The BBC Pashto flagship TV programme, BBC Naray Da Wakht (BBC World Right Now), is launching a weekly arts supplement. From Saturday 1 July 2017, the weekly slot, Hunary Shabay (Art Moments), will focus on art and literary news from Afghanistan, Pakistan and from around the world.

BBC Pashto TV Editor, Emal Pasarly, commented: “The region has a vibrant and amazingly diverse cultural scene, and there is a need for an art news programme on TV in Afghanistan and Pakistan to reflect it – and also to bring the world’s cultural news that resonates with our audience. We hope Hunary Shabay will be a welcome addition to the prime-time weekend TV schedule, bringing reports, interviews and commentary from Afghanistan, Pakistan and the rest of the world on everything art. Bollywood or Hollywood, traditional music or pop, books, theatre, exhibitions – you name it, we will bring our viewers the latest from the world of arts.”

Hunary Shabay will be part of the Saturday edition of the daily TV news programme, BBC Naray Da Wakht. On Sundays the programme features the economy and business edition, Da Eqtesad La Narray; on Thursdays – the phone-in edition, Staso Ghag (Have Your Say), while the Friday sports supplement, Lobay, brings sports news.

BBC Naray Da Wakht is broadcast live from London in prime time on the Shamshad TV network in Afghanistan (18.00 local time) and Mashriq TV in Pakistan (18.30 local time). The programme is also available on demand via the BBC Pashto channel on YouTube and the website bbcpashto.com.

BBC Pashto content – on radio, TV, online and on social media – reaches around 7m people in Afghanistan, Pakistan and the rest of the world every week*. The BBC Pashto Facebook has more than 2.8m followers (June 2017), engaging 400,000** people every week. BBC Pashto also connects with its audiences via Twitter, Google+, YouTube, Instagram and SoundCloud.

BBC Pashto is part of the BBC World Service.

-ENDS-

* Source: BBC Global Audience Measure 2017.
**Weekly engaged reach.

For more information, please contact:
BBC World Service Group Communications – Lala Najafova lala.najafova@bbc.co.uk

Fans On Twitter Are Also Able To Unlock The Posters Using #WinterIsHere Together With An Emoji Specific To Each Character

Watch the new trailer of Game of Thrones Season 7 here
Watch the Asia-exclusive interviews with Game of Thrones Season 7 cast here
Download the official character posters of Game of Thrones Season 7 here
Download the official animated character posters of Game of Thrones Season 7 here

Singapore, June 22, 2017 – HBO has unveiled the character posters for the highly anticipated seven-episode seventh season of the hit Original Series, GAME OF THRONES. Premiering in Asia the same time as the U.S. on July 17 at 9am (SIN), the 12 character posters further reminded and prepared fans that #WinterIsHere.

GAME OF THRONES fans on Twitter are also able to unlock the character posters when they tweet @GameofThrones using the #WinterIsHere hashtag together with an emoji specific to each character.

The hit series premieres in Asia the same time as the U.S. – exclusively on HBO this July 17 at 9am (SIN), with a same day primetime encore at 9pm (SIN). The series will also be streaming on HBO GO.

Based on the popular book series “A Song of Ice and Fire,” by George R.R. Martin, this hit Emmy®-winning fantasy series chronicles an epic struggle for power in a vast and violent kingdom. Members of the ensemble cast include Emmy® and Golden Globe winner Peter Dinklage, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Lena Headey, Emilia Clarke, Aidan Gillen, Kit Harington, Sophie Turner and Maisie Williams.

# # #

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.

For more information, please contact HBO Asia:

Karen Lai
Senior Director, Communications
Tel: (65) 6381 1796
Email: karen.lai@hboasia.com

Cheryl Foong
Manager, Communications
Tel: (65) 6381 1838
Email: cheryl.foong@hboasia.com

Chan Zi Ning
Executive, Communications
Tel: (65) 6381 1746
Email: zining.chan@hboasia.com

HONG KONG (June 22, 2017) – Turner Asia Pacific has announced an investment in POPS Worldwide (POPS) which sees Turner take a significant minority stake in the leading Vietnamese digital media and creator network.

This investment represents an opportunity for Turner to participate in the rapid growth of one of Asia’s most successful digital entertainment companies, reaching new audiences and further extending its existing partnership with POPS. Turner’s Boomerang brand launched in Vietnam in April 2016 on POPS Kids non-linear platforms – offering kids some of the best-loved international animations dubbed in Vietnamese.

“With its unique proposition, POPS has shown to be very adept at attracting and engaging audiences with its local content and creator network, and this agreement allows Turner to venture into this growing side of the business,” commented Ricky Ow, President of Turner Asia Pacific.

