Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment
Former American entertainment company focused on film and television distribution, ad-supported streaming, and digital media.
Last updated October 14, 2026
AI crawler reads
No AI crawler has read this profile since Oct 28, 2026.
Overview
Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment was an American media and entertainment company headquartered in Cos Cob, Connecticut. It was established in 2016 as an operating extension of the Chicken Soup for the Soul publishing business, whose ownership had passed in 2008 to a group led by William J. Rouhana and Robert D. Jacobs. The entertainment company developed through a combination of original programming, acquisitions, distribution businesses, streaming services, and advertising-supported video-on-demand platforms. Before becoming a major distributor, the Chicken Soup for the Soul business explored television and film production. In 2013, it announced plans to produce a television series and a film with Alcon Entertainment and also worked with partners including PBS. In 2016, it acquired a majority stake in the digital media website A Plus, broadening the brand beyond books and inspirational content. Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment became a public company in 2017 and used that access to capital to assemble a portfolio of film, television, and streaming assets. A central turning point came in November 2017, when the company acquired Screen Media Ventures. The transaction brought an independent film and television distribution operation into the group and included Popcornflix, an advertising-supported online video service. Screen Media became an important platform for distributing licensed and acquired content across traditional and digital outlets. In 2019, the company agreed to acquire a majority interest in Sony Crackle, the ad-supported streaming service formerly associated with Sony Pictures Television. The service returned to the Crackle name under the new ownership. Sony later exchanged its remaining interest for a preferential stake, giving Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment full control of Crackle in December 2020. The company expanded its distribution capabilities again in 2019 by announcing the purchase of Foresight Unlimited, an international sales company that was incorporated into the Screen Media operation. In 2021, it acquired Sonar Entertainment's film and television library. Through the resulting library and its Halcyon Studios activities, the company obtained North American rights to substantial collections associated with Laurel and Hardy, Our Gang, Hal Roach, and productions connected with RHI, Hallmark, Cabin Fever, and Sonar. In 2022, Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment acquired 1091 Pictures for $15.55 million in a combination of cash and securities. The deal added approximately 4,000 movies and television series, along with free ad-supported networks and channels. It then agreed to acquire Redbox for $357 million, structured as $36 million in stock and $321 million in assumed debt. The Redbox transaction closed on August 11, 2022, combining the company's streaming and content-distribution operations with Redbox's physical DVD-rental kiosks and digital services. The expansion left the company with a broad but highly leveraged collection of assets. In 2024, Nasdaq notified the company that its securities faced delisting after a prolonged compliance problem. The company subsequently disclosed a 2023 net loss of $636.6 million and warned that it lacked sufficient financing options to continue without a restructuring, operational pause, or liquidation. Its financial distress became a labor and governance crisis: employee benefits were cut, payroll was missed, and Rouhana removed the board before the company sought bankruptcy protection. Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on June 29, 2024. Bart Schwartz, a former federal prosecutor, replaced Rouhana as chief executive on July 1, and a new board was installed. A bankruptcy judge converted the case to Chapter 7 liquidation on July 10 after criticizing the handling of the business and the failure to pay employees and support health-care obligations. The conversion led to the shutdown or liq…
History
Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment emerged from the Chicken Soup for the Soul publishing brand's effort to expand into television, film, and digital media. The publishing company's founders, Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen, sold the business in 2008 to an investor group led by William J. Rouhana and Robert D. Jacobs. The new ownership pursued media extensions, including a 2013 plan to produce a television series and a film with Alcon Entertainment. The company also developed television programming with outside partners such as PBS. In 2016, the business acquired a majority stake in A Plus, an online media website, and established Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment as a dedicated entertainment company. It went public in 2017 and soon pursued a more aggressive acquisition strategy. Its purchase of Screen Media Ventures in November 2017 added an independent film and television distribution company and the Popcornflix ad-supported streaming service. Screen Media gave the group a catalog and distribution infrastructure that could serve both conventional buyers and emerging digital platforms. The company expanded internationally and digitally in 2019. In March, Sony Pictures Television announced that it would sell a majority interest in Sony Crackle to Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment. The service subsequently returned to the Crackle name. Later that year, the company announced an agreement to purchase Foresight Unlimited, a foreign-sales business