• by Alex Weprin , November 2, 2018

The content distributor Cinedigm is planning to launch a new streaming video service called Bambu, which will feature entertainment programming originating in China.

Bambu will launch in the first quarter of 2019, and will feature “contemporary action epics, serial dramas, romantic comedies, exciting sci-fi, pulse-pounding horror, and fantasy adventure sagas, as well as music and reality series, and educational programming,” Cinedigm says.

The service will be free and ad-supported, with an ad-free option available for $3.99 per month.

Cinedigm has built its business model around launching niche video services, including ConTV, focusing on pop culture and fandom, CombatGo, featuring combat sports, the documentary series service Docurama, and the family-friendly service Dove Channel.

The company believes that Bambu can appeal to a large slice of the market.

It says it wants Americans age 16-35 to subscribe, arguing they “hunger to stay at the forefront to discover the latest global trends,” citing the success of Korean K-pop in the U.S.

“Young Americans are incredibly culturally savvy and proudly receptive to the latest global trends,” says Erick Opeka, Cinedigm’s president of digital networks. “Bambu allows these modern tastemakers to stay at the cultural forefront, introducing them to a roster of new series and up-and-coming artists they can discover and show their friends.”

Bambu may also fill a new gap in the market. WarnerMedia announced last month that it would be shutting down DramaFever, a streaming service that focused on dramas and soap operas from Asia.

The company hopes to share the viewership data with Chinese producers, allowing them to better develop movies and TV shows that work globally.