Cinedigm Launches Bob Ross Channel

Cinedigm Corp. has launched the Bob Ross Channel on Stirr, a free ad-supported streaming service of Sinclair Broadcasting Group. The Sherman Oaks content distributor has made the channel accessible on Stirr through Apple and Android devices, Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV and through the Stirr website. The Bob Ross Channel features about 380 episodes of the how-to show, “The Joys of Painting,” hosted by Ross on public television from 1983 to 1994. Ross died in 1995. As part of Cinedigm’s agreement with Bob Ross Inc., Cinedigm will also produce and distribute special messages of support for public television on the channel, as well as spots highlighting official Bob Ross painting products. Erick Opeka, president of digital networks, said the company was thrilled to bring Ross to even more fans through its partnership with Stirr. “Through our partnership with the Bob Ross company, we aim to leverage our broad reach and expertise within the (streaming) space to extend the legacy created by Bob Ross,” Opeka said in a statement. Stirr, in Santa Monica, is a free ad-supported streaming service featuring a mix of live local news, TV shows, movies, sports and lifestyle programming. Shares of Cinedigm closed Tuesday down 2 cents, or about 3.7 percent, to 62 cents on the Nasdaq, on a day when that market closed down half a percent.