FilmRise signed an agreement with Thunderbird Entertainment for the multi-territory FAST ad-supported digital linear rights to Kim’s Convenience.
Originally commissioned for CBC in Canada, Kim’s Convenience portrays the Korean-Canadian Kim family as they run a convenience store in Toronto. The ensemble cast includes Paul Sun-Hyung Lee, Andrew Phung, Andrea Bang, and Jean Yoo, among others. The series made its international debut on Netflix in 2018.
As part of the deal, FilmRise gains the exclusive FAST rights to all five seasons of the Canadian comedy series. The New York-based company plans to offer the series on FAST linear streaming channels on IMDb TV, Pluto, The Roku Channel, and the FilmRise Streaming Network, among others. The deal also allows for the creation of dedicated FAST channels of the series across the U.S., Latin America, German-speaking Europe, French-speaking Europe, Italy, and Spain.
Max Einhorn, SVP of Acquisitions & Co-Productions for FilmRise, said, “As the FilmRise Streaming Network continues to grow, so does our approach in acquiring programs featuring unique stories from people of diverse backgrounds. Kim’s Convenience has had a huge impact on a wide range of viewers, and we are thrilled to bring this culturally relevant series for free to streaming audiences worldwide.”
Richard Goldsmith, president of Global Distribution and Consumer Products at Thunderbird Entertainment, commented, “Kim’s delightful characters and beloved stories brought love and laughter into the hearts of many during its five seasons. Through our partnership with FilmRise, we are thrilled that new audiences internationally will have the opportunity to connect with and enjoy the heart-warming and hilarious experiences of the Kim family.”
It would be great if they could bring the show back and like SNL let the cast become part of the writing team.