He added: “Our investment is part of Turner’s desire to place fans and consumers at the very core – to reach and engage them with branded content and playlists – as well as target diverse demographics in new ways. With a surge of video-on-demand viewing in both Vietnam and Southeast Asia, these are exciting times for two companies that share a very similar culture of innovation.”

Since launching its digital video network business in late 2011, POPS has doubled its annual views each year and recently surpassed 40 billion lifetime views. Other key performance highlights include:

• Monthly views: more than 2 billion
• YouTube network subscribers: 32 million
• Channels under management: 1,210
• Lifetime watch-hours: 4 billion
• Social media fans across Facebook, Instagram and Zalo: 4 million

(accurate as of June 14, 2017)

Esther Nguyen, Founder and CEO of POPS Worldwide, added: “We are excited to have Turner come on board. Using this investment, we can supercharge our ambitious vision to lead digital entertainment in Southeast Asia. We plan to expand our network onto more mobile and non-traditional platforms, invest heavily in content production and open new markets. Over the past year, we have been working closely with Turner on their Kids content.

“Through this journey, we realised that we share the same vision of the future of entertainment. Our work with Turner led to the successful YouTube launch of Boomerang Vietnam and popular Boomerang programming on POPS Kids. For the first time in Vietnam, full episodes of classic properties like Tom and Jerry, Ben 10, The Powerpuff Girls and Scooby-Doo were available for our audiences online. Though we started working together in the Kids business, we now look forward to broadening our content partnership even wider.”

In addition to actively managing a strong partner channel network, POPS operates a slate of branded premium channels. The POPS team created and manages Vietnam’s top YouTube channel, POPS Music, (3.3m subscribers, 3.6b lifetime views) and Vietnam’s top edutainment channel, POPS Kids, (1.4m subscribers, 1.7b lifetime views). Most recently, POPS expanded its video network reach to include Daily Motion and Facebook, as well as launching a new POPS Kids app for mobile users.

Working with over 1,700 content partners on over 1,200 network channels, POPS has successfully partnered with domestic, regional and international content partners. With a proven expertise in launching content locally in Vietnam, POPS has content partners that include digitally-savvy musicians, entertainers and comedians as well as traditional TV studios, local and regional production houses and media companies including Discovery Networks, UUUM, Digital Hollywood and Collab.

-Ends-

Media contacts:

TURNER ASIA PACIFIC
Gregory Ho
Vice President, Corporate Communications and Marketing
+852 3128 3536 / Gregory.Ho@turner.com

James Moore
Director, Corporate Communications and Kids & Entertainment
+852 3128 3720 / James.Moore@turner.com

POPS WORLDWIDE
Kevin Yee, Chief Marketing Officer / kevin@popsww.com
Sally Truong, Corporate Communications Manager / ngan.truong@popsww.com

About Turner Asia Pacific
Turner Asia Pacific creates and distributes award-winning brands throughout the region, running 61 channels in 14 languages in 42 countries. These include CNN International, CNNj, CNN, HLN, Cartoon Network, Adult Swim, Boomerang, POGO, Toonami, Warner TV, Oh!K, TNT, TCM Turner Classic Movies, truTV, MondoTV, TABI Channel, and HBO, HBO HD and WB in South Asia. Turner manages the business of Pay- and Free-TV-channels, as well as Internet-based services, and oversees commercial partnerships with various third-party media ventures; it teams with Warner Bros. and HBO to leverage Time Warner’s global reach. Turner Broadcasting System Asia Pacific, Inc. (“Turner Asia Pacific”) is a Time Warner company.

About POPS Worldwide
Founded in 2007, POPS Worldwide is a leading multi-platform, multi-channel digital entertainment producer and distributor fully positioned to capture the attention of today and tomorrow’s viewers in Southeast Asia. Based in Ho Chi Minh City with offices in Bangkok and Hanoi, POPS is building the most robust video network in the region and reaches a global audience of over 2.2B monthly views, 4B watch-hours and 32M network subscribers. To learn more visit: www.popsww.com

Interviews With Cast Also Released Online Exclusively In Asia

Watch the new trailer of Game of Thrones Season 7 here
Watch the Asia-exclusive interviews with Game of Thrones Season 7 cast here
Download new images from Game of Thrones Season 7 here

SINGAPORE, JUNE 22, 2017 – As anticipation intensifies with the premiere of GAME OF THRONES (#GameofThrones) Season 7 (#GoTS7) on 17 July at 9am (SIN), HBO has unveiled another new trailer from the seven-episode seventh season today. Watch the latest trailer here trailer here.

