Whoopi Goldberg has become an equity partner in BLKFAM, a Black-owned ad-supported, free streaming service that officially launched on Monday.
BLKFAM, which was founded by former WarnerMedia head of design Larry Adams, focuses on family-friendly content that shares authentic, inclusive stories incorporating radical diversity, equity, inclusion and empowerment, including original series, over 1,000 hours of animation titles, over 20 syndicated shows, documentaries and more.
Programming on the platform spans investigative journalism and news, fitness and wellness series, Black history, childrens’ and adult animation, sitcoms and reality shows, and music programs — all through the lens of the Black experience. Ten new original live action and animated series are in development to premiere on the platform throughout the year.
“Black culture and content is so often stereotyped, siloed or written off — so I wanted to create a platform where my kids and I can be entertained without having to face those same daily biases,” Adams said in a statement. “By curating authentic content — proven through data and AI — primarily from Black storytellers, we’ve built a service reflecting true inclusion and diversity, where Black parents and children especially can feel holistically represented.”
As an equity partner, Goldberg and Whoop, Inc. president Tom Leonardis will help steer the creative development of various programming exclusive to the platform.
A BLKFAM spokesperson emphasized that Goldberg is entering the company from the “ground floor” and is “deeply committed to its growth and success.” They added that she believes it will be a part of her legacy for her grandkids to watch representative content.
“I am honored to partner with BLKFAM to assist in the creative direction of curated diverse content — for Black culture to be brought to broader audiences,” the actress and comedian said in a statement.
Additional content partners include Playwatch Kids and ATTN:, who are developing educational, fun and empowering shows in animation and documentary styles that center on ethnic and culturally diverse characters, including “Gabby Galactic,” “Marvelous Light,” “Black History Beats,” “Kembe” and more.
“We are extremely excited to be partnering with BLKFAM – we feel this is a historic moment for families across the globe,” Playwatch owner Jimmy Jenkins, added. “Ultimately this platform will impact our children, and our childrens’ children.”
BLKFAM’s launch comes as new data from Nielsen found that Black audiences feel underrepresented in mainstream media despite consuming the most media and TV.
The report noted that Black Americans are more likely than the general population to access three or more streaming services. Additionally, an April survey by Horowitz Research found that Black Americans over-index for using free OTT services compared to the total market.
BLKFAM is available on iOS, Android, Amazon Prime Video Channels, Apple TV, Roku, Amazon Fire TV, YouTube TV, Samsung Smart TVs, Vizio, and LG.
