CENTENNIAL (CO), USA, & OSLO, Norway, February 21, 2017 – Evolution Digital and Conax, a leading global provider of content protection for digital video and entertainment, today announced that Conax will be providing its multi-DRM solution for Evolution Digital’s eVUE-TV™ platform, available on the National Cable Television Cooperative’s (NCTC) VU-IT! Platform. Evolution Digital’s eVUE-TV delivers IP Video on Demand content, as well as IP linear channels, network DVR and catch-up TV functionalities as a managed-service offering for Tier 2 and Tier 3 cable operators in the United States.

“We have partnered with Conax to offer a best of breed comprehensive content security solution to our NCTC members with eVUE-TV,” said Brent Smith, president and chief technology officer Evolution Digital. “As cable operators move to IP distribution and begin offering a wide-range of content that can be viewed anywhere, Evolution Digital is committed to delivering content securely and providing operators with a low cost and hassle-free solution that eliminates complexities of technology integration.”

eVUE-TV on the VU-IT! Platform provides NCTC members a complete, pre-integrated and high-security solution that enables smooth IP migration for operators. Cable providers still offering legacy equipment and QAM video are able to transition to a new generation of IP video technology with eVUE-TV.

“A key focus for Conax is guiding operators in finding the best ways to ensure device reach and making it easier for consumers to access premium content, securely,” said Rohit Mehra, Senior Vice President of Americas at Conax. “Conax is uniquely positioned as a holistic content security specialist for operators in the U.S. market, tapping extensive experience in the global market and benefits from technology collaboration and R&D initiatives of the complementary companies within the Kudelski Group.”

To learn more about Evolution Digital’s eVUE-TV platform, visit https://evolutiondigital.com/evue-tv/.

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About Evolution Digital
Evolution Digital L.L.C. is a leading provider of integrated IP Hybrid devices and IP Video solutions for the global cable industry. Evolution Digital takes an aggressive approach to product innovation to embrace the way viewers are consuming video. It has quickly become an innovator in the era of OTT content and multi-stream households. Through its 2015 acquisition of i-Velozity, Evolution Digital’s eVUE-TV platform enables cable operators to cost-effectively deploy IP Video services including IP VOD, IP Linear, mobile and nDVR. Evolution Digital provides integrated and managed content delivery across all mobile devices in the home, includes smart phones and tablets, subject to the operator’s licensing agreements. Evolution Digital was recently named as one of Colorado’s fastest growing private companies by ColoradoBiz Magazine. Visit www.evolutiondigital.com.

Follow Evolution Digital on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/EvolutionDig and visit our blog.

About Conax

A part of the Kudelski Group (SIX:KUD:S), Conax is a leading global specialist in total service protection for digital TV and entertainment services via broadcast, broadband and connected devices. The Conax Contego unified security hub provides telcos, cable, satellite, IP, mobile, terrestrial and broadband operations with an innovative portfolio of flexible and cost-efficient solutions to deliver premium content securely. Conax’ future-ready technology offers modular, fast-time-to-market solutions that enable easy entry into a world of secure multiscreen, multi-DRM content delivery and secures rights for premium content delivery to a range of devices over new hybrid network combinations. Conax spotlight technology includes our Contego-as-a-Service cloud-based platform, award-winning Conax GO Live and benchmark Conax multi DRM OTT solutions, and includes Conax Connected Access connected IPTV security client managing both Conditional Access and DRM in a single security client. Headquartered in Oslo, Norway, ISO 9001 & 27001 certified Conax technology enables secure content revenues for 425 operators in 85 countries globally. For more information, please visit http://www.conax.com and follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube and Facebook to join the conversation.

 

Media Contacts

Evolution Digital

Emily O’Donnell

720.590.7163

eodonnell@evolutiondigital.com

@EvolutionDig

Conax

Leslie Johnsen

+47 4145 8043

leslie.johnsen@conax.com

@ConaxAS

The BBC has announced that world renowned naturalist Sir David Attenborough is to present Blue Planet II*, the brand new seven part landmark series from the multi-award winning BBC Studios’ Natural History Unit, which will be broadcast later this year on BBC Earth.

Twenty years ago, a team of wildlife film makers from the BBC’s Natural History Unit set out to make a series on the world’s oceans, the breadth and scale of which had never been seen before. Broadcast in 2001, the multi award-winning ‘The Blue Planet’, presented by Sir David Attenborough, cemented the Unit’s peerless reputation for underwater filming.

