Fearnet on Demand Fearnet launched on October 31, 2006 as a
video on demand service,
Fearnet On Demand. It was originally operated as a
joint venture between
Comcast,
Lions Gate Entertainment, and
Sony Pictures Entertainment. The on-demand service featured full-length horror, thriller, and suspense films as well as shorts,
trailers, interviews, and behind-the-scenes featurettes. It was available to subscribers of Comcast,
Cox Communications,
Verizon FiOS,
Insight Communications,
Bresnan Communications, Guadalupe Valley Systems, and
CenturyLink.
Fearnet cable channel Fearnet launched as a linear
cable channel on October 31, 2010. The network was originally scheduled to launch four weeks earlier on October 1, but the date was pushed back as Fearnet was in the midst of carriage negotiations with cable providers to carry the linear channel. The Fearnet channel was available through Comcast (in select markets),
Cox Communications, Time Warner Cable, Verizon FiOS,
Bright House Networks, and CenturyLink. The network aired over 350 full-length feature films annually, as well as popular series (such as
Tales from the Crypt and
Reaper) and original content (such as
Holliston) and the weekend
program block called "Funhouse". In September 2012, Fearnet became the first television network to offer Dynamic Ad Insertion (DAI), technology which decreases integration time from four weeks to as few as three days, and allows advertisers to refresh creative mid-campaign and track impressions on a daily basis.
Fearnet.com The Fearnet website featured thriller, suspense, and horror films available for
streaming (with available content updated each week); other videos including movie trailers and
shorts; daily news and reviews that covered all aspects of the genre; and sweepstakes, chats, and forums. The website had over 270,000 registered users.
Leadership and ownership changes In 2010, Peter Block (who launched the top-grossing
Saw horror film franchise, and produced several other blockbuster horror and thriller films including
Hostel,
Cabin Fever,
Open Water, and
House at the End of the Street) was named president and
general manager of Fearnet, replacing Diane Robina. In addition to his duties at Fearnet, Block continued to run his production company A Bigger Boat.
Merger with Chiller On April 14, 2014, Comcast purchased Lions Gate Entertainment and Sony Pictures Entertainment's stakes in Fearnet to acquire full ownership of the channel. Comcast planned to fold Fearnet's programming into its existing horror- and thriller-focused network Chiller (owned by the company's
NBCUniversal Cable unit) and move some of Fearnet's programming to Syfy. Fearnet ceased operations on July 30, 2014 shortly after midnight, after an airing of
House of 1000 Corpses ==Programming==