Redbox Inks TikTok Deal to Stream Trending Videos, Serve Ads on 3,000-Plus DVD Rental Kiosks

variety.com:

Todd Spangler NY Digital Editor Redbox’s newest addition to its famous DVD kiosks: viral TikTok videos. Redbox, looking for a new way to turn heads and generate incremental revenue, signed a deal with short-form video platform TikTok, which is owned by China’s ByteDance.

Under the pact, TikTok will provide Redbox with “top content” curated from the app, which will be featured on more than 3,000 video screens on Redbox kiosks across the U.S.

In addition, brands will have the opportunity to buy advertising that runs alongside the TikTok content. Redbox — founded in 2002, well before the video-streaming revolution — was acquired by Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment last year in an all-stock deal valued at about $370 million.

The Redbox network currently comprises approximately 31,000 kiosks across the U.S. “This new partnership provides advertisers a unique opportunity to reach new audiences and drive engagement,” said Philippe Guelton, chief revenue officer of Crackle Connex, which is a division of CSSE. “Our Redbox kiosks are in high-traffic locations where millions of people frequently shop, such as grocery stores or value retailers.