Lionsgate Pumps Out New Fitness DVDs in the Fall

3 Sep, 2010 By: Angelique Flores

Lionsgate is flexing its muscle in the fitness DVD market with a heavy slate of titles streeting Nov. 30.

The studio will release new titles from popular brands and long-time fitness veterans and has added to its lineup product from the woman behind the first workout video, Jane Fonda, and one of the latest newcomers to the arena, Billy Blanks Jr.

“We’ve brought innovation to the category that has made the category grow,” said Anne Parducci, EVP of family and home entertainment marketing for Lionsgate. “We’ve innovated through the acquisitions we’ve made; we brought the ideas to others and didn’t have them bring ideas to us.”

With a 31% market share in the fitness category, Lionsgate holds 10 of the top 20 selling fitness DVDs so far this year, with six in the top eight, according to Nielsen data. As digital becomes an increasingly important distribution method, the studio is making all of its fitness titles available for digital download with a variety of partners to be announced by the titles’ street date.

Billy Blanks Jr.: Dance With Me — Groove & Burn (DVD $14.98), part of that Nov. 30 slate, will be available on demand through Exercise TV. This title is Blanks’ second “Dance With Me” DVD with his wife Sharon Catherine Blanks and features fat-burning dance routines in disco, African and Latin dance styles.

The addition of Blanks Jr. as well as Fonda adds to Lionsgate’s roster of celebrity instructors, while bringing something new to the table.

“They’re both very different from anything we currently have in our portfolio,” Parducci, said. “They’re completely different audiences, but both of them have a lot of brand recognition.”

Equally recognizable is fitness icon Denise Austin. Also Nov. 30 Lionsgate will release her Quick Burn Cardio (DVD $14.98), with cardio circuit training workouts, and Shrink Your Fat Zones Pilates (DVD $14.98), which features a Pilates workout for core, arms, gluts and thighs.

Lionsgate Nov. 30 also has more coming out of its two popular “The Biggest Loser” and “Dancing With the Stars” brands.

The Biggest Loser: Power Walk and The Biggest Loser: Cardio Max Weight Loss DVDs star Bob Harper from the television show and are $14.98 each. Power Walk features a low-impact, one-mile cardio workout, and Cardio Max Weight Loss is a high-intensity cardio workout.

Jillian Michaels, also of “The Biggest Loser,” has another solo DVD, 6 Week 6 Pack ($14.98), a workout program to get rock-hard abs. Michaels continues to dominate the top-selling fitness DVDs on Amazon.com.

The popular “Dancing With the Stars” has Fat Burning Cardio Dance, with Hollywood ballroom, hustle and mambo dance routines, and Ballroom Buns & Abs, with paso, swing and Argentine tango dances. The DVDs star Kym Johnson, Chelsie Hightower and Edyta Sliwinska from the television show and have a bonus feature, “Healthy Eating Tips from Freshology.” The titles will street just in time to coincide with “Dancing With the Stars’” 11th season and will be priced at $16.98.
As long as “The Biggest Loser” and “Dancing With the Stars” maintain success, Lionsgate will continue to release the related fitness DVDs, she said.

“They’re still going strong,” Parducci said. “We’ll continue to put out new releases, featuring different casts, different workouts, and make them very different from one of another.”