Exclusively in Asia, HBO Asia is also releasing a video of interviews with GAME OF THRONES cast members that took place earlier last month in London. Watch the video here.

Fans in the Twitter realm will also be treated with a surprise GAME OF THRONES emoji when they tweet @GameofThrones with the #GameofThrones hashtag.

The hit series premieres in Asia the same time as the U.S. – exclusively on HBO this July 17 at 9am (SIN), with a same day primetime encore at 9pm (SIN). The series will also be streaming on HBO GO.

Based on the popular book series “A Song of Ice and Fire,” by George R.R. Martin, this hit Emmy®-winning fantasy series chronicles an epic struggle for power in a vast and violent kingdom. Members of the ensemble cast include Emmy® and Golden Globe winner Peter Dinklage, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Lena Headey, Emilia Clarke, Aidan Gillen, Kit Harington, Sophie Turner and Maisie Williams.

# # #

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.

For more information, please contact HBO Asia:

Karen Lai
Senior Director, Communications
Tel: (65) 6381 1796
Email: karen.lai@hboasia.com

Cheryl Foong
Manager, Communications
Tel: (65) 6381 1838
Email: cheryl.foong@hboasia.com

Chan Zi Ning
Executive, Communications
Tel: (65) 6381 1746
Email: zining.chan@hboasia.com

SINGAPORE (June 22, 2017) Head spinning, death-defying, magical and breath-taking: aspiring stars emerged from all corners of Asia in May as AXN’s producers embarked on their search to discover the next generation of super stars for Asia’s Got Talent.

The leading entertainment giant held open auditions in six major cities including Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Manila, Bangkok, Taipei and Jakarta. Over 5000 performers attended the auditions for their chance to take the spotlight on the world’s biggest talent show and for a shot at the grand prize of USD100,000 in cash.

Talented hopefuls could also apply via an online audition at AXN-Asia.com with some electing to do both to ensure maximum visibility in front of AXN’s producers.

“Asia’s Got Talent is the only series in the world that can unite such a culturally diverse region in a celebration of performing arts. We set out to discover the most inspiring talent of any age and with any dream, and we got all that and so much more.

“We were also struck by the richness of the personal stories that emerged during the auditions. Everyone has a story, and while the journeys may differ, the big dream remains the same,” said Virginia Lim, Senior Vice President and Head of Content, Production and Marketing, Sony Pictures Television Networks, Asia.

In the Singapore leg, one troupe of Malaysian acrobats queued from 4am; while in Manila, a father and son travelled overland for eight hours to perform a duet. Performers auditioned in the hope of winning the prize to help with family medical bills; while others, who came along as a support, decided to spontaneously audition on the spot.

“AXN is the home of original productions and Asia’s Got Talent continues our commitment to deliver premium content that engages and captivates our viewers with edge-of-your seat entertainment,” said Virginia.

The record-breaking series returns to AXN later this year, entertaining viewers with 10 episodes comprising five judges’ auditions, three semi-finals, the finale and the results show where the winner will be revealed.

Asia’s Got Talent is presented by official sponsor, Traveloka, the leading travel booking app.

@AsiasGotTalent / #AXNAsia / #AsiasGotTalent / #AsiasGotTalentAuditions
www.AXN-Asia.com/AsiasGotTalent

New Ratings Records in Asia

Season one of Asia’s Got Talent set new ratings records for the English general entertainment (GE) genre during its run, taking AXN to the number one spot in its timeslot among all regional pay-TV channels collectively across Southeast Asia and Taiwan.²
In Malaysia, Asia’s Got Talent was the highest rated entertainment series on English language channels on Astro in the past two years. In the Philippines, the Grand Final Results episode of Asia’s Got Talent was the highest rated pay-TV program in the country since 2008, and commanded a 96 percent share among 22 English GE channels.³

Got Talent Globally

The Got Talent franchise was created by Simon Cowell’s Syco Entertainment and is co-produced and owned by Syco Entertainment and FremantleMedia. It is entered in the Guinness World Records as the Most Successful Reality Television Format in history with 70 local versions produced across Europe, Asia Pacific, the Middle-East, Africa and the Americas. Around the world, the Got Talent format airs in a total of 186 countries.

AXN: A leader in original productions

AXN is a leader of regionally produced original content in Asia, with notable ratings successes including five seasons of the international Emmy-nominated The Amazing Race Asia; the Asian Television Award-winning Cash Cab Asia and Cash Cab Philippines; The Apprentice Asia; Cyril: Rio Magic; Cyril’s Family Vacation: Hawaii Edition; and the Asian Television Award-nominated Cyril: Simply Magic.