that was placed within the Screen Media division. In December 2020, Sony exchanged its remaining Crackle interest for a preferential stake in Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment, leaving the company with full control of the ad-supported streaming service. Library expansion became a major part of the strategy. In April 2021, the company acquired Sonar Entertainment's film and television catalog. The transaction added extensive historical and contemporary material, including North American rights to much of the Laurel and Hardy and Our Gang libraries, as well as a majority of the Hal Roach library and assets connected with former RHI, Hallmark, Cabin Fever, and Sonar productions. These assets were associated with the company's Halcyon Studios operations. In March 2022, the company announced the acquisition of 1091 Pictures for $15.55 million. The transaction combined cash and newly issued securities and brought an estimated 4,000 movies and television series into the portfolio, together with free ad-supported networks and channels. In May of the same year, Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment announced plans to acquire Redbox for $357 million, consisting of stock and assumed debt. The transaction closed on August 11, 2022. Redbox added a large physical DVD-rental kiosk network to a group otherwise increasingly centered on streaming, content licensing, and advertising-supported distribution. The acquisitions increased scale but also left the company exposed to debt, financing pressure, and the difficult economics of streaming and physical media. In April 2024, Nasdaq issued a delisting notice. The company then reported a $636.6 million loss for 2023 and warned that it might need to pause operations, seek Chapter 11 protection, or liquidate if it could not obtain financing. In June, Rouhana removed the board, and on June 29 the company filed for Chapter 11 after employee benefits had been cut, payroll had been missed, and financing efforts had failed. On July 1, 2024, Bart Schwartz replaced Rouhana as chief executive and a new board was installed. The company obtained funding to restore payroll and benefits, but the bankruptcy court converted the case to Chapter 7 liquidation on July 10. The court criticized the prior handling of the business and failures to pay employees or support health-care obligations. Liquidation resulted in the cessation of major subsidiaries and services, including Crackle, Popcornflix, Redbox, and Screen Media. More than 1,000 employees were laid off and more than 26,000 Redbox kiosks were permanently shut down. A liquidation auction was scheduled for April 2025, and the company's liquidation was completed by June 2025. HPS Investment Partners, previously a lender, then assumed control of the remaining assets.
- 2025
Liquidation completed
[1]The liquidation was completed by June 2025, with HPS Investment Partners assuming control of remaining assets.
- 2024
Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing
[1]The company filed for Chapter 11 protection after severe financing, payroll, benefits, and governance problems.
- 2024
Chapter 7 liquidation ordered
[1]The bankruptcy court converted the case to Chapter 7, leading to liquidation, layoffs, and the shutdown of major operating subsidiaries.
- 2022
1091 Pictures acquisition
[1]The company agreed to acquire 1091 Pictures and its catalog of approximately 4,000 movies and television series, plus free ad-supported channels.
- 2022
Redbox acquisition closes
[1]The acquisition of Redbox closed, adding its DVD-rental kiosks and digital entertainment operations to the company.
- 2021
Sonar Entertainment library acquired
[1]The company acquired Sonar Entertainment's film and television catalog, including substantial classic-film and television-library rights.
- 2020
Full control of Crackle obtained
[1]Sony exchanged its remaining Crackle shares for a preferential stake in Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment, giving the company full control of the ad-supported streaming service.
- 2019
Majority interest in Sony Crackle acquired
[1]Sony Pictures Television agreed to sell a majority interest in Crackle to the company, returning the service to the Crackle name under new ownership.
- 2017
Public listing and Screen Media acquisition
[1]Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment became publicly traded and acquired Screen Media Ventures, including Popcornflix.
- 2016
A Plus investment and entertainment-company formation
[1]The business acquired a majority stake in A Plus and established Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment as its dedicated media and entertainment arm.
Products and positioning
A multi-platform entertainment group built around independently produced and acquired film and television content, free ad-supported streaming, digital distribution, and physical media rental.
Advertising-supported streaming service
Crackle
Crackle was the company's principal ad-supported streaming service after it acquired control from Sony. It offered films, television programs, and other digital video content without requiring a conventional subscription payment. Crackle formed part of the company's strategy to monetize owned and licensed programming through advertising and connected-device distribution. The service was among the operations affected by the company's 2024 Chapter 7 liquidation.
Advertising-supported streaming service
Popcornflix
Popcornflix was an ad-supported online video service acquired through Screen Media Ventures in 2017. It provided a digital outlet for films and television programs distributed through the group's catalog and helped connect the company's traditional licensing operations with free streaming. Popcornflix was part of the portfolio liquidated after the bankruptcy case was converted to Chapter 7 in 2024.
