PCCW（SEHK:0008）- HONG KONG, March 20, 2013 – now TV, Hong Kong’s largest quadruple-play pay-TV provider, and Huace Film & TV (SHE:300133), one of the largest listed media companies in the Mainland, announce today an agreement to co-produce TV drama Empress Wei Zifu. This collaboration signifies now TV’s first move into the TV drama market.
Empress Wei Zifu is a historical drama about the life of the titular empress who lived in the Han Dynasty. The filming of the drama will begin in May. Mr. Lau Gar-ho, PCCW’s General Manager of Production, and Ms. Mui Siu-ching, Assistant General Manager of Production, will be the producers. Huace Film & TV will be responsible for distribution in the Mainland, and it will collaborate with now TV on overseas distribution.
Ms. Janice Lee, PCCW’s Managing Director of TV & New Media, said, “The collaboration with Huace Film & TV represents another major milestone for now TV. Huace Film & TV is a leading media company in the Mainland with a comprehensive distribution network. We both are committed to providing high-quality TV dramas to viewers in Hong Kong, mainland China and overseas. As now TV celebrates its 10th anniversary this year, and with more than 1.4 million downloads of our apps and recent overseas content distribution agreements, we will continue to work closely with Huace Film & TV to offer the best TV entertainment.”
Mr. Ho Lai-chuen, PCCW’s Executive Vice President and General Manager of Production, said, “High-quality TV dramas are always in high demand. Lau Gar-ho and Mui Siu-ching, both veteran producers, have produced scores of well received TV drama series with high ratings in Hong Kong and the Mainland. They will lead our production team to satisfy the demand for top TV dramas of viewers in mainland China, Hong Kong and overseas.”
Ms. Zhao Yifang, Huace Film & TV’s General Manager, said, “We are excited to collaborate with now TV to bring the best content to viewers in Hong Kong and mainland China. We want to take this opportunity to introduce Huace Film & TV to Hong Kong and overseas audience, laying the foundation for our future business growth.”
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About now TV
now TV is one of the world’s largest commercial deployments of IPTV and Hong Kong’s largest pay-TV provider. It is delivered by PCCW Media, the multimedia and entertainment subsidiary of PCCW Limited. PCCW also holds interests in telecommunications, IT solutions, property development and investment, and other businesses.
now TV serves Hong Kong with more than 180 channels of local, Asian and international programming, including premium content such as Spanish La Liga, English FA Cup, NBA, French Open, US Open, ATP World Tour, BWF Super Series, World Snooker Tour, F1 and PGA Tour. In addition, now TV is both a leading producer of news, sports and infotainment programming and a provider of a wide range of interactive services. now TV can be enjoyed on the eye devices provided by HKT, the telecommunications business of PCCW. Select now TV content and interactive applications can also be accessed via HKT’s 3G mobile network and broadband service. To learn more about now TV, please visit www.now.com.
About PCCW Limited
PCCW Limited (SEHK: 0008) is a Hong Kong-based company which holds interests in telecommunications, media, IT solutions, property development and investment, and other businesses.
The Company holds a majority interest in HKT, Hong Kong’s premier telecommunications service provider. HKT meets the needs of the Hong Kong public and local and international businesses with a wide range of services including local telephony, local data and broadband, international telecommunications, mobile, and other telecommunications businesses such as customer premises equipment sale, outsourcing, consulting, and contact centers.
PCCW also owns a fully integrated multimedia and entertainment group in Hong Kong, which includes a highly successful IPTV operation, now TV. As the provider of Hong Kong’s first quadruple-play experience, PCCW offers a range of innovative media content and services across four delivery platforms – fixed-line, broadband Internet access, TV and mobile.
Also wholly-owned by the Group, PCCW Solutions is a leading information technology outsourcing and business process outsourcing provider in Hong Kong and mainland China.
In addition, PCCW holds a majority interest in Pacific Century Premium Developments Limited, and overseas investments including the wholly-owned UK Broadband Limited. To learn more about PCCW, please visit www.pccw.com.
About Huace Film & TV
Headquarted in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Huace Film & TV is a renowned Chinese public company (Film & TV sector), which dedicated to the investing, production and publishing of film and television products.
With an annual production of more than 600 episodes of television programme, Huace Film & TV is becoming one of the biggest and strongest civilian-run companies in China. To this day, Huace has successfully produced many classic film and television products such as “Memoirs in China”, “Love in A Fallen City”, “Justice Bao”, “Snow Leopard”, “Symphony of Fate”, “Running Into Good Luck”, “Love Amongst War”, “Earth Moon knife”, “National Fate” and “Windseeker”. Besides the numerous audience rating and box office miracles, many products were awarded prestigious national awards such as “the Best Works Award”, “Flying Goddess Award”, “Golden Eagle Prize” and “Huading Award”. Moreover, “Memoirs in China” was awarded Seoul International Drama Awards.
Huace Film & TV was awarded as Core Chinese Cultural Exporting Enterprise three times in a row. Up to this day, Huace exported more than 7,000 hours of film and TV products to more than 70 countries and regions, ranking the first place among all civilian-run film and TV companies in China. In order to create an enterprise with an international brand, our company is vigorously expanding to the international market. Huace established local offices in Taiwan and Hongkong, and it is exploring the opportunity to cooperate with many Hollywood media institutions in terms of publishing, co-production and channel operating.
At the same time, Huace is also vigorously building an industrial platform of international cooperation. In May 2012, the establishment of China (Zhejiang) International Film and TV Industrial Zone was approved by the The State Administration of Radio Film and Television of China （SARFT). It is China’s first and only film and television industrial zone focused on exporting and international cooperation. The establishment of China (Zhejiang) International Film and TV Industrial Zone is a symbol of Huace’s further industrialization, platform development and internationalization, it is also opened the new chapter of the internationalization of Huace Film & TV.
For further information, please contact:
Ivan Ho
PCCW Group
Tel: +852 2883 8747
Email: ivan.wy.ho@pccw.com
Lisa Hu
Huace Film & TV
Tel: +86 571 8755 3088-8331 /+86 138 1948 4674
Email: 3034930@qq.com