4 Jan, 2016 – StarHub has secured the broadcast rights in Singapore to La Liga.
The pay-TV operator has signed a multi-year deal to show matches from Spanish soccer’s top professional league on its TV and digital platforms. Its coverage began with Real Madrid’s 3-1 win over Real Sociedad on 30th December.
No financial terms were released but La Liga has typically agreed three-year deals in Europe and established markets, and five-year terms elsewhere.
Read more at Sports Pro
3 Jan, 2016 – Since 4K is quickly becoming the industry standard for home entertainment, content is finally starting to catch up. Warner Bros. recently announced that it has plans to release 35 4K Blu-ray movies by the end of 2016. It’s initial launch features four titles, including Mad Max: Fury Road and The Lego Movie, and the catalog will later expand to include movies like Pacific Rim.
COMPANIES ARE HEDGING THEIR BETS ON 4K AND HDR IN A BIG WAY
This shift is ongoing, and Warner Bros.’s move coincides roughly with the industry converging on CES to unveil its collective vision for where home entertainment is going. Manufacturers are already hedging their bets on 4K and HDR this year, and Warners is responding in kind; in addition to the Ultra HD releases, the studio plans on expanding on its selection with HDR from digital retailers, as well as Dolby Atmos on certain films.
Read more at the Verge
2 Jan 2016 – Hong Kong’s pay-TV operators are making big pushes into high-resolution 4K broadcasting services as the fight for viewers grows fiercer.
The U.S. content streaming company Netflix is due to arrive in early 2016, and existing companies in Hong Kong are looking for new ways to broaden their customer bases. PCCW, Hong Kong’s largest telecommunications company, is set to launch 4K broadcasting in 2016. China’s Leshi Internet Information & Technology, known by its popular online video distribution service LeTV, has started offering 4K resolution content in Hong Kong in partnership with a local network company.
“The demand for 4K viewing is increasing as more large-sized TV sets come onto the market at more affordable prices,” said Alexander Arena, executive director and group managing director of HKT, a PCCW unit that runs pay-TV services. HKT is the leading mobile telecommunications provider in Hong Kong. The company plans to start distribution of 4K content on its “now TV” platform in the first quarter of 2016.
Read more at Nikkei Asian Review
3 Jan, 2016 – In its first season, AMC’s Into the Badlands has ranked as the third-highest-rated new season of any series in cable history in key demographics.
The show averaged 5.3 million viewers, 3.2 million adults aged 18-49 and 3.3 million adults aged 25-54 in live+3 ratings, which include three days of time-shifted viewing. And it was the No. 3 most-watched opening season ever among adults aged 18-49 and 25-54 in live+3 viewing, following AMC’s Fear the Walking Dead at No. 1 and Better Call Saul at No. 2 – all three of which premiered in 2015.
The show’s season one finale on 20 December delivered 3.6 million viewers, 2 million adults aged 18-49 and 2.2 million adults aged 25-54 in live+3, the highest time-shifting percentage gains all season.
Read more at Rapid TV News
3 Jan, 2016 – LOS ANGELES — Hollywood loves a comeback story. And right now, there is perhaps none better than Rich Ross and Discovery.
Concerned that its shows lacked diversity, thwarted by streaming services like Netflix and embarrassed by ratings stunts (watch a man get eaten alive by an anaconda), Discovery Communications in 2014 installed new management at its flagship network. Out: Eileen O’Neill, a Discovery lifer. In: Mr. Ross, a former Disney executive with something to prove.
Read more at New York Times
3 Jan, 2016 – As Uday Shankar walks into the unfinished and forbidden terrace of Star House, there is an amusing look of incredulity on the face of the security guard whose job is to restrict entry to this area. Shankar, CEO of Star TV India, has never been on the terrace. And the guard in all likelihood has never been on Shankar’s floor. Seemingly unsure of what course of action he should follow, the guard stands up, perhaps to register a forbiddance, fidgets as though he is unsure if he should offer some pleasantries, accompanies us a few paces, but eventually returns to his seat without speaking.
Read more at Huffington Post
2 Jan, 2016 – The ITV 7 looks like it will ride again after reports that the UK’s leading independent broadcaster has galloped past incumbent Channel 4 for rights to show horse racing.
Channel 4 had acquired rights for the sport in 2012, having pipped at the post other broadcasters, notably the BBC, for the rights to show the sport’s premium events such as the Grand National, the Derby, the Cheltenham Festival, Royal Ascot, Glorious Goodwood and the entire Flat Season.
Read more at Rapid TV News
30 Dec, 2015 – BeIN Media has acquired exclusive rights to carry the Turner-owned channels including Cartoon Network, Boomerang, and CNN HD in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA).
The channels, which have previously been available in the region on competitor OSN, will be joined exclusively on BeIN Media’s direct-to-home (DTH) pay-TV network by Turner Classic Movies (TCM) and Headline News (HLN).