Now, a generation on, the NHU has returned to these underwater worlds for Blue Planet II, with even more ambitious filming and a fresh cast of extraordinary aquatic animals, spending some four years filming off every continent, and in all of the earth’s oceans, to immerse the audience in some of the most expansive but least known parts of our planet.

David Attenborough said: “I am truly thrilled to be joining this new exploration of the underwater worlds which cover most of our planet, yet are still its least known”.

Charlotte Moore, Director of BBC Content, said: “The BBC’s world renowned natural history unit are set to captivate audiences once again with unmissable stories of ocean life presented by the one and only David Attenborough -it really doesn’t get much better than that!”

James Honeyborne, Executive Producer, said: “The Oceans are the most exciting place to be right now, because new scientific discoveries have given us a new perspective of life beneath the waves. Blue Planet II is taking its cue from these breakthroughs, unveiling unbelievable new places, extraordinary new behaviours and remarkable new creatures. Showing a contemporary portrait of marine life, it will provide a timely reminder that this is a critical moment for the health of the world’s oceans.”

Tom McDonald, Head of Commissioning, Natural History and Specialist Factual, said: “Blue Planet II promises to combine the exceptional craftsmanship that our audiences have come to expect from BBC Natural History with genuinely new revelations about the creatures and habitats of the world’s oceans. I have no doubt it will thrill and delight the audience; and deliver a new benchmark in Natural History film-making”.

Blue Planet II explores the latest frontiers of scientific discovery, from icy-white polar seas to vibrant blues of the coral atolls, from the storm-tossed green Atlantic coastline to the black depths of the alien deep.

Viewers will encounter surprising new landscapes such as methane volcanoes which erupt in the Gulf of Mexico; and the so-called “Boiling Sea” phenomenon in the Pacific Ocean. And by taking two manned submersibles to explore the Antarctic deep at 1000m for the very first time, the series will bring a “new world” to the audience.

Astonishing new creatures, including hairy-chested Hoff crabs; snub fin dolphins that spit water through the air; and a tool-using tusk fish, have been filmed for the first time, and the crew was able to capture some extraordinary examples of behaviour, such as sophisticated hunting between a coral grouper and a reef octopus; giant trevally that catch flying birds in mid-air; and a dive with a sperm whale mother and calf, as she heads deep into the abyss to hunt.

The series’ camera teams have worked off every continent, and across every ocean, often in collaboration with marine scientists. They have developed new filming technologies, including UHD ‘tow cams’ that allow predatory fish and dolphins to be filmed front-on; UHD suction cams which enable the viewer to ‘travel’ on the back of large creatures such as whale sharks and orcas; and a UHD probe camera that immerses the viewer into the world of miniature marine life.

Blue Planet II, a 7×60’ for BBC One, is made by BBC Studios Natural History Unit, co-produced with BBC America, WDR and France Télévisions in partnership with The Open University. It is Executive Produced by James Honeyborne and Series Produced by Mark Brownlow, and was commissioned by Charlotte Moore, Controller of TV Content and iPlayer and Tom McDonald, Head of Commissioning, Natural History and Specialist Factual.

Blue Planet II will be launched to international TV buyers at BBC Worldwide Showcase 2017 (19th – 22nd February) with a special event dedicated to the series. BBC Worldwide Showcase is the world’s largest single-distributor sales market, attracting around 700 delegates from around the world.

-Ends-

For more information, please contact:

Jeanne Leong

BBC Worldwide

Tel: +65 6849 5292

Email: Jeanne.Leong@bbc.com

Jessie Lim

BBC Worldwide

Tel: +65 6849 5295

Email: Jessie.Lim@bbc.com

NOTES TO EDITORS

* Previously announced as Ocean

Blue Planet II is a BBC Studios Natural History Unit production, co-produced with BBC America, WDR and France Télévisions. A BBC Open University partnership.

Following the outstanding success of Planet Earth II last year, Blue Planet II is its successor as the natural history landmark series for 2017

Episode two of Planet Earth II, was the most watched natural history programme for at least 15 years, with an audience of 13.14m viewers (the highest rating episode)

The series average for Planet Earth II was 10.15m

 

About BBC Worldwide

BBC Worldwide is the main commercial arm and a wholly owned subsidiary of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC). Its vision is to build the BBC’s brands, audiences, commercial returns and reputation across the world. This is achieved through investing in, commercialising and showcasing content from the BBC around the world, in a way that is consistent with BBC standards and values. The business also champions British creativity globally.

 

In 2015/16 BBC Worldwide generated headline profits of £133.8m and headline sales of £1,029.4m and returned £222.2m to the BBC.

For more detailed performance information please see our Annual Review webpage: bbcworldwide.com/annual-review/.

