At a time when there’s more accessible entertainment than ever, not all audiences feel represented in the content that’s available to them. But in the ever-growing landscape of streaming platforms, one network stands out as a hub for inclusivity and diversity: Revry. Founded in 2015 and officially launched in 2016, Revry is a groundbreaking LGBTQ+-focused global streaming network, the first of its kind.
What is Revry?
The world’s first global queer streaming network, Revry offers curated and original entertainment that includes scripted and documentary films, visionary series, podcasts, short-form digital content and music. While Revry content is LGBTQ+-first, everyone is welcome to enjoy Revry. According to Revry’s site, the network is “about inclusivity, plain and simple.”
How and Where Can I Watch Revry?
Revry is available online and via services including iOS, Apple TV, Amazon Fire, Android TV, Roku, Samsung TV Plus, and TiVo. Watch Revry content by simply downloading the app and diving in! Revry also has linear channels on networks including Pluto TV, XUMO, and Zapping TV.
You can also download the Revry app on your iOS or Android mobile phone. Then, you can either watch Revry on your phone or use it with Airplay and Smartcast.
Is Revry Free?
Revry content is free with ads, but users can ditch most of the ads with a monthly or annual subscription, which also comes with a few added benefits. Subscribers also get access to Revry’s complete library of movies, shows, music, and podcasts.
Subscribers always have the option to cancel or pause their subscription via the “Settings” section of the Revry app or site.
What Can I Watch on Revry?
Revry offers queer classics like Gus Van Sant’s My Own Private Idaho, and original features like The Grove, a documentary about a rural church in an Appalachian town coming to terms with the LGBTQ+ community.
Revry boasts a ton of original series as well. The scripted series Strut tells the story of a group of friends in New York City who start their own escorting agency and dive into the world of sex work.
There’s also Gayborhood, Revry’s first original series, which is a mock-reality show set in Chicago’s LGBTQ neighborhood. With its cast of outrageous characters and satiric humor, Gayborhood is a hilarious commentary on reality TV and queer culture.
For news lovers, there’s Culture Q, the world’s first weekly queer-centric news series that covers entertainment, pop culture, lifestyle and political news with humor and nuance.
There are also plenty of reality shows and competitions to choose from, including the drag competition show, Drag Latina, and the unique sports reality competition, Pride Ball, which was a huge milestone in the field of queer sport. The voguing competition was built around the queer vogue dancing contests that originated in the late 1980s that evolved out of the Harlem ballroom scene of the 1960s. Pride Ball was created in partnership with Nike, and hair-care brand göt2b. It was a huge hit for Revry, attracting three times the network’s viewing levels at that time of day.
Who is Behind Revry?
Revry was founded by CEO Damian Pelliccione, COO Alia J. Daniels, Chief Product Officer LaShawn McGhee, and Chief Content Officer Christopher Rodriguez. It all started when Pelliccione and Rodriguez—a couple outside of their business partnership—purchased an Apple TV in 2015. When they went home to set it up, they searched for apps that offered LGBTQ+ content, but nothing appeared. The pair reached out to their friends, Alia J. Daniels and LaShawn McGhee, and proposed their idea to build a streaming service for queer content.
Speaking to Forbes, Daniels said, “I always say this was the easiest ‘yes’ of my life.” She continued, “We looked at the Apple TV, we looked at the App Store, there was literally nothing there. And when you searched, it was just: ‘We have to do this.’”
Revry’s beta version was launched in March 2016, but its true consumer launch was three months later during San Francisco’s Pride Weekend.
Where Did The Name “Revry” Come From?
Revry takes its name from the word “reverie,” which means a fanciful or fantastic idea. But instead of being pronounced with its traditional three syllables, “Revry” takes a linguistic shortcut while still sharing the definition.
