Bishop T.D. Jakes Launching Streaming Channel With Amazon Freevee
Bishop T.D. Jakes is expanding his faith-based media empire into streaming television.
According to Variety, the noted preacher, inspirational speaker and author has signed a deal with Amazon Freevee to launch a free, ad-supported, streaming channel (FAST) and on-demand service that features 300 hours of his content.
Beginning Thursday, Dec. 1, sermons, interviews and unscripted programming will be available on-demand, while the streaming channel is scheduled to launch in early 2023. The deal exposes Jakes to an international audience, with rights in the U.S., U.K. and Germany, as well as T.D. Jakes on The Road episodes from Australia, London, and Africa.
“It’s unprecedented for both of us,” Jakes told Variety. “It’s the first time that [Amazon has] ever gone into that type of content before. And while we do scripted shows, and I’ve done things for Sony and other people, they initially are not asking for anything like that. They’re wanting purely faith-based content, preaching sermons, messages, inspiration, to be available to stream on a dedicated FAST channel and free to watch. That’s a new thing for them and for us.”
The deal isn’t exclusive, so programming from The Potter’s House ministry leader could be available on other platforms. Many of the church’s events, along with live streams of weekly services are currently available on YouTube.
While we’ve seen major media deals for faith leaders before, it usually revolves around a white male preacher and is on a smaller, niche station. For a Black religious leader like T.D. Jakes to cement a deal with a platform like Amazon is a very big step. The tech and retail giant is directly acknowledging the power and importance of the Black church.
“This is where the first time a company like Amazon has treated us without discriminating about faith and be open to providing this type of content for a certain base of their constituency who find that type of content enjoyable,” Jakes said. “To me that is a very good thing. It won’t be for everybody. But for those people who really enjoy that type of ministry, which our numbers verify that there are millions of people who do, we can now provide those services through Amazon.”
The Crushing author has produced several films and TV series, including Lifetime’s Seven Deadly Sins anthology. While the initial Amazon Freevee plans only feature unscripted content, Jakes is open to working on scripted programming with the streamer.
“We’re also talking about the possibility of, down the road, doing scripted television shows and other types of content through Amazon, beyond preaching messages,” he said. “So, this this is just ground level zero of a relationship that is emerging between our organization and them.”
In case you’ve never heard of Amazon Freevee, it’s a free channel available on Prime Video. It has a lot of TV shows from the ‘80s and ‘90s, but also includes new series Leverage: Redemption, Bosch: Legacy and the British comedy Timemasters.
Amazon Freevee is getting into business with Bishop T.D. Jakes, signing a two-year deal with the spiritual figure to launch a FAST (free, ad-supported streaming) channel and provide on-demand access to 300 hours of Jakes’ content.
The deal, which launches Dec. 1 and covers rights in the U.S., UK and Germany, will include sermons, interviews and other unscripted, faith-based programming from Jakes’ library — which has been amassed over 45 years. While the programming will be available on demand at that time, the FAST channel will launch in early 2023 on Amazon Freevee and within Prime Video.
Michael Phillips, the chief operating officer of T.D. Jakes Enterprises, will oversee the programming output.
“It’s unprecedented for both of us,” Jakes said of the deal. “It’s the first time that [Amazon has] ever gone into that type of content before. And while we do scripted shows, and I’ve done things for Sony and other people, they initially are not asking for anything like that. They’re wanting purely faith-based content, preaching sermons, messages, inspiration, to be available to stream on a dedicated FAST channel and free to watch. That’s a new thing for them and for us.”
Other programming in the mix includes “T.D. Jakes on The Road” editions including Australia, London, and Africa, leadership and business talks and conversations with celebrities and political leaders.
“This is where the first time a company like Amazon has treated us without discriminating about faith and be open to providing this type of content for a certain base of their constituency who find that type of content enjoyable,” Jakes said. “To me that is a very good thing. It won’t be for everybody. But for those people who really enjoy that type of ministry, which our numbers verify that there are millions of people who do, we can now provide those services through Amazon.”
Jakes said the deal with Amazon isn’t exclusive, which means T.D. Jakes programming and channels would very well pop up on other AVOD distributors as well.
“We’re also talking about the possibility of, down the road, doing scripted television shows and other types of content through Amazon, beyond preaching messages,” said Jakes, whose producing credits include the films “Sparkle,” “Heaven Is for Real” and “A Dog’s Way Home.” “So, this this is just ground level zero of a relationship that is emerging between our organization and them.”