 

bbcworldwide.com

twitter.com/bbcwpress

• Photo credit: Shutterstock

  HD pace accelerates across Eutelsat video neighbourhoods

• 240 new channels in 2016 represents ↗30% growth

Paris, 20 February 2017 – High Definition TV continues to gain ground across the broadcast satellites operated by Eutelsat Communications (NYSE Euronext Paris: ETL) with the 240 HD channels launched in 2016 equalling the total number launched during the previous two years.

The symbolic landmark of 1,000 channels was crossed this month with the launch at Eutelsat’s HOTBIRD neighbourhood of CGTN HD, the news and current affairs channel of China’s CCTV media organisation, marking its first foray into HDTV in Europe.

Eutelsat’s key video neighbourhoods all saw HD growth in 2016, with three distinguished for exclusive content and market leadership.

Accelerating HD growth at the HOTBIRD neighbourhood

The upwards curve of HD take-up was particularly strong at Eutelsat’s flagship HOTBIRD position where HD channels increased by 25% to 250, now accounting for almost one in four channels in the HOTBIRD line-up. This dynamic is driven by three key trends:

• Progressive HD adoption by public broadcasters including RAI that has transitioned nine channels to HD and CCTV that launched three channels
• New premium pay-TV content in flagship platforms including Sky Italia, Polsat, nc+ and Nova
• A wave of new free-to-air channels that include Euronews HD and Al Jazeera English

Eutelsat 7/8° West position sets the trend in Middle East, North Africa and features exclusive HD channels

With almost 150 HD channels (up 40% in one year), of which 100 are exclusive, the 7/8° West position hosted by Eutelsat and Nilesat satellites leads the transition to HD in the Middle East and North Africa. Free-to-air channels in HD now outnumber pay, with strong brands launched exclusively at this neighbourhood including five channels launched by Kuwait TV and Echourouk News HD, the 24/7 Algerian news channel.

Eutelsat 36° East neighbourhood hits new high spot in Russia and Africa

Eutelsat satellites at 36° East that serve Russian and African markets clocked 14 additional HD channels over the last 12 months, rising to 114 HD channels. Russia’s leading NTV+ and Tricolor platforms each broadcast around 40 channels, to which can be added 32 HD channels broadcast to homes in Siberia from 56° East. In Africa, MultiChoice Africa and Zap are in the vanguard of HD, broadcasting 16 and 17 channels respectively and underscoring the trend towards higher resolution in Africa’s TV market.

Michel Azibert, Commercial and Development Director at Eutelsat, said: “2016 marked a tipping point for High Definition TV across our portfolio of video neighbourhoods, culminating in a new landmarkof 1,000 channels, many of which are exclusive to Eutelsat. We are fully equipped to accommodate this accelerating pace and to work closely with broadcasters as they transition to an enhanced viewing experience.”

Click here for the full HD line-up:
http://www.eutelsat.com/deploy_tvLineUp/struts/advancedSearch.do?Langue=EN&tvhd=on

About Eutelsat Communications

Established in 1977, Eutelsat Communications (Euronext Paris: ETL, ISIN code: FR0010221234) is one of the world’s leading and most experienced operators of communications satellites. The company provides capacity on 39 satellites to clients that include broadcasters and broadcasting associations, pay-TV operators, video, data and Internet service providers, enterprises and government agencies.

Eutelsat’s satellites provide ubiquitous coverage of Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia-Pacific and the Americas, enabling video, data, broadband and government communications to be established irrespective of a user’s location.

Headquartered in Paris, with offices and teleports around the globe, Eutelsat represents a workforce of 1,000 men and women from 37 countries who are experts in their fields and work with clients to deliver the highest quality of service.

For more about Eutelsat please visit www.eutelsat.com

Press
Vanessa O’Connor Tel: + 33 1 53 98 37 91 voconnor@eutelsat.com
Marie-Sophie Ecuer Tel: + 33 1 53 98 37 91 mecuer@eutelsat.com

Investors and analysts
Joanna Darlington Tel. : +33 1 53 98 35 30 jdarlington@eutelsat.com
Cédric Pugni Tel. : +33 1 53 98 35 30 cpugni@eutelsat.com

BBC Worldwide today, on the first day of Showcase 207, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with iQIYI, China’s largest online video platform,  to bring almost 300 hours of pre-school content from CBeebies to its viewers.  This is the first time that CBeebies programmes will be available in China on a digital platform.

iQIYI is the leader in providing online services in China with 20 million paid subscribers (as of June 2016). CBeebies content will be available on both the platform, and on iQIYI’s app  currently active on 120 million devices every day, making it the most-used online video app in China.