“In November, as we launched beIN’s entertainment portfolio we had committed to our subscribers that we will partner with leading global brands to bring them the best of global entertainment. Our partnership with Turner is a solid step in that direction. Turner channels are gold-standard in kids’ entertainment and news and beIN is really excited to bring these channels exclusively to its subscribers,” said Yousef Al-Obaidly, deputy CEO, beIN Media.
Read more at Rapid TV News
Singapore, 30 December 2015 – Singtel TV viewers will now be able to catch the latest and best US series within hours of their US premiere with the launch of Warner TV (HD). Starting 1 January 2016, Warner TV will be available on Channel 306 in high definition.
Warner TV features hit action, comedy and drama titles and blockbuster movies from Warner Bros. and Turner. Singtel viewers can look forward to popular action series such as ARROW, Gotham, iZombie and Blindspot; comedy series such as Mom, The Big Bang Theory and 2 Broke Girls; as well as blockbuster movies every weekend including Gravity, Pacific Rim, Hangover 3 and many more.
The January launch will also be anchored by the premiere of the highly-anticipated action series DC’s Legends of Tomorrow which will air same day as the US, on Friday, 22 January at 9pm. The series, which stars familiar characters from other hit DC series including ARROW and The Flash, brings together an all-star cast as they battle against a diabolical threat against the world.
Mr Goh Seow Eng, MD, Home, Consumer Singapore, Singtel, said, “Singtel is committed to securing quality family entertainment for our customers and we are delighted to launch Warner TV (HD) from our long-time partner Turner International on Singtel TV. With popular series and blockbuster hits specially selected for Asian audiences, Warner TV will boost our already strong line-up, giving our customers even more exciting premium entertainment for their viewing pleasure.”
Ricky Ow, President of Turner International Asia Pacific, added, “Singtel TV now carries the full slate of Turner’s Southeast Asia channels across news, general entertainment and kids programming: CNN International, HLN, truTV, TCM Turner Classic Movies, Oh!K, Cartoon Network, Toonami and Boomerang. We’re confident that Warner TV with the latest and hottest content – express from the US – will have huge appeal to Singtel TV viewers on both Channel 306 and on catch-up via Warner TV Encore.”
With the inclusion of Warner TV (HD), Singtel TV will now host the most HD-enabled channels in Singapore. Warner TV (HD) is part of the Family Starter pack and will be available for free preview to all Singtel TV subscribers until 4 February 2016. The channel will also be available via the on-demand service Warner TV Encore, which can be accessed through the Singtel TV companion app, Singtel TV GO.
For more information about Warner TV and its programmes, please visit www.warnertvasia.com or the Warner TV Facebook page at www.facebook.com/warnertvasia.
To subscribe to Singtel TV or for more information, visit www.singteltv.com.sg.
-ENDS-
(December 29, 2015 – Hong Kong) Letv’s Superphones grabbed two sales champions in November in China’s smart phone market, according to a latest report from Sino Market Research, a subsidiary of Germany Research Company GFK. Among the two championship phones, Le 1s was the sales champion for price range from 1,000 Yuan to 1499 Yuan (US$155-232), while Le Max was the champion for price over 3,000 Yuan (US$464).
The report said Le Superphones has the largest monthly sales increase on online platforms, a 4.4%, among all other brands, like Samsung, Apple, Xiaomi and so on, and in November Le Superphones took a 7.1% market share, ranking No.5.
Considering Letv just released its first phone this May 19, it’s already a shocking achievement. The report mentioned that Le 1s, which was released on October 27th, was the sales champion for the price range 1,000 Yuan to 1,499 Yuan, with its high specs and unique UI and ecosystem. And Le Max became the sales champion again in its 3,000 Yuan plus price range in November, after it attained the same crown this July and August.
Top 20 Brands in Online Market in November, 2015
| Brand | Market Share | Month-over-Month Changes | Sales (units) | Sales Volumes (Yuan in Million) |
| MI | 25.9% | -0.9% | 3,576 | 3,193 |
| HONOR | 23.90% | 0.50% | 3,297 | 4,134 |
| Meizu | 10.40% | 0.40% | 1,436 | 1,610 |
| Apple | 8.70% | 1.60% | 1,198 | 5,713 |
| Huawei | 4.50% | 0.00% | 622 | 1,036 |
| QiKU | 3.30% | -0.90% | 450 | 538 |
| Samsung | 2.90% | 0.40% | 401 | 740 |
| Lenovo | 1.30% | -0.20% | 185 | 102 |
| ZTE | 1.20% | -0.50% | 159 | 164 |
| OPPO | 1.00% | -0.10% | 133 | 296 |
| Nokia | 0.90% | -0.60% | 128 | 22 |
| Daxian | 0.90% | -0.40% | 127 | 15 |
| Smartisan | 0.90% | 0.20% | 124 | 137 |
| xiaolajiao | 0.90% | -0.90% | 122 | 89 |
| YOUSI | 0.80% | -1.50% | 114 | 22 |
| F-FOOK | 0.60% | -0.30% | 86 | 6 |
| OnePlus | 0.60% | 0.30% | 79 | 132 |
| Newsmy | 0.50% | -0.20% | 72 | 16 |
| Vivo | 0.40% | -0.30% | 55 | 96 |
*Above table is adapted from the Chinese equivalent, the Chinese reference: http://it.people.com.cn/BIG5/n1/2015/1227/c1009-27981555.html
In November, Letv sold more than 1 million superphones, among which 780,000 went to Le 1s. Letv is the brand that was crowned the quickest for achieving a monthly 1 million unit sales in China, according to Sino Market Research.
