Cineverse Launches Matchpoint Creative Labs (MCL)
Cineverse's new in-house agency, MCL, was established to support the growing creative demands of connected TV (CTV), free ad-supported streaming television (FAST) channels, and streaming services.
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Cineverse, an entertainment technology company and studio, has announced the launch of Matchpoint Creative Labs (MCL).
Cineverse’s new in-house agency, MCL, was established to support the growing creative demands of connected TV (CTV), free ad-supported streaming television (FAST) channels, and streaming services.
MCL is focused on producing premium video advertising for CTV, as brands continue to shift budgets away from static display and toward streaming environments.
According to recent research from MNTN, CTV ad spend is forecast to surpass linear TV ad spend for the first time by 2028, reaching nearly $46 billion. Nielsen reports that 66% of marketers planned to increase their OTT/CTV spend in 2025 compared to 44% in 2024.
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The unit was created to address a persistent shortcoming in the FAST and the overall ad-supported streaming ecosystem, where many channel and streaming operators lack the internal creative resources that were historically available within On-Air Promotions departments at legacy broadcast/cable networks.
Operating within the Cineverse Technology Group, MCL is designed to help advertisers and channel operators create video ads that feel native to CTV—combining creative direction, design, and production with modern, technology-enabled workflows that allow campaigns to scale cost-effectively.
MCL also creates motion-first creative across a wide range of use cases, including on-air promotional spots, channel IDs, branding packages, and visual assets for extraordinary channel stunts.
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These services are being deployed across Cineverse’s owned and/or operated streaming properties, and are now available to external and 3rd-party partners, including brands and streaming services.
MCL is expected to generate more than $4.5 million in high-margin revenue in its first year, driven by strong demand from new and existing customers of Matchpoint’s growing list of service offerings.
SaaS clients who already license the Matchpoint platform can now take advantage of these premium creative capabilities without investing in building internal creative teams. In contrast, those with existing teams can now leverage this offering to supplement their internal capabilities.
The MCL team is currently working with clients to pilot these advanced genAI capabilities.
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“As FAST and streaming services continue to scale, the need for high-quality on-air creative has become critical, but the traditional broadcast model simply doesn’t exist for many of these operators,” said Tony Huidor, President of Technology & Chief Product Officer of Cineverse.
“The advent of Connected TV has changed how audiences watch television, but on-air creative hasn’t kept pace. As genAI technology has rapidly matured over the past 18 months, we have focused on developing in-house expertise, with continual support from our LLM partner, that can provide a scalable solution that solves this problem.”
“As a result, Matchpoint Creative Labs was established to bring broadcast-grade creative services to modern streaming services on a far more cost-effective basis.”
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The Creative Labs unit blends traditional creative development, storyboard design, and human-led scriptwriting with genAI-enabled workflows that allow motion-based creative to be developed, versioned, and deployed quickly across ad campaigns and streaming channels.
While MCL is brought to market and incorporated into the Matchpoint SaaS and Cineverse 360 Ad Solutions sales process, it will initially be utilised across Cineverse’s streaming networks, including SCREAMBOX (horror), RetroCrush (classic anime) and Dove Channel (women’s entertainment) – supporting ongoing channel branding, programming promotion, and audience engagement initiatives.
“With the launch of Matchpoint Creative Labs, Cineverse extends its capabilities beyond entertainment technology and into the creative services ecosystem—positioning the company to participate more deeply in both the operational and creative segments of the Connected TV, On Demand and FAST economy,” added Michele Edelman, Cineverse EVP Technology & General Manager of Matchpoint.
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