PCCW Media collaborates with STX Entertainment to bring unique content to enrich its service offerings

PCCW (SEHK: 0008) – HONG KONG, August 12, 2016 – PCCW Media has collaborated with STX Entertainment to bring more premium content to viewers in Hong Kong, South East Asia and India.

PCCW has acquired an equity interest in US-based STX Entertainment, a fully integrated, diversified, global media company designed from inception to unlock value from the 21^st century’s changed media landscape. STX specializes in the development, production, marketing and distribution of talent-driven films, television, and digital media content, with a unique ability to maximize the impact of content across worldwide, multiplatform distribution channels. STX Entertainment is led by Mr. Robert Simonds, one of Hollywood’s most prolific and profitable film producers and entrepreneurs, and co-founded by Mr. Bill McGlashan, Managing Partner of TPG Growth.

In connection with the investment, PCCW has signed an overseas content distribution agreement with STX Entertainment to bring original and first-run Hollywood content, including recent US hit “Bad Moms” starring Mila Kunis, as well as co-produce regionally tailored programmes for PCCW to distribute across its pay-TV and OTT services in Hong Kong, Southeast Asia and India further strengthening its content offerings of its OTT and pay-TV businesses.

Ms. Janice Lee, Managing Director of PCCW Media Group, said, “The new alliance represents an important milestone in expanding PCCW’s strategic investments into compelling content creation, not only for audience in Hong Kong but also for international audiences in markets which we operate. Furthermore, STX’s wide release of films and scripted television series can also be distributed across PCCW’s pay-TV and OTT platforms, thus bringing the best content to viewers in Hong Kong and in the region.”

The transaction does not constitute a notifiable transaction of PCCW Limited under Chapter 14 of the Rules Governing the Listing of Securities on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange.

– # –

For more information, please contact:

Stella Wong

Group Communications

Tel: +852 2888 2253

Email: stella.wm.wong@pccw.com

Ivan Ho

Group Communications

Tel: +852 2883 8747
Email: ivan.wy.ho@pccw.com

Virginia Lim promoted to Senior Vice President and Head of Content, Production & Marketing, Sony Pictures Television Networks, Asia

SINGAPORE, August 10, 2016 — Virginia Lim has been promoted to Senior Vice President and Head of Content, Production and Marketing at Sony Pictures Television (SPT) Networks, Asia, it was announced today by Ang Hui Keng, Senior Vice President and General Manager for SPT Networks, Asia.

Based in Singapore, Lim continues to oversee the entire network portfolio of Asian and English content channels, including leading general entertainment powerhouses AXN and ONE, as well as Animax, Sony Channel and GEM. Specifically, Lim is responsible for the overall content management for the five channels, including programming, acquisitions and original productions; as well as brand marketing and on-air promotions.

“Since taking over the consolidated content group in April 2015, Virginia has made an outstanding contribution to growing SPT Networks’ business in Asia, ensuring our channels remain leaders in their respective genres and that we continue to deliver entertainment that is multi-screen, locally relevant and engaging for our viewers in Asia,” said Ang.

“It is highly satisfying to select and deliver engaging content to expand our presence in Asia,” said Lim. “In this dynamic industry, we must remain nimble, so we’ll be rolling out a pipeline of initiatives in the near future that will bring our stories, talent and brands even closer to our viewers across the region.”

In the past year, Lim has spearheaded several key initiatives for SPT Networks, Asia. For AXN, Lim oversaw the pan-regional roll out of the channel’s brand refresh, complementing the dynamic new look with a stellar programming lineup that included the premiere of the highly anticipated FBI drama, Quantico. On the original programming front, Lim led the local adaptation of Cash Cab for AXN in the Philippines and the return of the hit-rated series, The Amazing Race Asia Season 5, which premieres this October.

In addition, Lim has cemented ONE’s leading position in Southeast Asia, introducing the express telecast primetime belt “Ppalli Ppalli” (“quick, quick” in Korean), and a major schedule refresh earlier this year to better reflect the needs of ONE’s viewers. The recent premiere of the wildly popular Doctors, which stars Park Shin Hye (Pinocchio) and TV veteran Kim Rae Won (Punch), was the highest rated Korean drama series in Singapore and Malaysia this year across all Korean channels. Later this month, ONE will premiere the region’s first ever same-time-as-Korea drama telecast of Scarlet Heart, the highly anticipated South Korean remake of the similarly titled Chinese series.

