TORONTO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jun 11, 2025--
Zone·ify, the rapidly growing free streaming platform, today announced the launch of a new feature: free interactive games playable instantly with an existing TV remote. In partnership with ES3 – the leading TV interactive engagement platform provider, the launch makes Zone·ify the first AVOD (Ad Supported Video on Demand) platform to offer native gaming as part of the core TV experience – no downloads, consoles, or mobile devices required. The games are now available on a wide range of streaming devices and cable and satellite providers, including Android TV, Fire TV, Comcast Xfinity TV, DIRECTV U-verse, Rogers Xfinity TV, and many others.
This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20250610209011/en/
The launch follows the explosive success of The Border Brawl, Zone·ify’s first exclusive live sporting event streamed from Niagara Falls, Canada which became the most-watched title in company history and drove a 13x increase in live watch time. Now available on demand, the event was a cross-border showdown of wrestling legends and reality stars that drew record-breaking viewership across the U.S. and Canada. Building on that moment, Zone·ify is taking the next step in redefining free entertainment.
“We’re not just a streaming service anymore – we’re a full-scale entertainment platform,” said Doug Edwards, President of Zone·ify. “From the viral success of The Border Brawl and our rapidly growing library of content to the launch of TV gaming, we are evolving into a destination for watching, playing, and engaging – all in one place.”
Now live with over a dozen casual games, Zone·ify’s newest feature offers instant gameplay using nothing more than the TV remote – no downloads, no mobile devices, and no extra hardware required. The company has plans to rapidly expand its game catalog and offer custom-branded games for advertisers and sponsors, providing a new, measurable way to engage with audiences. With branded game integrations, companies can align their marketing campaigns or entertainment IP with playable content, reaching viewers through immersive interaction.
Zone·ify’s free games are available now on these devices with more planned to launch in the coming months:
Zone·ify’s first-ever exclusive live sports event, The Border Brawl, held in Niagara Falls, Canada, shattered the platform’s all-time streaming record with a 13X surge in live watch time. Fueled by national pride, reality TV stars, and wrestling legends like “The Mountie” Jacques Rougeau, Barbie Blank, Brutus “The Barber” Beefcake, Matt Hardy, Nic Nemeth, Tommy Dreamer, and many others, the event delivered an outrageous showdown between Team USA and Team Canada. Streaming free on Zone·ify, the spectacle became the most-watched title in company history and is now available on demand across Roku, Fire TV, Android TV, Comcast, Cox, and more.
Zone·ify, available on over 422 million devices and in 16 million Pay TV households, delivers thousands of movies, TV shows, curated short-form content, FAST channels, games, and events like nothing else on the digital landscape.
ABOUT ZONE·IFY
Zone·ify is a free, ad-supported streaming entertainment platform delivering live events, FAST channels, movies, short-form content, games, and exclusive programming to audiences across the U.S. and Canada. Available on Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, Comcast, DIRECTV, Cox, Rogers, Bell, mobile devices, and the web, Zone·ify reaches over 422 million consumer devices and 16 million Pay TV households. With 75+ curated channels, a growing slate of live ring sports, and bold original content, Zone·ify is where niche meets mainstream — all in one place, always free. Learn more at www.zoneify.tv.
Zone·ify becomes the first AVOD platform to launch free gaming through TV remote controls.
STATESVILLE, N.C. (AP) — A business jet crashed Thursday while trying to return to a North Carolina airport shortly after takeoff, killing all seven people aboard, including retired NASCAR driver Greg Biffle and his family, authorities said.
The Cessna C550 erupted into a large fire when it hit the ground. It had departed Statesville Regional Airport, about 45 miles (72 kilometers) north of Charlotte, but soon crashed while trying to return and land, the North Carolina State Highway Patrol said.
Flight records show the plane was registered to a company run by Biffle. The cause of the crash wasn't immediately known, nor was the reason for the plane's return to the airport in drizzle and cloudy conditions.
Federal Aviation Administration records show Biffle was rated to fly helicopters and single and multi-engine planes. It wasn't clear if Biffle was piloting the plane at the time of the crash.
