The catalog will air exclusively in FAST on Homeful, Blue Ant’s free streaming channel, with other windows licensed by Blue Ant International
The transaction will also see Blue Ant Media commissioning new productions featuring Mike Holmes and his family for its Canadian TV platforms and Homeful
(Toronto, ON – September 7, 2022) – Blue Ant Media – international producer, distributor and channel operator – and The Holmes Group, have entered into a definitive agreement to acquire the extensive library of unscripted original series and specials of Mike Holmes, a pioneer in home renovation and one of the highest-rated stars of lifestyle television. The deal gives Blue Ant Media ownership of over 200 hours of programming from the past two decades, including all seasons of Holmes on Homes, Holmes Makes it Right, Holmes Inspection, alongside specials such as Holmes for the Holidays, Holmes in New Orleans and Mike’s Ultimate Garage, among others.
As current licenses expire, the beloved library of programming will launch in FAST exclusively on Blue Ant Media’s new free streaming channel, Homeful, which showcases real estate, design and decor projects that help make a house a home. Over the coming months, audiences in the US and Canada will see Homeful introduce the Holmes content on platforms such as Roku, LG and Xumo. Blue Ant International now holds the distribution rights to Holmes’ catalog, which will debut at Mipcom 2022 this fall.
As part of the new partnership, Blue Ant Media will also commission new original programming with Mike and his kids Michael Holmes Jr and Sherry Holmes, for its Canadian TV platforms and Homeful. More details on this commissioning will be announced in the coming months.
“For over 20 years, Mike Holmes has been the authority on home renovation. Blue Ant is thrilled to be acquiring his hit TV catalog and partnering with Mike on new original series,” said Jamie Schouela, President, Global Channels and Media, Blue Ant Media. “As we continue to grow our free streaming channels, building our library of acquired and original IP will be a priority so we can bring audiences and platforms exclusive content they can’t find anywhere else.”
“After more than 20 years in television and helping homeowners I am thrilled to be part of an exciting new future with Blue Ant Media and FAST channels like Homeful! The growth of free ad-supported television platforms shows how we are changing what we watch and how we watch and I love being at the forefront of getting more free content to viewers to enjoy wherever they are. With Michael and Sherry at my side I look forward to telling more helping homeowner stories and helping Make It Right,” said Mike Holmes.
Having earned his place as one of North America’s most trusted contractors, Mike Holmes holds a loyal fanbase amongst audiences and is widely considered the face of the home renovation space. In every Holmes series, the beloved contractor fixes poor construction work while lending his incredible eye for detail and expert advice to guide homebuyers, homeowners, friends, and family into doing it right.
Newly-launched in spring 2022, Homeful features notable real estate, renovation and transformation series with some of the most well-known faces in TV home design. The new deal builds on Blue Ant Media’s already comprehensive library of original and acquired design and decor-inspired programs. The full list of Mike Holmes IP that Blue Ant now owns, includes: Holmes on Homes™ (Seasons 1-7), Holmes Makes it Right (Seasons 1-2), Holmes Inspection (Seasons 1-3), Holmes + Holmes (Seasons 1-2) Holmes for the Holidays, Lien on Me, Best of Holmes on Homes, Holmes In New Orleans, Holmes Family Effect, Holmes 10th Anniversary and Mike’s Ultimate Garage.
Blue Ant Media’s suite of FAST (free, ad-supported streaming TV) channels offer audiences curated, exclusive programming that is free to access on growing platforms like VIZIO WatchFree+, The Roku Channel, Xumo, Samsung TV Plus and PrendeTV. The company’s growing global portfolio of FAST channels include Love Nature, HauntTV, Total Crime, Homeful and HistoryTime.