The CBeebies programmes branded under 思贝斯 (sī bèi sī) on the online platform, will feature some of BBC’s most popular pre-school programmes including Go Jetters – CBeebies’ latest animated adventure comedy series about four explorers who travel the world with their teacher, Ubercorn – a disco-loving unicorn, and the award-winning Sarah and Duck, which follows the expeditions of seven-year old Sarah and her quacky best friend, Duck. Children will also be able to enjoy Hey Duggee, winner of BAFTA’s Best Pre-School Amination award in 2016, which centres around the adventures of ‘The Squirrel Club’ run by a big friendly dog Duggee and his friends. The series offers a range of interactive activities and adventures for children on which they can earn activity badges along the way.

The MOU was signed by David Weiland, EVP Asia, BBC Worldwide and Wang Xiaohui, Chief Content Officer, iQIYI.  It was witnessed by Kelvin Yau, GM, Greater China, BBC Worldwide and Zeng Shangyou, Director, Copyright Management Centre, iQIYI.

“This is the first time CBeebies programmes will be available as a block on a digital platform in China. We are very pleased that iQIYI is our partner for this ‘first’. CBeebies has won multiple awards, most recently ‘Children’s Channel of the Year’ at the BAFTA last year, and now parents and carers in China will have access to its trusted programmes to enthrall their pre-schoolers anytime, anyplace” said David Weiland, EVP Asia, BBC Worldwide. “This partnership is an affirmation of the shared commitment to bring the very best of BBC programmes to a wider audience across China.”

“We first started working with BBC Worldwide in 2015 when we partnered with them to bring their premium factual content to viewers on iQIYI. We are excited to expand this partnership to include their very popular CBeebies programmes for our pre-school audience and their parents and carers. We are confident that CBeebies’ programmes aimed at encouraging ‘learning through play’ in a consistently safe environment will be very popular with our audience,” said Mr Wang Xiaohui, Chief Content Officer, iQIYI.

思贝斯 (sī bèi sī) is set to launch by this summer. Programmes will be serviced in English and/or Mandarin.

BBC Worldwide Showcase 2017, the world’s largest TV sales market to be hosted by a single distributor, takes place at the ACC in Liverpool from 19th to 22nd February. Now in it is 41st year, the four-day event has now become a firm fixture in the diary of over 700 of the world’s top TV buyers, award-winning producers and on-screen talent.

 

 

For more information, please contact:

Jeanne Leong

BBC Worldwide

Tel: +65 6849 5292

Email: Jeanne.Leong@bbc.com

 

Jessie Lim

BBC Worldwide

Tel: +65 6849 5295

Email: Jessie.Lim@bbc.com

 

NOTES TO EDITORS

 

About BBC Worldwide

BBC Worldwide is the main commercial arm and a wholly owned subsidiary of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC). Its vision is to build the BBC’s brands, audiences, commercial returns and reputation across the world. This is achieved through investing in, commercialising and showcasing content from the BBC around the world, in a way that is consistent with BBC standards and values. The business also champions British creativity globally.

 

In 2015/16 BBC Worldwide generated headline profits of £133.8m and headline sales of £1,029.4m and returned £222.2m to the BBC.

For more detailed performance information please see our Annual Review webpage: bbcworldwide.com/annual-review/

 

bbcworldwide.com

twitter.com/bbcwpress

Groundbreaking Hindi series on Star Plus marks TED’s most ambitious TV production yet

Mumbai and New York, February 16, 2017: Star India, a unit of 21st Century Fox (NASDAQ: FOXA, FOX) and one of India’s largest media conglomerates, announces today the greenlight of ‘TED Talks India: Nayi Soch,” a global first Hindi TV talk show created in partnership with TED, the non-profit devoted to ‘ideas worth spreading,’ and hosted by Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan. The show on Star Plus titled ‘TED Talks India: Nayi Soch,’ which translates to “new thinking,” will feature speakers sharing big ideas in TED’s signature format of short, powerful talks. This is the first time TED is collaborating with a major network and mega-star to produce a TV series featuring original TED Talks in a language other than English. Since its founding in 1991, Star India has played a critical role in driving social change by cultivating forward-thinking programming that harnesses the power and reach of television to touch lives and create meaningful change.

Uday Shankar, Chairman & CEO, Star India, said, “At Star, we have always believed in pushing the boundaries with new ideas, creativity and fresh thinking. Nobody reflects this belief more than TED and we are thrilled to collaborate with them in bringing the power of ideas to our audiences with ‘TED Talks India Nayi Soch.’ In an age of high volatility the role of ideas to fuel positive change cannot be overstated. We are delighted to have Shah Rukh Khan share our vision and lend his charisma to this exciting endeavour.”