Said Lauren Anderson, head of AVOD original content and programming at Amazon Studios: “As we build our faith-based offerings alongside our entertainment selection, we are honored to be the exclusive video streaming home for Bishop Jakes’ decades-long ministry, and proud to be a destination for viewers to find an ongoing source of spiritual inspiration.”
WASHINGTON, June 27, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — T.D. Jakes was honored at the Museum of the Bible’s Blessing of The Elders event on June 23 to celebrate his accomplishments as both a revered communicator, pastor and global humanitarian. The event honored the Black church’s impact in America and how it has pioneered the way for many Americans to hear the message of the Bible.
John Hope Bryant, chairman and CEO of Operation HOPE, led the tribute of Jakes with these words:
“[T.D. Jakes] is the ultimate translator and can communicate to all people, from business to ministry to global philanthropy. On Sunday, his message of hope and love is reaching millions around this globe, and by Monday he’s in his director’s chair producing some of the most compelling faith-based films and stories. On Tuesday, he’s overseeing real estate development that will bring affording housing and economic opportunities to thousands, and by Wednesday he’s helping the formerly incarcerated through his [Texas] offender reentry program. Now through his foundation, he’s preparing people for the 21st-century workforce. T.D. Jakes is a man who understands the Scripture’s charge to ‘go into all the world and preach the gospel.’ It’s an honor to know him and call him friend.”
As the senior pastor of The Potter’s House, a non-denominational, multicultural church and global humanitarian organization based in Dallas, Jakes has built more than a church. He has built a multi-faceted, faith-based organization whose impact reaches well beyond the pulpit by using business and community outreach as a force for good. Jakes believes that faith is what connects us all – be it faith in a higher power, faith in ourselves, or faith in the goodness of humanity. Jakes’ ability to transcend cultural, racial, gender and socioeconomic barriers has transformed him into a guide and global leader for presidents and paupers alike around the world.
John Sharp, chief relations officer at Museum of the Bible, has long said that spiritual renewal in America could come through the Black church. The Blessing of the Elders initiative is intended to honor Black pastors across the U.S. who have been committed to the call of preaching and caring for others. It acknowledges their exceptional contribution as vitally important to the development of America’s biblical values.
Along with Jakes, Pastor Shirley Caesar, Bishop Charles E. Blake Sr., Dr. John M. Perkins, Rev. Dr. A. R. Bernard Sr., Dr. Tony Evans, and Bishop Vashti Murphy McKenzie were also honored.
B-roll footage and photos of the event are available.
Jakes will look to make an impact on thousands of women next during his Woman, Thou Art Loosed! conference in Atlanta, Sept. 22-24. The conference brings inspirational and motivational speakers to the stage to help women around the world be loosed from a myriad of strongholds, transforming them into revelations that help women to change the world.
About The Potter’s House
Located in Dallas, The Potter’s House is a 30,000-member nondenominational, multicultural church and humanitarian organization led by Bishop T. D. Jakes, twice featured on the cover of Time magazine as America’s Best Preacher and as one of the nation’s 25 Most Influential Evangelicals. The Potter’s House has four locations: The Potter’s House of Dallas, The Potter’s House of Fort Worth, The Potter’s House of North Dallas and The Potter’s House OneLA.
Media contacts:
Jordan Hora, 214.608.2006
Christine Cape, 404.545.0085
SOURCE The Potter’s House
DALLAS — Hundreds of students from across the Dallas-Fort Worth area are already busy while leaping into summer break.
Many are hard at work in summer camp.
“We have something big happening! We are so excited,” said Hattie Hill, executive director and CEO of the T.D. Jakes Foundation.
About 325 teens gathered at the Potter’s House of Dallas on Monday to kick-off the start of “Hack-A-Thon.” It’s a two-week summer intensive STEAM camp.
“I feel like it’s a good experience, especially for kids my age,” said Kyla Thomas, a student at Duncanville High School.
The “Hack-A-Thon” is exposing students from a variety of communities to science, technology, engineering, arts and math.
“It’s new opportunities to find out new things, new innovations, teamwork, and networking,” explained Gregory Williams of Red Oak High School.
The T.D. Jakes Foundation is partnering with Dallas Mavericks and Goldman Sachs to offer the camp in person and virtually to hundreds of students locally and globally.
“Our goal is really to create that spark, that exposure, that says there may be something there that’s interesting to me, and I want to do it,” Hill explained.
