On Sunday, the church announced on its official Twitter account that the Scientology Network will launch its channel Monday. The channel will be available on DirecTV, Apple TV, Roku, Fire TV, iTunes, Google Play and the website Scientology.tv.
In a promotional video uploaded to the Scientology Network's newly minted Twitter account, a voice ominously states, "The only thing more interesting than what you've heard is what you haven't."
According to the description on the iTunes store, the Scientology Network app will allow you to watch the network live from your mobile device.
— Scientology Network (@ScientologyTV) March 11, 2018
"Watch episodes of your favorite shows — Meet a Scientologist, Voices for Humanity, L Ron Hubbard: In His Own Voice and more," the iTunes description reads.
This is not the first time that the church has utilized TV as a recruitment method. It annually spends millions on dollars on 30-second commercials during the Super Bowl.
But the church is often the center of controversy as well, with several former Scientology church members having attempted to discredit the organization. Alex Gibney's documentary titled "Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief" won a Peabody and three Emmys in 2015.
In addition, the TV show, "Leah Remini: Scientology and the Aftermath," stars Remini as she reveals the "shocking truth" about the church that she was a part of for years. The church has tried to urge A&E, which airs the show, to pull the series, calling Remini a "has-been-actress" who is taking advantage of the religion.
"Nothing about A&E's Leah Remini 'docuseries' is honest. The singular goal of the program is to make money and boost ratings by spreading salacious lies to promote A&E's ugly brand of religious intolerance, bigotry and hatred," the church told USA Today in August.
Rumors around the church state that Hubbard established Scientology as a religion instead of a business so that it would be tax-free. In addition, members must pay to be part of the church and are allegedly granted a finder's fee for recruiting members to the church. A 2014 estimate valued the church's assets at $1.2 billion, the Register reported. The church is also accused of coerced abortions, challenging psychiatry and responding to dissent with harassment and lawsuits.