SPT Network’s portfolio was further strengthened by the launch of GEM in October 2015, with Lim collaborating with the channel’s joint venture partner, Nippon Television Network Corporation, to ensure a steady pipeline of prime Japanese content. A relative newcomer to the Asian entertainment genre, GEM recently expanded its distribution footprint to include Indonesia, Singapore and the Philippines, in addition to its launch markets of Cambodia, Hong Kong and Thailand.

Lim joined SPT Networks, Asia in 2008 as Director of Programming for Animax and became Vice President of Asian Content in 2012. In this capacity, Lim oversaw the programming, marketing and on air promotions for ONE, Animax and GEM. In 2015, Lim was promoted to Vice President, Content and Marketing where she oversaw all functions of programming and marketing for the entire networks portfolio. Prior to joining SPT Networks, Asia, Lim worked with StarHub for over 10 years.

Sony Pictures Television Networks, Asia
Sony Pictures Television (SPT) Networks, Asia is a leading operator of ad-supported channels including English general entertainment powerhouses AXN and Sony Channel; and Asian content giants Animax, GEM and ONE. SPT Networks’ portfolio collectively features the biggest and best titles from Korea, Japan and the U.S that are first run, exclusive and aired close to the original telecast. Taking the content beyond the screen, SPT Networks immerses viewers in its premium entertainment via large-scale festivals, celebrity fan meets and social platform conversations. In Asia, SPT Networks’ portfolio is available across 19 territories and in over 42 million homes.
www.SonyPicturesTelevision.com

Media Enquiries:
Jennifer Doig
Sony Pictures Television Networks, Asia
jennifer_doig@spe.sony.com / +65 6622 4278

Music for your eyes – Channel V transitions into a definitive 24 hours music channel for the youth

Mumbai, 8 August 2016: Star India’s Channel V has made the much-awaited transition into a 24 hours music channel this August, continuing with its legacy. With this, Channel V promises to introduce the Indian youth to the future of music entertainment in India where content will be curated for visual delight. The programming will focus on music videos that not only sound good but look good as well, presenting them in the most clutter free environment offering its viewers a great viewing experience.

According to our research, music channels rarely look different from one another. Not only do they lack a unique voice, but they also feature a cluttered environment where the visual experience is compromised. With an idea of actively involving audiences, rather than just passively consuming music, the new look of Channel V is refreshing. Uncluttered look, great music videos, minimal graphics on screen will ensure a high-quality experience to the viewer, promising an unparalleled visual experience.

The global Indian youth today enjoys latest Indian hits as well as popular international music. Staying true to its image, V will be the only channel to deliver a complete package at the consumers doorstep.

With the foray back into the music television industry, Hemal Jhaveri, General Manager and Executive Vice President – Channel V, Star Gold, Movies OK & Utsav movies said, “Channel V has been a strong brand synonymous with music in India. We at V are keen on changing the music videos viewing experience. Last few years the TV music category has been dormant. With the revamp of Channel V, we aim to redefine the music video experience by delivering an uncluttered high-quality experience, with curated content for a visual delight.”

The new logo and channel packaging have been created by the in-house design team. In a beautiful mix of the real world meets contemporary digital design. The origami-inspired logo manages to create a distinct, youthful and approachable form that connects perfectly with today’s youth. The packaging is bold, vibrant, yet simple while building upon the ‘V’ form.

Along with a new look and programming, Channel V will also launch a high decibel 360 marketing campaign across key metros. With prime focus on the digital medium, the campaign will also have a presence on TV, radio and outdoor sites. Other than this the channel will also participate in some exciting on ground activities to tap into young audiences at major youth hangouts across key metros.

About STAR India
STAR India has defined the Indian media landscape since 1991 and today is one of the country’s leading media conglomerates, reaching approximately 650 million viewers a month across India and more than 100 other countries. STAR generates 20,000 hours of content every year and broadcasts 40+ channels in 8 different languages, reaching 9 out of 10 C&S TV homes in India.

The network’s entertainment channel portfolio includes STAR Gold, Channel V, STAR World, STAR Movies, STAR Utsav, Star Utsav Movies, Life OK, Movies OK and STAR Plus, India’s No. 1 Hindi General Entertainment Channel. It has a leading presence in regional broadcasting as well, through a bouquet of affiliate channels which includes STAR Jalsha, Jalsha Movies, STAR Pravah, Asianet, Asianet Plus, Suvarna, Suvarna Plus, Vijay and now Maa. It is also present in the Indian movie production and distribution space through Fox STAR Studios, an affiliate joint venture company.

