The National Film Board of Canada (NFB) announced Wednesday it is launching a new free ad-supported streaming television (FAST) channel called TopDocs, which will showcase curated documentary content from the NFB’s catalogue of more than 6,000 titles.
TopDocs will be available this fall on the Zone-ify app, before expanding to other smart TV platforms and devices, the NFB said in a press release. TopDocs will launch in English first, followed by a French-language version in the coming months, the NFB said.
Viewers will be able to explore thousands of hours of documentary programming, “anchored by a curated library of at least 150 hours, with 20 hours of new content added monthly,” the NFB’s press release said.
“TopDocs is a bold step forward in how we connect global audiences with powerful documentary storytelling,” said Nathalie Bourdon, the NFB’s director of distribution and market development, in the release. “FAST channels are transforming the media landscape, and this launch allows us to bring the richness of the NFB collection to viewers in a fresh, accessible way — wherever they are, and whenever they tune in.”
“We live in a world where truth itself has become harder to recognize, stories harder to trust — and where the role of inspiring, meaningful storytelling has never mattered more,” said Suzanne Guèvremont, government film commissioner and chairperson of the NFB. “With TopDocs, the NFB is expanding access to stories that matter, amplifying unique and authentic voices, and creating a new global space for conversations that help shape our world.”
The NFB distribution team will present TopDocs at MIPCOM, being held Oct. 13-16 in Cannes, with global rights now available.