About AXN

AXN is Asia’s leading general entertainment channel featuring exclusive top-rated drama series, blockbuster features, reality programs and ground-breaking original productions. The channel appeals to a discerning audience seeking content that is smart, intriguing and unexpected, all delivered close to U.S telecasts. From The Blacklist and Quantico, to MacGyver and The Amazing Race Asia, AXN is defined not by a genre, but by an attitude that truly redefines action.

Launched first in Asia in 1997, AXN is a global channel brand with a presence in Latin America, Africa and Europe. In Asia, the channel is enjoyed in 126 million households across 19 territories and is available in both SD and HD.

AXN Asia is wholly owned by Sony Pictures Entertainment and managed by Sony Pictures Television Networks, Asia, which also operates leading channels including Animax, Sony Channel, ONE and GEM.

For further information, please contact:
Jarieul Wong
Sony Pictures Television Networks, Asia
Jarieul_Wong@spe.sony.com
+65 9188 3227

21 June 2017, Kuala Lumpur – Blaze Digital, Astro’s digital marketing arm was launched today, offering integrated digital-first solutions for marketers across Astro’s 21 iconic digital brands which include Astro Gempak, top Malay entertainment portal, Astro Awani, Malaysia’s No.1 news portal, Chinese lifestyle portal Xuan and Rojak Daily offering the latest entertainment and lifestyle updates as well as 11 independent digital publications.

TH Chong, Group Director at Astro’s Media Sales said, “We aspire to be a key player in the digital space, as digital is currently the fastest growing category. Today, the local digital ADEX is dominated by global players, although we are the number one* local digital publisher. We have every intention to rise to the challenge and put together a strong Malaysian digital offering, to grow faster than the industry norm and see the local digital offering gain a significant share. Blaze Digital enables us to deliver digital first marketing solutions, offering personalised customer engagement and better value for marketers. Leveraging on our strengths across TV, Radio and Digital, we aim to bring together good storytelling and innovative technology, so that our valued clients will be able to have meaningful conversations with their target audience. Cumulatively, Blaze Digital has an average of 20 million users and a reach of over 100 million people on Facebook monthly**, and is in a strong position to help marketers connect directly with a growing socially-connected and tech-savvy population. We will continue to introduce new and innovative digital content that can travel regionally to both users in Malaysia and Southeast Asia to ensure that Blaze Digital stays ahead of the curve.”

Jayaram Nagaraj, General Manager of Blaze Digital said, “We saw an opportunity in the market to create an independent media solution to provide better value to brands by leveraging all of Astro’s strength. Blaze Digital is a local platform designed for local brands, and are pleased to sign up popular local publishers like Siakap Keli, Siakap Keli TV, Makchic, Nak Bebel, Tongue in Chic, Islam Itu Indah, Poskod.my, Amanz.my, Semuanya Bola, Futsalvaganza, Wiser.my, as well as Vodus, a Malaysian online survey start-up, enabling these independent publishers to connect with marketers. The partnership between Blaze Digital and the 11 independent digital publishers coupled with Astro’s own digital brands, will enhance content and technology opportunities as well.

As a mobile and cloud-first, analytics driven organisation, we have put in place a robust data analytics system to provide marketers with the ability to match the right audience to the right content. This will be strengthened by our partnerships with local prominent publishers which will drive campaigns outside of our own properties, allowing additional quality audiences.”

Ikhwan Nazri, CEO of Amanz.my welcomed the partnership with Blaze Digital and said, “The collaboration between Amanz.my and the Blaze Digital represents an amalgamation of the best and most reputable media in Malaysia. It enables both entities to benefit from various technological aspects, so look out for exciting updates in the local digital landscape.”

The team from Blaze Digital comprises highly experienced creative directors, producers and digital marketing experts and aims to provide state-of-the-art digital marketing solutions via branded content, videos, social marketing, programmatic ads, display, as well as bespoke packages.

For more information, please visit www.blaze.com.my

Sources:
*comScore Ranking, Apr-17
**Google Analytics, Mar – May 2017 Monthly Average & Facebook Insights, May 2017

For media enquiries, please contact:
Caydence Low Poh Yan
Assistant Vice President, Communications, Astro
Tel: +603 9543 6688 ext. 2939 | Mobile: 013 359 6080
Email: poh-yan_low@astro.com.my

Bermuda and Hong Kong, 20th June 2017 – ABS, a global satellite operator, has signed a capacity contract for occasional use (OU) on the ABS-3A European beam for the recent G7 summit in Sicily for the host broadcaster.