STAR India is making quantum leaps in transforming sports in the country by leveraging the group’s strengths in superior content and audience engagement. STAR’s sports business has grown rapidly to 8 channel properties (STAR Sports 1, 2, 3, 4 and STAR Sports HD1, HD2, HD3 and HD4), making it the leading sports network in the country.

STAR is set to drive the agenda on digital content consumption in the country with Hotstar, STAR’s revolutionary digital platform that brings your favourite TV shows, movies and sports in one destination.

STAR India is a fully owned subsidiary of 21st Century Fox.

July 2016

Preparations for CASBAA Convention 2016 are underway! To be staged at Studio City Macau, the heart of the world’s most dynamic entertainment and gaming hotspot, CASBAA Convention 2016
is the premier networking spot for the Asian pay-TV industry, bringing together the executives, the content, the technology and the money that make our businesses prosper. The event will include keynotes, conversations, and debates, connecting the worlds of the Operator, Content Creator, OTT Provider, Advertisers, Data Diver and the Regulator.

Early birds rates will run until September 9th. CASBAA has also secured a limited number of plush guest rooms for Members at amazingly reasonable rates, so reserve your Conference pass and accommodation NOW to enjoy the best of the deals.

Find out more

Thailand in View 2016

The Land of Smiles is back in the spotlight as CASBAA returns to Bangkok with its “Thailand in View 2016” re-examination of Southeast Asia’s most dynamic multichannel TV market. Still brimming with potential, a subtext for CASBAA’s Bangkok meeting on September 6th is “Coexistence and Cooperation in a Crowded Market” as broadcasters, pay-TV providers, content creators, advertisers and telcos of all kinds tackle the ever-expanding digital world. So it’s “Thai Time” and you need to be at the Centara Grand & Bangkok Convention Centre at CentralWorld on on Sept 6th
2016.

CASBAA 2020

For its most recent meeting the CASBAA 2020 Committee hosted a joint 2020/OTT Webinar where Henry Stokes of Xaxis presented an Introduction to Programmatic. The audience heard that "programmatic is the single biggest shift to happen in marketing over the last 25 years.” Although programmatic buying represents just three percent of the global ad spend today, programmatic buying is growing more than eight times as fast as traditional ad spending in APAC. The presentation can be found below.

download the presentation

It’s all about you!

With our new “It’s all about you!” section in CASBAA Monthly, we reinforce the CASBAA mission to keep Members better Connected, better Informed and better Represented than ever.

But we can’t do it without you. Be SOCIAL and tell us your In-house Events

Share & share it again
with pr@casbaa.com.

It’s yours to tell.

Member rates for All That Matters

This year’s All That Matters conference is scheduled for Singapore September 11-15, 2016, once again bringing the Music Matters, Sports Matters and Digital Matters events under one roof. With a line-up designed to bring many leading players in the Asian entertainment industries together CASBAA Members are offered a 15% off VIP rate. Please use promo code CASBAAVIP16 at checkout.

Upgrades are the way to go

This month global broadcaster RTL CBS and addressable advertising solutions provider Invidi have raised their game and taken out Patron Memberships of
CASBAA.

A half dozen Corporate Members have upgraded their Memberships to Patron status in recent months thanks to the Association’s innovative credit scheme designed to add value to our event sponsorships. It’s also our way of saying “Thank you” to our long-time supporters.

By upgrading to Patron Membership at a cost of US$12,500 in addition to your current Corporate Membership renewal, among the tangible benefits you will receive is a credit of US$10,000 against sponsorship at one or more of CASBAA’s events.

In addition, as a Patron, you’ll enjoy the following additional benefits, over and above the Corporate
membership tier:

“Fast-track, first-look” access to sponsorship opportunites for all CASBAA events
An additional 10% discount beyond the regular member discount for event sponsorship
Semi-annual “Brought to you by…” sponsorship of our weekly News Views newsletter, sent to more than 6000 readers weekly
Prominent branding
exposure on our homepage
Guaranteed invitation to our annual Executive Roundtable and other exclusive-access events
Full-page colour advertisement in our annual CASBAA Year In Review publication
Free Patron-only video hosting
on the CASBAA website

Get in touch and learn more about upgrading to Patron Membership by emailing us on membership@casbaa.com, or by calling our Member Relations team on +852 2854 9913.

