.com and Redbox.com.

About Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment

Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment (Nasdaq: CSSE) provides premium content to value-conscious consumers. The company is one of the largest advertising-supported video-on-demand (AVOD) companies in the US, with three flagship AVOD streaming services: Redbox, Crackle, and Chicken Soup for the Soul. In addition, the company operates Redbox Free Live TV, a free ad-supported streaming television service (FAST), with over 160 channels as well as a transaction video on demand (TVOD) service, and a network of approximately 34,000 kiosks across the US for DVD rentals. To provide original and exclusive content to its viewers, the company creates, acquires, and distributes films and TV series through its Screen Media and Chicken Soup for the Soul TV Group subsidiaries. Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment is a subsidiary of Chicken Soup for the Soul, LLC, which publishes the famous books series and produces super-premium pet food under the Chicken Soup for the Soul brand name.

About the American Family Insurance Group

Based in Madison, Wisconsin, American Family Insurance has been serving customers since 1927. We inspire, protect and restore dreams through our insurance products, exceptional service from our agency owners and employees, community investment and creative partnerships to address societal challenges. We act on our belief in diversity and inclusion by constantly evolving to meet customer needs and preferences. American Family Insurance group is the nation’s 12th-largest property/casualty insurance group, ranking No. 251 on the Fortune 500 list. The group sells American Family-brand products, primarily through exclusive agency owners in 19 states. The American Family Insurance group also includes CONNECT, powered by American Family Insurance, The General, Homesite and Main Street America Insurance. Across these companies the group has more than 13,000 employees nationwide.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release includes forward-looking statements within the meaning of the federal securities laws. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts. These statements are based on various assumptions, whether or not identified in this press release, and on the current expectations of management and are not predictions of actual performance. Such assumptions involve a number of known and unknown risks and uncertainties, including but not limited to our core strategy, operating income and margin, seasonality, liquidity, including cash flows from operations, available funds, and access to financing sources, free cash flows, revenues, net income, profitability, stock price volatility, future regulatory changes, price changes, the ability of the Company’s content offerings to achieve market acceptance, the Company’s success in retaining or recruiting officers, key employees, or directors, the ability to protect intellectual property, the ability to complete strategic acquisitions, the ability to manage growth and integrate acquired operations, the ability to pay dividends, regulatory or operational risks, and general market conditions impacting demand for the Company’s services. For a more complete description of these and other risks and uncertainties, please refer to Item 1A (Risk Factors) in the Company’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the three- and nine-month period ended September 30, 2022, filed with the SEC on November 14, 2022. If any of these risks materialize or our assumptions prove incorrect, actual results could differ materially from the results implied by the forward-looking statements contained in this press release. Information regarding the acquisition of Redbox and related transactions is qualified by reference to the Company’s Current Reports on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on May 11, 2022 (as amended May 12, 2022), June 6, 2022, August 12, 2022, and November 14, 2022, and all exhibits filed with respect to such reports and the aforementioned registration statement. The forward-looking statements contained in this press release speak only as of the date hereof and the Company expressly disclaims any obligation or undertaking to release publicly any updates or revisions to any forward-looking statements contained herein to reflect any change in the Company’s expectations with respect thereto or any change in events, conditions or circumstances on which any statement is based.

Contacts

Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment
Media:

Peter Binazeski

Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment

pbinazeski@chickensoupforthesoul.com

Investor Relations:

Zaia Lawandow

Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment

zlawandow@chickensoupforthesoul.com