The students are guided by mentors. They work in small groups with engineers from Goldman Sachs. The teens also get one-on-one access to professionals helping them navigate questions, experiments and building prototypes.
“We first start by coming up with an idea. Then we brainstorm all of that. We draw out our idea. Then we start, actually, executing our idea,” student Josiah Thorpe explained.
Organizers said the “Hack-A-Thon” camp is about building bridges and exposing the teens to potential career opportunities.
“We want to build a bridge for our young people between opportunity and their exposure to know it actually exists,” Hill added.
ATLANTA, Oct. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — On October 21, 2021, the Fort Mac LRA Board of Directors approved the Initial Interim Master Development Plan from T.D. Jakes Real Estate Ventures, LLC (TDJREV), for the redevelopment of a portion of the former Fort McPherson Army Base in accordance with the terms of the previously approved Purchase and Sale Agreement.
“We are pleased to release this plan today to provide the community a glimpse of what is likely to be incorporated into the final plan,” T.D. Jakes said. “While this is a major step forward, the plan is a work in progress as we continue our dialogue with local stakeholders and residents. We remain focused on strengthening communities through affordable housing and by helping people live the American dream through homeownership and the creation of multi-generational wealth.”
As the next step in the planning process, the interim layout provides a general overview of the uses that will likely be incorporated into a final master plan and calls for a mixed-use development with mixed-income housing and an array of living choices including single-family homes, townhomes and apartments nestled in well-designed neighborhoods. In addition, the plan envisions ample amenities aimed at enhancing the quality of life for both residents in the new development and existing residents in the surrounding communities. These include a variety of retail goods and services, healthy food choices, and healthcare options. The plan also anticipates ample green space and a bike path.
As the first step in a longer master planning process, the Initial Interim Master Development Plan outlines uses on the proposed site that may be a part of the final master plan. The Fort Mac LRA Board looks forward to continued updates on the planning process as T.D. Jakes Real Estate Ventures, LLC, continues its due diligence activities and discussions with the communities surrounding the former Fort McPherson Army Base.
TDJREV/EDT will be holding another community engagement meeting on Saturday, October 30th, from 4-6pm at the MILRA offices before a free to the community drive-in movie night, which takes place at 7pm.
ABOUT TDJREV
TDJREV is a Dallas-based real estate company dedicated to implementing T.D. Jakes’ vision of creating attainable and sustainable communities in a global marketplace and developing 21st Century solutions to address rudimentary needs in targeted communities with a focus on economic development, job training, financial literacy and education enrichment. Its real estate portfolio includes Capella Park, a 400-plus acre community in south Dallas that includes single-family homes, live-work space and a prek-8 school.
CONTACT:
Mark Hayes
Media Liaison
(404) 510-6674 Cell
Info@markhayesconsulting.com
Lekan Oguntoyinbo
T.D. Jakes
469-475-9414
ooguntoyinbo@tdjakes.org
SOURCE T.D. Jakes Real Estate Ventures, LLC
DALLAS, June 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — In a landmark real estate deal being praised as a stimulus to the city’s most promising communities, the Local Redevelopment Authority Board of Fort McPherson, the historic army base situated in enviable proximity to downtown Atlanta and Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, has voted to sell approximately 94.5 acres of remaining land on the property to T.D. Jakes Real Estate Ventures, LLC, a company founded by treasured spiritual leader, business mogul, seasoned real estate developer, global humanitarian, bestselling author and successful movie producer T.D. Jakes.
This approval marks an important milestone in the creation of a unique sustainable mixed-use development in a dynamic neighborhood where TDJREV will develop affordable housing opportunities for Atlanta. This historic agreement paves the way for the redevelopment of an area of Atlanta that people have been talking about for decades, an area that is poised to become a vibrant new residential and commercial neighborhood with 94.5 acres of public open space and new cultural amenities.
TDJREV is a real estate and community investment accelerator fueling social advancement through real estate development growth strategies that responds to local needs to drive intersectional and multigenerational progress for people within underserved communities. The unanimous vote, which comes after nearly two months of negotiations, clears the way for the Dallas-based real estate firm to redevelop the property for mixed-income housing and retail. The development is part of Jakes’ long-term vision to cultivate quality affordable housing for the underserved in a model that will be duplicated across the country and around the world as a part of a deepening recognition that access to affordable housing is what fuels and facilitates access to opportunity.