Shah Rukh Khan added, “Star India’s legacy of using television as an instrument of social change, and TED’s unequivocal drive to showcase simple but unique ideas in an effort to spark debate and conversation are a very powerful combination. I believe ‘TED Talks India-Nayi Soch’ will inspire many minds across India. It is a concept I connected with instantly, as I believe that the media is perhaps the single most powerful vehicle to inspire change. I am looking forward to working with TED and Star India, and truly hope that together, we are able to inspire young minds across India and the world.”

“It’s incredibly exciting to be bringing TED to India in this form,” said TED curator Chris Anderson. “The country is teeming with imagination and innovation, and we believe this series will tap into that spirit and bring insight and inspiration to many new minds. We’ve been so impressed by the passion of our partners at Star TV and our host Shah Rukh Khan. We cannot wait for the launch.”

Juliet Blake, head of TV at TED and executive producer of the series, added, “The sheer size of Star TV’s audience, with more than 650 million viewers, makes this a significant milestone in TED’s ongoing effort to bring big ideas to curious minds. Global television is opening up a new frontier for TED.”

Star India has always believed in disruptively powering social change through the power of its content to influence and impact people’s lives and thinking. Continuing with this journey ‘TED Talks India: Nayi Soch’ will take forward Star’s commitment of creating social impact with Nayi Soch in India. Inspiring a billion imaginations is much more than a tag line, it’s a promise Star India delivers every day in ways that break away from the conventional, spark national debate and help shape the new India.

More information and details on the vision behind this unique initiative will be announced at the annual TED Conference to be held in Vancouver in the coming months. Keep watching this space for more.

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 Indiaand more than 100 other countries. STAR generates 20,000 hours of content every year and broadcasts 50+ 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 World Premiere HD, STAR Movies, STAR Movies Select HD, 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 channels which include STAR Jalsha, Jalsha Movies, STAR Pravah, Maa channels and affiliate channels Asianet, Asianet Plus, Asianet Movies, Suvarna, Suvarna Plus and Vijay. 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 10 channel properties (STAR Sports 1, 2, 3, 4; STAR Sports HD1, HD2, HD3, HD4 and Star Sports Select HD1, Select HD2), 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.

About TED

TED is a nonprofit organization devoted to Ideas Worth Spreading, usually in the form of short, powerful talks (18 minutes or less) delivered by today’s leading thinkers and doers. Many of these talks are given at TED’s annual conference in Vancouver, British Columbia, its TEDWomen conference and its TEDGlobal conferences—then made available, free, on TED.com and other channels. TED speakers have included Bill Gates, Jane Goodall, Elizabeth Gilbert, Sir Richard Branson, Nandan Nilekani, Philippe Starck, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Sal Khan and Daniel Kahneman.

 

Other HBO Originals Premiering in February include Brand-New Series BIG LITTLE LIES and CRASHING

SINGAPORE, FEBRUARY 15, 2017 – The latest season of the Emmy^®-winning show, LAST WEEK TONIGHT WITH JOHN OLIVER premieres in Asia this Saturday, February 18 at 11:45pm on CINEMAX. Presenting a satirical look at the week in news, politics and current events, as well as addressing broader issues, the fourth season of the weekly news-oriented comedy series is executive produced by John Oliver, Tim Carvell, Liz Stanton, Jon Thoday, James Taylor. New episodes debut every Saturday night after the 10pm movie and the series is also available on HBO GO.

 

Other HBO Originals Premiering In February

The seven-episode limited drama HBO Original series, BIG LITTLE LIES, premiers same time as the U.S. on Monday, February 20 at 10am with a same day primetime encore at 9pm exclusively on HBO. Based on Liane Moriarty’s bestselling book of the same name, this subversive, darkly comedic drama tells the tale of three mothers of first-graders whose seemingly perfect lives unravel to the point of murder. Starring Reese Witherspoon, Nicole Kidman, Shailene Woodley, Alexander Skarsgard, Laura Dern, Adam Scott, Zoe Kravitz, James Tupper and Jeffrey Nordling, BIG LITTLE LIES is directed by Jean-Marc Vallée from scripts by David E. Kelley.

The brand-new eight-part HBO Original comedy series CRASHING debuts exclusively on HBO the same time as the U.S. on Monday, February 20 at 11.30am with a same day primetime encore at 10.30pm. The show was created by and stars Pete Holmes as a standup comic who discovers that his wife is unfaithful, leading him to reevaluate his life amidst the New York City comedy scene. Artie Lange, Lauren Lapkus and T.J. Miller also star. Executive produced by Judd Apatow and Pete Holmes.

