With its Sarah Palin documentary "The Undefeated" increasing its playdates by 40 percent this weekend, only to watch box office revenue decline by over 63 percent, distributor Arc Entertainment announced Sunday that the film will soon be available on pay per view.
Starting Sept. 1, subscribers to DirecTV, Dish Network and Time Warner can see the true Horatio Alger story of an Alaska woman's rise from self-described "hockey mom" to gubernatorial dropout to conservative cable news bastion talking head, all in the comfort of their own home.
And if they can't figure out the VOD/PPV thing, Arc has them covered — the film will launch on DVD Oct. 4 with a shipment of 250,000 units.
As for the theatrical run, the distributor insists it will continue through August and September.
The movie played in 14 Tea Party-friendly locations this weekend — up from the 10 in which it opened last week — but grossed just $24,000.
Here's the full Arc Entertainment press release:
ARC Entertainment Announces Massive National Rollout for Sarah Palin Film, “The Undefeated”
Beginning September 1st Video-on-Demand and Pay-Per-View to Make the Film Accessible to Approximately 75 Million Homes Through Major Cable and Satellite Companies Such as DIRECTV, DISH Network and Time Warner Cable
The Video on Demand / Pay-Per-View Launch to be Backed by Multi-Million-Dollar Marketing Campaign
DVD to Launch October 4th in Stores Nationwide with an Initial Shipment Estimated at 250,000 Units
Walmart to Receive a “Special Edition” Version of the Film
Limited Engagement Theatrical Release to Continue Nationwide Throughout August and September
*Embargoed Until 7PM EDT July 24, 2011*
Santa Monica, Calif. (July 24, 2011) – ARC Entertainment, the distributor of “The Undefeated,” the film about Gov. Sarah Palin’s rise from obscurity to national prominence, announced today that beginning on September 1st the film will be available to 75 million homes via Video on Demand and Pay-Per-View access through national and regional cable and satellite operators. The DVD will launch on October 4th and will be available at traditional and online retailers nationwide. ARC is estimating its initial unit shipment to be approximately 250,000 units. A “Special Edition” DVD will contain additional new content and will only be sold in Walmart stores. ARC will continue to expand the limited engagement theatrical release nationwide throughout August and September as demand across the country remains high.
Trevor Drinkwater, CEO of ARC Entertainment, said, “Since the film opened in select markets across the country on July 15th we have been inundated with requests from people wanting the film to be made available in their market. After methodically analyzing the most effective ways to bring this galvanizing film to the widest audience as soon as possible we have determined that continued limited theatrical distribution, Video-on-Demand, Pay-Per-View and DVD sales will be the best modalities by which to deliver this film as widely as possible. We have created partnerships with national cable, satellite and mass retailers to achieve our distribution goals.”
“This title is absolutely perfect for Video-on-Demand and Pay-Per-View backed by a traditional and significant marketing campaign. We are incredibly excited about having this film made available to the entire country earlier than expected,” said Glenn Bracken Evans, the film’s producer. “A traditional windowed release would not have allowed us to maximize viewership of this highly sought after film,” continued Evans.
“The Undefeated is a terrific case study for a digital cinema release. We have been nimble, efficient and brought this film to many eager viewers with almost no turn around time,” said Jill Newhouse Calcaterra, chief marketing officer at Cinedigm, the film’s digital distributor. “We look forward to bringing this film to many more audiences across the country during the next month.”
Filmmaker Stephen K. Bannon stated, “Given the strong audience reaction we have determined there is overwhelming demand for us to get this film out broadly enough to cover the entire nation in September and October. In a 90-day period from August to November we will be able to effectively cover the nation through multiple distribution modalities.”
The Video-on-Demand and Pay-Per-View deals with strategic partners will be backed by a multi-million-dollar advertising campaign to heighten awareness in all markets to the film’s availability.
Written and directed by Stephen K. Bannon and produced by Victory Film Group co-founder Glenn Bracken Evans and Dan Fleuette, “The Undefeated“ was independently financed by Victory Film Group and its partners.
The film debuted theatrically to multiple sold-out runs and enthusiastic audience support with weekend per-screen averages above $11,000 in top markets. The film was rushed to select digital theatres in only three weeks, and was marketed entirely through social media and grass roots efforts with virtually no traditional media spend.
The film includes leading prominent political commentators Mark Levin, Tammy Bruce and Andrew Breitbart as well as conservative activists Kate Obenshain, Sonnie Johnson and Jamie Radtke. Additionally, the film features interviews with Alaskan civil servants, elected officials and advisors who were involved in Alaskan politics during Governor Palin’s tenure.