Have you watched everything on Netflix and Amazon Prime over the last eight-and-a-half months? Are you getting tired of reruns? Do you want more queer content than just the new Lifetime channel Christmas movie featuring the gay couple?
Well, Happi TV may have the answer for you.
Happi TV is a brand-new streaming app and website that launched this week “serving the LGBTQ+ community … with the purpose of filling the void this underrepresented group has in the current media marketplace.”
According to a press release announcing the new streaming service, Happi TV “offers a wide variety of films and TV geared towards queer audiences, with special emphasis on products made by their own members of the community.”
Daniel Bort, Happi TV founder, said, “Even though the main streamers have LGBTQ+ sections, none of them are particularly invested in making this content a priority. We believe audiences will benefit from having a go-to destination in which they’ll find both entertainment, representation and a sense of belonging.”
Happi TV will also “focus on showcasing short-form content made by a curated selection of out and proud members of the community,” the press release said. “Genres will range from the usual comedy and music format’s stints to new offerings on travel, cooking, home improvement and celebrity interviews.”
And VP of Marketing Daniel Berilla added, “Formats focusing on the ‘gay angle’ have been extremely popular on mainstream television. We hope to bring a whole new perspective to tried-and-true formulas that elevate the profile of the community and are incredibly entertaining.”
Bort said Happi TV has already secured “the participation of several iconic queer players,” including Sherry Vine and Buck Angel, and that they intend to “bring as many pillars of the community as we possibly can. Creating a safe haven for our members will make us a viable choice for advertisers. We hope they take notice and increase their investment in the LGBTQ+ market, which is recognized as one of the smartest bets in the current marketplace. It’s good business for everybody.”
Happi TV launched this week in The U.S. and Canada, and has an international rollout “planned in the near future.” It will be available in all the major app platforms in North America, following an advertising video on demand model, offering free content to viewers that prefer to watch ads over a monthly subscription. It will also offer a linear channel option made available through digital streaming platforms in the territory.
Watch the video below and keep a close eye out for some familiar local faces and places.
HAPPI v5_FINAL from Daniel Bort on Vimeo.
