Tidal wants to stream movies as well as music

Tidal has been plagued by an endless stream of controversy and criticism since it first launched, and things are going so poorly for the music streaming service that Jay Z thinks he got screwed out of $56 million when he acquired it, and is now trying to sue the company that sold it to him, according to a report from Bloomberg on Thursday. That being said, Tidal is far from dead, and Page Six reported on Thursday that the service is actually in discussions with Hollywood executives to enter the movie streaming business with its own original content. 

Jay Z is using his subscription-based ­streaming music service Tidal to get into the movie business — and will soon be offering original films to subscribers, Page Six can exclusively reveal. Multiple sources confirmed to us that the service is in negotiations with movie industry executives for a partnership to create films for Tidal, with a focus on the artists signed to the streaming service. Tidal has already put in a request to Apple for approval to add movie streaming to their app, we’re told, and the service could be up and running as early as June. One source told us, “Tidal has upset everybody in the music business, the labels, Apple and [Interscope founder] Jimmy Iovine, and now it is taking on Netflix and Hulu. “The movie service will feature original content as well as acquired films. Tidal hopes to work with an indie studio or producer on a partnership to create original movies.” We’re told that preliminary talks have been under way with the Weinstein Co., plus Tidal will be working with other producers, including Irv Gotti, to acquire original movies. The move will make movie stars out of the talent signed to Tidal.