Sony Pictures Television Networks, Asia Partners with Imagine Group for a Slate of Original Unscripted Series: The Apartment, The Challenger and Fit for Fashion

SINGAPORE (March 3, 2017) – Sony Pictures Television (SPT) Networks, Asia announced today its partnership with Imagine Group, a leading TV production company, to deliver a pipeline of original series for AXN and Sony Channel.

The first series to premiere as part of the agreement will be The Apartment: Rising Stars Edition, which is slated to run on Sony Channel, SPT Networks’ female-skewing, companion channel to AXN. Other series to follow include popular reality series The Challenger and Fit for Fashion.

“SPT Networks, Asia has a proven track record in producing highly rated, locally relevant original productions for AXN so we are pleased to further strengthen our capabilities via our partnership with Imagine Group. We look forward to leveraging Imagine’s expertise to premiere content that resonates with our viewers and encourages social engagement for both AXN and Sony Channel,” said Virginia Lim, Senior Vice President and Head of Content, Production and Marketing, Sony Pictures Television Networks, Asia.

President and Founder of Imagine Group, Riaz Mehta added, “We are delighted to be partnering with SPT Networks, Asia to create a slate of original content which is relevant to Asian audiences and that raises the bar for local productions. Imagine Group has produced a series of hit TV shows over the last 10 years and is the leading production company for unscripted TV content in Asia.  We have worked closely with SPT Networks over the last decade and are now pleased to be building a deeper strategic partnership for the coming years.”

Premiering Thursday, March 16, Asia’s biggest and best design show, The Apartment: Rising Stars Edition will draw Sony Channel viewers into the cut-throat world of interior design where 12 up-and-coming designers will compete to become the next superstar with a grand prize of $100,000. The series will also include a second telecast on AXN as part of the channel’s Saturday programming line-up.

Set in Johor Bahru, Malaysia, The Apartment: Rising Stars Edition will feature celebrity judges Jamie Durie, an International award winning designer and author, Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen, an interior design business mogul with a lucrative international business portfolio and American design superstar Genevieve Gorder.

The Apartment: Rising Stars Edition is presented by Dulux and supported by UMLand and Kohler.

www.SonyChannelAsia.com/TheApartment
About 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 20 territories and in over 45 million homes.
About Sony Pictures Television Networks

Sony Pictures Television Networks operates branded entertainment channels reaching over one billion households around the world. Based in Culver City, Amsterdam, Budapest, London, Madrid, Miami, Milan, Moscow, Mumbai, Munich, Singapore and Tokyo, Sony’s linear and digital networks offer high quality film and television content from Sony Pictures and third-parties, as well as original content commissioned globally and locally. Sony Pictures Television Networks is a division of Sony Pictures Television Inc., a Sony Pictures Entertainment company.www.SonyPicturesTelevision.com

About Imagine Group
Imagine Group (“Imagine”) is a leading international TV Production company headquartered in Singapore. Amongst its hit TV productions are Fit for Fashion, The Contender Asia, The Biggest Loser Asia, The Challenger and The Apartment. Imagine’s shows have achieved success not just in Asia but also the USA, Australia, UK and Europe with distribution to over 40 countries worldwide and have received multiple accolades from industry and media, including an International Emmy Award nomination.
Currently the ONLY production company in Asia that produces large scale ORIGINAL reality TV shows to an American production standard that are sold and formatted worldwide, Imagine has shows in production and development across a variety of genres including Music, Sport, Fashion, Lifestyle, Design, Magic and kids’ content.

For more information, please visit www.imaginegroup.tv
Media Contact

Jennifer Doig / Sony Pictures Television Networks, Asia
Jennifer_doig@spe.sony.com / +65 6622 4278

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