Feng Xing, Le Holding’s senior Vice President & President of Le Mobile, said, “It’s a milestone for our ecosystem Superphones achieving a monthly sales of more than 1 million units. It means Eco phones is becoming a unique phone category. Our model of ‘selling at a price lower than its production cost and making profits through providing ecosystem services’ has been proven well-accepted by the audience.”
Letv is the pioneer for redefining smart phones with its ecosystems. It not only reshaped the industry’s definition to smart phones, but creates strong customer demands. It’s been like Feng Xing’s saying, “the time a Le Superphone was sold, the time for Letv providing the customer with a constant and in-depth eco-services. Letv sells products under their production cost, and makes profits through after-sales eco-services.”
On November 11th, China’s Double 11 shopping Spree, Letv sold 263,000 units of phones, and on December 12th, the Double 12th shopping Spree, Letv sold 433,000 units of Superphones, making several sales champions in China by then.
In December, Letv just signed a sales contract with Thailand’s Winiptv, which will sell 1 million Le Superphones and half a million Le Super TVs in 2016.
Le Superphones have been proven popular even before the commencement of retail sales in Hong Kong on January 13, 2016. LeMall.com, Letv’s Hong Kong e-commerce platform, has so far received approximately 20,000 registrations for the Le Superphone, which is equivalent to 1,000 new registrations everyday. Tin Mok, the Vice President of Le Holdings (Beijing) Co. Ltd. and CEO of APAC, confidently expresses that the number of registration has been very encouraging. With the support of the LeMe (Fans of Letv) community, he believes that Le Superphone will reach the goal to be the top selling Android phone online in Hong Kong. In response to the high demand, Le Superphone has sped up production in mainland China, while the high quality experience with the LeMall.com system upgrades has been upheld.
The upcoming Le Max and Le 1s feature a range of cutting edge technology and outstanding design. They support the newest USB-C and takes a sleek, full-suspension glass-frame outlook. The two eco-phones also feature fingerprint recognition and fingerprint camera shooting functions, which sets them apart from their market counterparts. Additionally, they are powered by a quick re-charge technology that supports 3.5 hours of voice communication with only five minutes of charging, tailor designed for road warriors and mobile junkies. There is no doubt that Letv phones are at the pinnacle of the mobile industry.
What’s more, the first 11,000 customers who order at LeMall.com will also receive an additional three-month 2016/2017 Premier League Package! This is definitely a great opportunity that can’t be missed!
Le Superphones Offer
| Products | Price (HKD) |
| Le Max |
4,499 (Limited availability) |
|
2,999 |
|
| Le 1 s |
1,999 |
|
1,499 (Bonus: 3-month Letv membership plan (valued at 297)) |
* Apply to 2016/2017 Premier League matches. Terms and conditions apply. For details, please visit LeMall.com.
– END –
About Letv
Founded in November 2004 by Jia Yueting, Le Holdings is committed to creating the “Letv Ecosystem,” a next-generation Internet engine that is vertically-integrated to offer an online platform complete with content, terminals and applications. Le Holdings is engaged in a rich array of businesses, spanning from Internet TV, video production and distribution, smart gadgets and large-screen applications to e-commerce and Internet-based electric vehicles, which were launched in late 2014. Le Holdings comprises a number of subsidiaries, including Letv.com, Leshi Zhi Xin, Le Vision Pictures, Wangjiu.com, Letv Holding, Letv Investment Management and Le Mobile. In 2014, the aggregate sales of Le Holdings amounted to approximately RMB 10 billion.
Letv.com made history on August 12, 2010 when it was listed on the Shenzhen Stock Exchange, making it the world’s first IPO company in the sector. Letv.com was also the first video company listed on China’s A-share market. Prolific as well as successful, Letv.com currently offers more than 100,000 episodes of TV dramas and over 5,000 movie titles. In addition, the site draws an estimated 250 million page views per day, 350 million users per month, 100 million daily content viewers on mobile devices, and 10 million daily content viewers on large-screen TVs.
Letv Hong Kong, as the headquarters of Asia Pacific region, was officially set up in August 2014, marking an important milestone of the company’s expansion in the overseas market. The company provides Hong Kong with an established vertically integrated ecosystem of “Platform + Content + Terminal + Application”. Letv has held 13 online flash sales in Hong Kong, with thousands of smart devices sold on every occasion. Currently, Letv Hong Kong offers various sales channels for users, including online pre-ordering services and 1,800+ offline outlets in Hong Kong and Macau. As the only entertainment platform with over 1,500 hours of 4K programmes in Hong Kong, Letv has always been committed to providing rich and diverse online content including movies, dramas, variety shows and concerts to its fans.