CASBAA Membership

Switch on with CASBAA and our Members’ video:
www.youtube.com/user/CASBAA

Upcoming Events

31 Aug – 2 Sep 2016
BCWW 2016

6 Sep 2016
Thailand In View

12-15 Sep 2016
All That Matters

7-10 Nov 2016
CASBAA Convention 2016

16-18 Nov 2016
Inter BEE 2016

29-30 Nov 2016
Global Sat Show

5 Dec 2016
Emerging Southeast Asian Markets in View

Find out more

For PR enquiries, contact pr@casbaa.com
For membership enquiries, contact membership@casbaa.com

CASBAA is the Association for digital multichannel television, content, platforms, advertising and video delivery across Asia. The CASBAA mission is to promote the growth of pay-TV and video content through industry information, networking exchanges and events while promoting global best practices. To view the full list of CASBAA members, please visit here.

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5 August, 2016

Welcome to News Views, CASBAA’s news round-up culled from sources across the industry for the week ending August 5th. Curated by CASBAA, News Views keeps you in the loop. We always value your feedback, so tell us what you think!

Brought to you by:

Christopher Slaughter

CEO

Media fragmentation is a global phenomenon, but there’s no question that it’s more of an issue in some markets than in others. And in the US — where delayed viewing is apparently the new normal — the industry is leading the pack in trying to figure out how to adapt. And with new competitors like Apple still trying to roll out a TV service, existing online platform Hulu trying new things, and even the 800-pound streaming gorilla YouTube fiddling around with a TV service, there’s a certain urgency in the air. Hell, even Netflix, the once anointed “category-killer” that seemingly created the whole “cord-cutting” phenomenon, appears to be feeling the heat; analysts are wondering whether its slowing US subscriber growth is actually down to “stream-cutting.”

Kevin Jennings

Vice President, Programme

Speaking of Hulu, big news as Time Warner buys a 10% stake in the online platform. The intention is to include Time Warner channels in that planned live-streaming service Chris mentioned above, potentially making Hulu “…the skinny bundle to beat.” Hulu’s other owners are Disney, NBCU, and Fox, each of which holds a 30% stake. Oh, and that Apple streaming service? Apparently, it’s just going to be a TV guide.

John Medeiros

Chief Policy Officer

A great series of decisions in Canada, where cable companies are filing suits, and winning injunctions, against sellers of “black box” pirate streaming TV devices. The injunctions affect “fully loaded” boxes, so some of the retailers made statements that they would stop selling loaded boxes, and just stick to unloaded ones. Of course, the retailers of the boxes complain they are being unjustly targeted: “Oh I’m just a small businessman,” they protested. Right — a small arm of a large global syndicate, which supplies you with your illegal product to sell.

Mark Lay

Vice President, Singapore

This week Bloomberg has a fantastic interview with Time Warner’s CEO, Jeff Bewkes. What’s the biggest threat to the pay-TV ecosystem right now? How has the success of Netflix changed the strategy at HBO? What do you think the cable-TV bundle will look like in the next decade? It’s all covered off in the Bloomberg piece.

Jane Buckthought

Advertising Consultant

Global adspend will amount to $552bn in 2017, and when combined with other marketing services, total marketing expenditures worldwide will push past the $1 trillion threshold for first time, according to GroupM. The figures are contained in the media agency’s latest worldwide media and marketing forecast report, This Year, Next Year, which trimmed an earlier forecast of global ad expenditure growth for 2016 from 4.5% to 4.0%.This downwards revision was largely due to slowing growth in China and Brazil this year. GroupM lopped off 2.5 percentage points from its previous projection for China, suggesting that a “new normal” was still being established.

Anjan Mitra

Executive Director, India

Good sense triumphed over GST finally as India’s Upper House of Parliament backed a major tax reform that seeks to transform the country into a common market via goods and services tax, replacing a hodgepodge of state excise taxes. Though a lot still needs to be done before implementation, apart from isolated tweets from media execs, by and large, the media industry still evaluating the likely affects on business, but Economic Times reported certain segments of media and entertainment industry would benefit from GST rollout.