The sixth and final season of GIRLS premiered on HBO this week. New episodes of this ten-part series will air on HBO every Monday at 10pm. Created by and starring Lena Dunham, the Emmy^®-winning comedy series is a comic look at the assorted humiliations and rare triumphs of a group of girls in their 20s. Dunham executive produces along with Judd Apatow, Jenni Konner, Ilene S. Landress, Murray Miller and Bruce Eric Kaplan. The cast also includes Allison Williams, Jemima Kirke, Zosia Mamet, Adam Driver, Alex Karpovsky, Andrew Rannells and Ebon Moss-Bachrach.

All the above series will also be available on HBO GO.

 

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About HBO ASIA

Singapore-based HBO Asia brings the best of Hollywood to Asia first through its exclusive licensing deals with major Hollywood and independent studios, including Paramount Pictures, Sony Pictures, Universal Studios, Warner Bros. and Lionsgate. HBO Asia has proprietary and award-winning HBO and HBO Asia Original programmes produced exclusively for HBO viewers. Wholly owned by HBO (a Time Warner company), HBO Asia reaches 23 territories across Asia with six 24-hour commercial-free subscription movie channels: HBO, HBO Signature, HBO Family, HBO Hits and Cinemax, as well as Red by HBO, internet streaming platform, HBO GO, subscription video on demand service, HBO On Demand, and in China, 鼎级剧场 (ding ji ju chang). HBO Asia is also the exclusive distributor of BabyFirst and the DreamWorks channel in the region. Log on to www.hboasia.com for more information.

HBO, Home Box Office and HBO Asia Originals are service marks of Home Box Office, Inc.

Watch select Oscar winning & nominated movies of previous years 24×7 on Tata Sky

14^th February, 2017: With the Oscars just around the corner, it is that time of the year when you want to run down memory lane to recall ‘What were the earlier masterpieces that made it to the Oscars?’ OR ‘I wish I could watch that Oscar nominated movie today?’ Tata Sky, India’s leading content platform known for its differentiated offerings, has just made that thought a little easier with the new Showcase service called Tata Sky Hollywood Winners.

Available in both SD and HD, Tata Sky Hollywood Winners will be complimentary for all Tata Sky subscribers. Catering to the trend of watching movies on the move the service will also be available on the Tata Sky Mobile App. Starting this week, the service will run for a period of one month, up to first week of March. This service will showcase select movies that were winners or nominated for ‘Best Picture’, ‘Best Director’, ‘Best Actor/Actress in a lead role’ in the previous years’ Academy Awards.

On the launch of Tata Sky Hollywood Winners, Paolo Agostinelli, Chief Content and Business Development Officer at Tata Sky said, “The last Oscars was watched over 200 countries with a viewership of over 30 mn. Apart from viewership the demand for Oscar nominated or winning movies also goes up during this time of the year. True to our objective of providing world-class quality content, Tata Sky hence went about collating a bunch of acclaimed Oscar movies that would appeal to viewers across age groups and genres. We have in the past seen a positive sentiment and higher loyalty with HD subscribers whenever we launch such unique and differentiated services. We look forward to many more subscribers enjoying our offerings.”

This service becomes a one stop destination for Oscar movies that will run all day throughout the week. Some of the best films on offer are The Wolf of Wall Street, The Hurt Locker, Crash, The Reader, American Hustle and many more.

The service comes as a prelude to the Oscar Awards on 27th Feb.

Tata Sky has been the pioneer on differentiated offerings such as Punjab De Rang, Tata Sky Bangla Cinema, Tata Sky Mumbai Film Festival and Kids Showcase.

For more information – http://www.tatasky.com/wps/portal/TataSky/services/hollywoodwinners

 

For details contact:

Nida Paloba – 09821017561
Nida.paloba@tatasky.com

Aditya Ravi – 09821299550
aditya.ravi@tatasky.com

Arun Thankappan – 09930860706
arun.thankappan@adfactorspr.com

Gaurav Bhat – 09833057592
gaurav.bhat@adfactors.com 

A list of some coveted titles that will be showcased on ‘Tata Sky Hollywood Winners’:

 