Biffle was on the plane with his wife, Cristina, and children Ryder, 5, and Emma, 14, according to the highway patrol and a family statement. Others on the plane were identified as Dennis Dutton, his son Jack, and Craig Wadsworth.
“Each of them meant everything to us, and their absence leaves an immeasurable void in our lives,” the joint family statement said.
Biffle, 55, won more than 50 races across NASCAR’s three circuits, including 19 at the Cup Series level. He also won the Trucks Series championship in 2000 and the Xfinity Series title in 2002.
NASCAR said it was devastated by the news.
“Greg was more than a champion driver; he was a beloved member of the NASCAR community, a fierce competitor, and a friend to so many,” NASCAR said. “His passion for racing, his integrity, and his commitment to fans and fellow competitors alike made a lasting impact on the sport.”
The plane, bound for Florida, took off from the Statesville airport shortly after 10 a.m., according to tracking data posted by FlightAware.com.
Golfers playing next to the airport were shocked as they witnessed the disaster, even dropping to the ground at the Lakewood Golf Club while the plane was overhead. The ninth hole was covered with debris.
“We were like, ‘Oh my gosh! That’s way too low,’” said Joshua Green of Mooresville. “It was scary.”
The National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration were investigating.
The Cessna plane, built in 1981, is a popular mid-sized business jet with an excellent reputation, aviation safety expert Jeff Guzzetti said. It has two engines and typically seats six to eight passengers and two pilots.
In 2024, Biffle was honored for his humanitarian efforts after Hurricane Helene struck the U.S., even using his personal helicopter to deliver aid to flooded, remote western North Carolina.
“The last time I spoke with Cristina, just a couple of weeks ago, she reached out to ask how she could help with relief efforts in Jamaica. That’s who the Biffles were," U.S. Rep. Richard Hudson, a Republican from North Carolina, said.
Wadsworth was Biffle's friend and helped him with odd jobs, including delivering supplies to places hit by Hurricane Helene, roommate Benito Howell said.
“He didn’t know how to say no,” Howell said of Wadsworth, who had worked for several NASCAR teams. “He loved everybody. He always tried to help everybody.”
The joint family statement also spoke about Dutton and his son Jack, saying they were "deeply loved as well, and their loss is felt by all who knew them."
With 2025 almost over, there have been 1,331 U.S. crashes this year investigated by the NTSB, from two-seat planes to commercial aircraft, compared to a total of 1,482 in 2024.
Major air disasters around the world in 2025 include the plane-helicopter collision that killed 67 in Washington, the Air India crash that killed 260 in India, and a crash in Russia’s Far East that claimed 48 lives. Fourteen people, including 11 on the ground, died in a UPS cargo plane crash in Kentucky.
Robertson reported from Raleigh, North Carolina. Associated Press writers John Seewer in Toledo, Ohio; Jenna Fryer in Charlotte, North Carolina; Josh Funk in Omaha, Nebraska; Ed White in Detroit; and Sarah Brumfield in Washington contributed to this story.
FILE - Former driver Greg Biffle waves to fans prior to a NASCAR Cup Series auto race at Darlington Raceway, Aug. 31, 2025, in Darlington, S.C. (AP Photo/Matt Kelley, File)
FILE - Greg Biffle smiles along pit row during qualifying for Sunday's NASCAR Sprint Cup Series auto race at Atlanta Motor Speedway, Friday, Aug. 31, 2012, in Hampton, Ga. (AP Photo/David Tulis, File)
FILE - Greg Biffle celebrates in victory lane after winning the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series auto race at Kansas Speedway on Sunday, Oct. 3, 2010, in Kansas City, Kan. (AP Photo/Orlin Wagner, File)
First responders tend to the scene of a reported plane crash at a regional airport in Statesville, N.C., Thursday, Dec. 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Matt Kelley)
First responders tend to the scene of a reported plane crash at a regional airport in Statesville, N.C., Thursday, Dec. 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Matt Kelley)
First responders tend to the scene of a reported plane crash at a regional airport in Statesville, N.C., Thursday, Dec. 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Matt Kelley)
This screengrab made from video provided by WSOC shows firefighting crews responding to a reported plane crash at a regional airport in Statesville, N.C., erupting in a large fire, Thursday, Dec. 8, 2025. (WSOC via AP)
