Tom Skerritt wants to help storytellers from the Pacific Northwest share their work with the world.
The “Top Gun” star and Emmy Award-winning actor recently launched a new digital media startup called Triple Squirrels, which this month revealed the EVRGRN Channel, a new free streaming channel airing on STIRR.
Skerritt told GeekWire he realized how difficult it is for independent filmmakers to find distribution after spending the past three decades teaching and mentoring creators. So he launched his own platform to help them find audiences and share their work.
“The EVRGRN Channel is my tribute to the Pacific Northwest region’s creative community, as well as a statement about the cultural impact the region has had and continues to have on the arts,” he said. “The EVRGRN Channel, as a result, reflects the authentic PNW persona: resilient, independent, artistic, and adventurous.”
Some of the initial content includes Leslie and Dale Chihuly’s documentary, “Chihuly Outside,” and selections from the Seattle International Film Festival.
STIRR is a Sinclair-owned streaming service that launched last year and offers free ad-supported live and on-demand content.
“We chose STIRR as the initial streaming platform as it offered us two ways to deliver EVRGRN content to interested and relevant audiences nationwide — as a linear streaming channel and on demand,” said Leslie Grandy, CEO of Triple Squirrels. “STIRR also provides local, live news programming, which pairs well with our regionally curated catalog.”
Grandy is a Seattle tech industry veteran, having worked in leadership roles for RealNetworks, Apple, T-Mobile, Discovery, and Best Buy.
Triple Squirrels plans to launch EVRGRN on other streaming platforms later this year. It makes money with revenue from ads and sponsorships. The company has two employees and raised cash from a private investor in Los Angeles.
Skerritt previously founded and led another Seattle-based digital media company called Heyou Media, but shut the firm down at the end of 2019.
Skerritt has appeared in dozens of films and series, including “Alien” and “Steel Magnolias.” He studied English at Wayne State University and UCLA. Skerritt has lived in the Northwest since the 1980s.
More people are streaming media due to the pandemic and social distancing mandates. A recent study from Deloitte found demand increasing for cheaper, ad-supported streaming video options such as STIRR, Variety reported.