Italy hosted the annual meeting of seven of the world’s biggest industrialized economies (G7) in Sicily held in late May of this year. The summit brought together leaders from United States, Canada, Japan, France, Germany, Italy, United Kingdom and other EU countries. It focused on topics such as the global economy, foreign policy, security of citizens and environmental sustainability.

The capacity used was on an ad-hoc basis. The ABS operations team enabled short notice service activations throughout the coverage of the event.

“ABS was extremely pleased to work with the media provider as part of their delivery solution for this significant world news event,” said Tom Choi, CEO of ABS. “ABS-3A is strategically located for European contribution and distribution of content. The Ku-band European footprint makes ABS-3A the ideal choice for direct transmission of world events, live news, sports and entertainment where service reliability and speed to air are critical.”

The ABS-3A satellite is a new pillar for high profile broadcast contribution in Europe, MENA, Africa, and the Americas. Its wide Ku-band Europe beam has extended new possibilities for video distribution across Europe and opportunities for European service providers who wish to leverage their European teleports.

###

About ABS

ABS is one of the fastest growing global satellite operators in the world. ABS offers a complete range of tailored solutions including broadcasting, data and telecommunication services to broadcasters, service providers, enterprises and government organizations.

ABS operates a fleet of satellites: ABS-2, ABS-2A, ABS-3, ABS-3A, ABS-4/Mobisat-1, ABS-6, and ABS-7. The satellite fleet covers over 93% of the world’s population across the Americas, Africa, Asia Pacific, Europe, the Middle East, CIS and Russia.

Headquartered in Bermuda, ABS has offices in the United States, UAE, South Africa and Asia. ABS is majority owned by funds managed by the European Private Equity firm Permira.

For more information, visit: www.absatellite.com

Watch trailer here

SINGAPORE, JUNE 19, 2017 – In 1982, during a dark and fictitious time in cycling history, the sport’s most venerable, time-honored race was marred by the doping of virtually all of its competitors. Riddled with nefarious characters, that year’s competition was a hornet’s nest of moral depravity. Through the perspective of five riders, TOUR DE PHARMACY gives an inside look into the grim realities of the darkest event in a sport notoriously tainted by controversy.

Starring and executive produced by Andy Samberg (“Brooklyn Nine-Nine”; HBO’s “7 Days In Hell”), and written and executive produced by Murray Miller (“King of the Hill”; HBO’s “Girls”), this fictional, none-too-serious look at that sordid event debuts Sunday, July 9 at 10pm (SIN), exclusively on HBO. The special will also be streaming on HBO GO.

Among the notables making appearances in TOUR DE PHARMACY are: John Cena, Daveed Diggs, Orlando Bloom, Freddie Highmore, Jeff Goldblum, Danny Glover, Julia Ormond, Dolph Lundgren, James Marsden, Kevin Bacon, Nathan Fielder, Will Forte, Maya Rudolph, Joe Buck, Mike Tyson, J.J. Abrams, Phylicia Rashad, Chris Webber, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje and Lance Armstrong.

TOUR DE PHARMACY marks Samberg and Miller’s second collaboration for HBO under their Legends of Sport banner, following the 2015 mockumentary “7 Days In Hell,” which was called a “bawdy, outlandish skewering of tennis” by the New York Times, and “strange and splendid” by the Los Angeles Times.

The special is helmed by returning director Jake Szymanski; written by Murray Miller; executive producers, Andy Samberg, Murray Miller, David Bernad; produced by M. Elizabeth Hughes; co-executive producer, Jake Szymanski.

# # #

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 that are produced exclusively for HBO viewers. Wholly owned by HBO (a Time Warner company), HBO Asia reaches 23 territories across Asia and offers a bouquet of channels and services including 24-hour commercial-free subscription movie channels in standard-definition and high-definition – HBO, HBO SIGNATURE, HBO FAMILY, HBO HITS, CINEMAX and RED by HBO – as well as HBO GO and HBO ON DEMAND. HBO Asia is also the exclusive distributor of BabyFirst and the DreamWorks channel in Asia. Log on to www.hboasia.com for more information.

For more information, please contact HBO Asia:
Karen Lai
Senior Director, Communications
Tel: (65) 6381 1796
Email: karen.lai@hboasia.com

Cheryl Foong
Manager, Communications
Tel: (65) 6381 1838
Email: cheryl.foong@hboasia.com

Chan Zi Ning
Executive, Communications
Tel: (65) 6381 1746
Email: zining.chan@hboasia.com