Looke is a Brazilian platform for digital video distribution via streaming launched in April 2015. The subscription service allows the streaming of movies and series on demand, but certain movies and series are only available for rental or purchase.[1][2] In 2020, Looke started to show film festivals.
In 2012, Encripta was founded, which licenses content to other companies. Encripta planned to launch in 2013 a streaming platform in partnership with a client, but the following year, when everything was already developed, the client canceled. In the same period, Netflix started to produce more original content and reduced the purchase of Encripta products. With that, Marcelo Spinassé and Encripta launched the Looke. The platform is part of the group's four business fronts[1]
The platform was officially launched on April 28, 2015 with around 12,000 products[3][4]. Commenting on Looke's film collection, Marcelo Spinassé said that, due to the budget, the catalog is different from Netflix and Amazon. "What we do is look for the best possible content that has not reached or interested these companies […]. When a content arrives for Encripta, the first one to receive it as a possibility is Netflix. If it says no, I offer it to others . If you can't sell, go to Looke."[1]
In June 2016, in a campaign carried out in partnership with the CNA language course, it distributed one million free vouchers to encourage students on the course.[5] In October 2016, the content became available to watch offline (without an internet connection ).[6] In January 2017, old TV Globo programs are released.[7]
In August 2018, it launched space in the NOW' app , for NET and Claro TV customers.[8][3] In October 2018, Looke Kids for Apple TV was released.[9] Also in October, it aired audiovisual productions in partnership with Spcine Play.[8]
In February 2019, it released its app for Apple TV.[10] In July 2019, it started a partnership with operator Tim Brasil.[11] In October 2019, he started to show his first telenovela, Ouro Verde , which was shown on Rede Bandeirantes.[12]
In September 2020, Looke became one of the Prime Video (Brazil) channels , alongside Paramount+ , MGM ( Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer ), Starzplay and Noggin .[13] Also in 2020, Arte 1 Play , the Arte 1 channel's streaming service , was launched on the platform.[14]
In November 2015, Looke bought NetMovies, which offered a product similar to the American Netflix , with delivery of DVDs to the customer's home and online streaming . The service fell into decline with the rise of Netflix in the country, among other reasons.[15] As of May 2020, part of the platform's collection is made available for free on YouTube ,[16] another part of the catalog can be accessed via the Netmovies website or application.[17]
The Virtual Cinema is a video platform which are launched new films in Brazil. It was developed by Marcelo Spinassé in partnership with movie theater networks and launched in 2020.[18] As of 2021, Claro customers will have access to Virtual Cinema through streaming NOW .[18]
Distributors and movie theaters that have released one or more of their films[edit]