Criterion streaming service launches April 8 in US, Canada – CNET

The Criterion Channel, Criterion’s streaming service for film lovers, will launch on April 8 in the US and Canada.

You can sign up for a subscription now and it’ll set you back $11 a month (or $100 a year). It’s a little cheaper if you sign up before April 8, with Charter Subscribers paying $10 a month (or $90 a year).

It’s the same pricing model we heard about back in November, when WarnerMedia announced the FilmStruck replacement.

Charter Subscribers also get an exclusive movie of the week between sign-up and launch — the first being its newly released Criterion edition of 1976’s Mikey and Nicky.

Our first Movie of the Week is MIKEY AND NICKY! Charter Subscribers can watch our full edition of Elaine May’s 1976 masterpiece now alongside our special features! 📽️ pic.twitter.com/cJSSyQWTKA

— Criterion Channel (@criterionchannl) January 30, 2019

That’s web-only, but apps will launch on desktop, Apple TV, Amazon Fire, Roku, iOS and Android devices on April 8, it said.

It’ll offer more than 1,000 classic and contemporary films from its library, nightly thematic programming, a Sunday Spotlight series, a Tuesday short film, its Adventures in Moviegoing (a guest-curated series that’s previously featured Barry Jenkins and Guillermo del Toro) and other features.

Criterion’s only confirming a US and Canada launch initially, and said via email that it’ll keep us posted about plans for an international release.

WarnerMedia, which comprises HBO, Turner and Warner Bros, became a subsidiary of AT&T after the phone company’s $85 billion megamerger with Time Warner last June.

First published Jan. 31 at 4:49 a.m. PT.
Updated Feb. 1 at 1:59 a.m. PT: Adds Criterion comment on international release.