Film and television distribution
Screen Media
Screen Media was the group's film and television distribution operation. It entered the company through the 2017 acquisition of Screen Media Ventures and later incorporated the Foresight Unlimited foreign-sales business. The division handled independent and acquired content across licensing, theatrical, home-entertainment, and digital outlets, and served as a major commercial foundation for the company's streaming and catalog strategy.
DVD rental and digital entertainment
Redbox
Redbox operated a large network of automated DVD-rental kiosks and also maintained digital entertainment services. Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment acquired Redbox in 2022 in a transaction involving stock and assumed debt. The acquisition expanded the company's reach into physical home entertainment while adding distribution and customer relationships that could support digital offerings. More than 26,000 kiosks were permanently shut down during liquidation.
Film and television library and studio operations
Halcyon Studios
Halcyon Studios was associated with the company's ownership and exploitation of film and television libraries, including material obtained through the Sonar Entertainment acquisition. Its holdings included substantial North American rights connected with Laurel and Hardy, Our Gang, Hal Roach, RHI, Hallmark, Cabin Fever, and Sonar productions.
Controversies
2024
Payroll, benefits, governance, and bankruptcy crisis
During the company's financial collapse, employee benefits were cut, a week of payroll was missed, and the board was removed by William Rouhana before the Chapter 11 filing. A bankruptcy judge later criticized the handling of the business and the failure to pay employees or support health-care obligations, and converted the case to Chapter 7 liquidation.
Brand decisions
2024
Seek Chapter 11 protectionOtherBackground
The company faced delisting pressure, a reported 2023 loss of $636.6 million, missed payroll, reduced benefits, and an inability to secure additional financing.
Action taken
It filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on June 29, 2024.
Aftermath
The case was converted to Chapter 7 liquidation on July 10, 2024, resulting in the closure of major subsidiaries and extensive layoffs.
Net loss. $636.6 million loss (Fiscal year 2023, reported April 23, 2024)
2022
Acquire 1091 PicturesM&ABackground
The company wanted to enlarge its content catalog and portfolio of free ad-supported networks.
Action taken
It announced a $15.55 million acquisition funded through $8 million in cash and newly issued preferred and common stock.
Aftermath
The transaction added an estimated 4,000 movies and television series and additional ad-supported channels.
Acquisition value. $15.55 million (Announced March 2, 2022)
2022
Acquire RedboxM&ABackground
The company aimed to combine its streaming and content operations with Redbox's physical rental network and digital services.
Action taken
It announced a $357 million transaction comprising $36 million in stock and $321 million in assumed debt. The acquisition closed on August 11, 2022.
Aftermath
Redbox became part of the group but was later shut down during the company's Chapter 7 liquidation.
Transaction value. $357 million (Announced May 11, 2022; closed August 11, 2022)
2019
Acquire majority control of Sony CrackleM&ABackground
Sony Pictures Television decided to sell a majority stake in its ad-supported streaming service.
Action taken
Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment acquired majority control, and the service reverted to the Crackle name.
Aftermath
Sony later exchanged its remaining interest for a preferential stake, leaving Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment with full control.
2017
Acquire Screen Media VenturesM&ABackground
The company sought to build a film and television distribution platform and expand its digital-video presence.
Action taken
It acquired Screen Media Ventures, including the Popcornflix ad-supported streaming service.
Aftermath
Screen Media became a core distribution division and later incorporated the Foresight Unlimited foreign-sales operation.
Recent events
- 2025
Liquidation auction scheduled and asset control passes to HPS Investment Partners[1]
Bankruptcy · M&A
An auction for the company's assets was scheduled for April 2025. The liquidation was completed by June, after which lender HPS Investment Partners assumed control of the remaining assets.
- 2024
Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment receives Nasdaq delisting notice[1]
Regulation
Nasdaq notified the company that its securities were subject to delisting after a period in which it had 180 days to regain compliance.
- 2024
Company reports a $636.6 million loss for 2023 and warns of possible liquidation[1]
Bankruptcy
The company disclosed a substantial 2023 loss and warned that insufficient financing could force it to pause operations, seek bankruptcy protection, or liquidate.
- 2024
Bart Schwartz replaces William Rouhana as chief executive[1]
Leadership change · Bankruptcy
Former federal prosecutor Bart Schwartz became chief executive and a new board was installed during the bankruptcy proceedings.
Sources3 sources
Cite this profile: Cite the canonical profile. /brand-wiki/chicken-soup-for-the-soul-entertainment · Editorial policy · How profiles are compiled