TDJREV’s current signature development project is Capella Park, a 400-plus acre community in south Dallas. This comfortable and creatively designed community has a pre-k-8 school and a 64-acre conservation area as the center of the neighborhood.
T.D. Jakes has a longstanding history of success rooted in his commitment to establishing a transformative real estate infrastructure of opportunity that preserves the history and character of neighborhoods, while investing in the community and its people by providing mixed income and affordable housing and inclusive development solutions. Said Jakes: “By addressing racial and economic disparity gaps, we look forward to engaging, empowering, and strengthening local entrepreneurs and stakeholders in this exciting development venture.”
This development vision builds a broadly shared prosperity that improves equity at the grassroots level while building generational wealth for families, businesses and communities. The TDJREV culturally fluent real estate development model also illustrates the power of inclusive investing, and contributes to the broader landscape of regional economic opportunity by fostering jobs, igniting local economic rejuvenation, commercial revitalization and quality-of-life gains.
“My cultural fluency results from having grown up in a community like the Atlanta communities surrounding Fort McPherson. In my travels across all of America, I see too many Black and Brown working-class people still falling victim to the continued gentrification of our neighborhoods. I’m extremely excited about the accessible ownership options that will exist for future residents of this multigenerational community. This project will bring solutions to the quality-of-life problems and elevate the lives of the Atlantans that will live, work and play there,” Jakes said.
TDJREV continues to be focused on change and intentional about how and where it invests to ensure that its development vision helps break down barriers to success, supports the social and financial impact goals within communities to help the economy better perform and fuel advancement for all citizens.
“Our development vision will reflect important, inclusive conversations, outreach and input from community members to ensure citizens of Atlanta will have the opportunity for new affordable housing and cultural space right in their ancestral neighborhoods. We share in the City of Atlanta’s belief that the redevelopment of this fertile neighborhood is critical to the future growth of Atlanta,” Jakes added.
The property is adjacent to Tyler Perry Studios, which occupies much of historic Fort McPherson.
“My vision is to develop an oasis within our cities for working families, walking them toward economic viability through financial literacy programs, live-work spaces, mixed income housing and multigenerational options that are so imperative to the betterment of our society,” Jakes said.
The purchase of this property is a continuation of Jakes’ longstanding relationship with the city of Atlanta, one which has enjoyed a healthy symbiosis, due to Jakes’ decades-long and ongoing investment in the continued growth and evolution of the city. Jakes has shot several of his TDJ Enterprises films in Atlanta, including the recent hits Lust and Envy, both of which aired on Lifetime. His landmark signature events, Women Thou Art Loosed and MegaFest, have been held in Atlanta multiple times, leaving an indelible mark, attracting millions of attendees, and have had an enormous economic impact. In recognition of his invaluable contributions to Atlanta, Jakes was made an honorary citizen in 2004 and given the keys to the city.
“This agreement marks another monumental chapter in the history of Fort Mac,” said Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms. “Thank you to Tyler Perry and Bishop T.D. Jakes for their vision and investment in the Southwest Atlanta community. The positive impact will be felt for generations to come.”
A monumental figure on the global stage and a passionate social justice advocate, Jakes and his real estate firm plan to revitalize Atlanta by employing local talent for this development project and have already begun building pivotal relationships with key business leaders, stakeholders, and well-respected experts.
“I am thankful to Governor Brian Kemp, Mayor Bottoms, Chairman Cassius Butts, the Fort McPherson Board, the greater Atlanta community, and my friend Tyler Perry for this opportunity to serve and further amplify their vision and unwavering commitment to attracting growth opportunities and development excellence to the City of Atlanta,” said Jakes.
ABOUT TDJREV
TDJREV is a Dallas-based real estate company dedicated to implementing T.D. Jakes’ vision of creating attainable and sustainable communities in a global marketplace and developing 21st Century solutions to address rudimentary needs in targeted communities with a focus on economic development, job training, financial literacy and education enrichment. Its real estate portfolio, includes Capella Park, a 400-plus acre community in south Dallas that includes single-family homes, live-work space and a prek-8 school.
T.D. JAKES CONTACTS
Marvet Britto, Global Brand Strategist
The Britto Agency
marvet@thebrittoagency.com
Lekan Oguntoyinbo, Director of Public Relations
T.D. Jakes Real Estate Ventures, LLC
ooguntoyinbo@tdjakes.org
SOURCE T.D. Jakes Real Estate Ventures, LLC
