Launched in July 2008 by US digital entrepreneur, documentary producer and philanthropist Ted Leonsis, SnagFilms is already a leader in distributing free ad-supported titles from a library of over 2,000 documentary films, streamed across 100,000 sites such as Aol, and IMDb. It also offers selected titles on VOD (with cable operator Comcast and Verizon FiOS), on iTunes and since earlier this month, on a new free iPad application. With its new cash injection from venture capital fund New Enterprise Associates and Comcast Interactive Capital, SnagFilms plans to "bring the full array of independent films - fiction and non-fiction, US and foreign - to global audiences on all platforms and devices", according to Leonsis.
"SnagFilms plus Bingham Ray is a great combination," said Tom Bernard, co-president of Sony Pictures Classics. "Bingham knows the indie world as well as anyone alive and is admired for his experience and for always delivering for filmmakers. He'll be a big asset to SnagFilms'.
Ray is the former president of October Films, United Artists and Kimmel Entertainment. Among the Scandinavian films he acquired are Lars von Trier's Breaking the Waves and Thomas Vinterberg's Celebration.
SnagFilms also owns the film website indieWIRE and has recently hired former Variety editor Dana Harris as its new editor in chief.