MOVIES	DIRECTOR	STARCAST	GENRE	Synopsis
AUGUST RUSH	KIRSTEN SHERIDAN	FREDDIE HIGHMORE, KERI RUSSELL	DRAMA	A drama with fairy tale elements, where an orphaned musical prodigy uses his gift as a clue to finding his birth parents.
BIUTIFUL (French Language)	ALEJANDRO GONZÁLEZ IÑÁRRITU	JAVIER BARDEM, RUBÉN OCHANDIANO	DRAMA	It is the story of Uxbal, a man living in this world, but able to see his death, which guides his every move.
MOONRISE KINGDOM	WES ANDERSON	JARED GILMAN, KARA HAYWARD AND BRUCE WILLIS	COMEDY, DRAMA	A pair of young lovers flee their New England town, which causes a local search party to fan out to find them
ALL IS LOST	J.C. CHANDOR	ROBERT REDFORD	ACTION	After a collision with a shipping container at sea, a resourceful sailor finds himself, despite all efforts to the contrary, staring his mortality in the face.
3:10 TO YUMA	James Mangold	Russell Crowe, Christian Bale, Ben Foster	Adventure, Crime	A small-time rancher agrees to hold a captured outlaw who’s awaiting a train to go to court in Yuma. A battle of wills ensues as the outlaw tries to psych out the rancher.
CRASH	Paul Haggis	Don Cheadle, Sandra Bullock, Thandie Newton	Drama	Los Angeles citizens with vastly separate lives collide in interweaving stories of race, loss and redemption.
DISTRICT 9	Neill Blomkamp	Sharlto Copley, David James, Jason Cope	Action, Thriller	An extraterrestrial race forced to live in slum-like conditions on Earth suddenly finds a kindred spirit in a government agent who is exposed to their biotechnology.
THE HURT LOCKER	Kathryn Bigelow	Jeremy Renner, Anthony Mackie, Brian Geraghty	Thriller, War	During the Iraq War, a Sergeant recently assigned to an army bomb squad is put at odds with his squad mates due to his maverick way of handling his work.
THE WOLF OF WALL STREET	Martin Scorsese	Leonardo DiCaprio, Jonah Hill, Margot Robbie	Biography, Crime	Based on the true story of Jordan Belfort, from his rise to a wealthy stock-broker living the high life to his fall involving crime, corruption and the federal government.

February 13, 2017 – Joel Whitten “Whit” Richardson III has been promoted to President, Turner Latin America.  The announcement was made today by Gerhard Zeiler, President, Turner International.  A 23-year veteran of the company, Richardson most recently held the position of Executive Vice President of Distribution, Turner Latin America.  In his new position, he will report to Zeiler.

In his new role, Richardson has executive oversight of Turner’s regional portfolio of general entertainment, kids, sports and free-to-air brands; distribution and ad sales of those brands; the distribution of CNN’s services; and licensing and merchandising activity in Latin America.

Turner Latin America is Turner’s largest international division.  Turner Latin America’s portfolio was once again the highest rated (#1) pay TV offering in Latin America in 2016* and includes an unmatched array of demographics and genres.

“Whit is a highly respected executive inside and outside Turner. I am delighted that he accepted the offer to become the next President of Turner Latin America.  The company will benefit from his leadership skills and wealth of experience, especially as we navigate through a dramatically evolving media-business future demanding dynamic change,” said Zeiler. He continued: “His enduring successes in affiliate sales and marketing, in establishing our Argentina hub as a nationally-respected employer, his sharp mind, strategic approach and process-orientated management, make him the ideal choice to lead our business in Latin America; he has a clear vision of how we adapt the organization to truly become a next generation media provider.”

“I am excited for the opportunity to lead Turner Latin America, and grateful for the confidence of Gerhard and Turner’s executive management,” said Richardson.  “The industry is in a time of rapid change, and Turner is uniquely qualified to lead the transformation of the media business in Latin America.  We will prioritize collaboration, innovation and change as we move aggressively to position for continued growth and success.”

 

-ENDS-

 About Richardson

As Executive Vice President of Distribution, Richardson oversaw Turner Latin America’s pan-regional affiliate sales team, which is responsible for the company’s largest portfolio of networks in any region in the world.  He relocated to Atlanta in 2014 from Buenos Aires, Argentina, where he served as General Manager of Turner Argentina in addition to his distribution responsibilities.  As Argentina GM, Richardson was at the forefront of the company’s local expansion from 15 employees in 1998 to approximately 750 today.

Richardson played a key role in the division’s most significant equity transactions, including the acquisition and integration of Imagen Satelital and the acquisitions of Chilevisión, Esporte Interativo and CNN Chile.  He serves on the board of Imagen Satelital, and was on the supervisory board of CNN Chile up until the company fully acquired the channel in 2016.

Richardson joined Turner in 1994 as an Account Executive and was promoted in 1995 to Sales Manager for the Caribbean and Venezuela.  He went on to hold the posts of Director and Senior Director of Distribution for the Andean and Caribbean countries and cruise ships before moving to Buenos Aires in 1998.

Prior to Turner, Richardson worked in the capital markets division of Société Générale in Madrid, Spain.  He holds a master’s degree in international business studies from the University of South Carolina, Columbia and a bachelor’s in history from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.

Outside of Turner, Richardson currently sits on the boards of the Fulbright Commission in Argentina and Village Cinemas Argentina.  He was recently named “one of 2016’s 15 most influential media figures in Latin America” by the pan-regional trade magazine Prensario.

 

About Turner Latin America

Turner Latin America is a leading media company with significant operations across the region, including 54 channels in three languages in 44 countries. The division also handles pan-regional channel management and advertising sales for the Warner Channel. Turner Latin America’s key brands are organized into five content groups: Kids (Cartoon Network, Cartoon Network GO, Boomerang and Tooncast); General Entertainment (TNT, TNT GO, TNT Series, TNT Series GO, Space, Space GO, TCM, I.Sat, Warner Channel, TBS, HTV, MuchMusic, Glitz* and truTV); News (CNN International, CNN en Español, CNN Chile and HLN); Sports (Esporte Interativo, EI Maxx, EI Maxx 2 and EI Plus); and Broadcast (Chilevisión).

* SOURCE: KANTAR MEDIA IBOPE / 2016 / Pay TV P4+ including Guest Viewers / Total Day / Monday – Sunday / RAT%

 

Contacts:

Oliver Herrgesell, SVP Communications International, Turner

+1 404 827 4440 / +44 7984 551 379 / oliver.herrgesell@turner.com

 

Caroline Rittenberry, VP Communications, Turner Latin America

+1 404 827 1035 / +1 404 510 1035 / caroline.rittenberry@turner.com

2PM Wild Beat – the brand new K-pop travel reality series – Anchored the Launch and Leads E! Zone’s Originals’ Slate for 2017

SINGAPORE, 13 February – NBCUniversal International Networks today announced the launch of the E! Zone, the on-demand destination of its pop culture powerhouse, E! Asia, on StarHub Go in Singapore. The service is available to all StarHub Go subscribers as of 1 February. Singapore is the latest territory in Asia to launch E! Zone, following from Japan.

“The launch of E! Zone on StarHub Go is a testament to our commitment to extending this brand to key markets in Asia-Pacific, pioneering in creating new entertainment destinations in the branded SVOD space,” said Christine Fellowes, Managing Director, Asia Pacific, NBCUniversal International Networks. “We look forward to working with StarHub – our long-term platform partners – to reach new audiences in Singapore with E! Zone.”

In addition to box sets of E!’s signature series such as Keeping Up With The Kardashians, Fashion Police and #RichKids of Beverly Hills, E! Zone also premieres first-run programming ahead of linear broadcast. 2PM Wild Beat – a brand new 10 x 45minute travel reality series featuring K-pop superstars 2PM – had its premiere on E! Zone, beginning 1 February. Subsequent episodes will be available on the service every Wednesday, Same Day as Korea – with English, Chinese and Malay subtitles. The series airs on E!’s linear feed every Thursday from 2 February at 5:05pm (Primetime Encore at 9pm).

“E! Asia has commissioned local productions with stars from the Philippines, Malaysia and Singapore – among others – but this is an exciting first for the network to feature a series about Korean celebrities. It’s also an innovative first for E! Asia to launch the show on-demand before the linear channel,” said Scott Mackenzie, Vice President, Channels, Asia, NBCUniversal International Networks.

“2PM Wild Beat perfectly complements E! Asia’s 2017 priorities, delivering viewers content they are passionate about with a combination of Same Day and on-demand premieres.”

E! Zone viewers can expect more original Asian productions throughout the year, alongside box sets of some of the hottest E! series, such as plastic surgery disaster series Botched (E! Zone exclusive in Singapore) and workplace docu-drama So Cosmo.

 “We are delighted to partner NBCUniversal International Networks to be the home of E! Zone in Singapore,” said Justin Ang, Head of Product, StarHub. “E! Zone offers an exciting proposition for StarHub Go subscribers, who can look forward to exciting original Asian productions premiering first on the VOD service, as well as exclusive series that have never been aired on the E! linear channel.”

 StarHub Go subscribers can watch E! Zone on Go Select for $9.90 (w/GST) per month. StarHub TV subscribers can also catch it on Channel 450. In addition, StarHub TV subscribers can watch E! Zone on StarHub Go at no extra cost.