BBC Worldwide sells over 500 hours of factual content to South Korea’s JTBC cable network

Announced at Showcase 2017, BBC Worldwide has concluded a TV sales deal with the Joongang Tongyang Broadcasting Company (JTBC), owned by JoongAng Media Network (JMnet), one of South Korea’s largest media conglomerates.

The deal includes over 500 hours of BBC’s premium natural history, science and documentary content which will now be available on one of the country’s newest cable TV platforms.Through the partnership, JTBC subscribers will now have access to:

The Hunt – from the executive producers of Blue Planet and Planet Earth, The Hunt narrated by Sir David Attenborough explores the relationship between predators and their prey
Wild Japan explores the vast range of landscapes in the highly industrialised Each episode details the drama of humans interacting with a nature that spans savage winters and sultry summers
Atlantic: Wildest Ocean –travels to uncover the mysteries of the Atlantic ocean from its darkest depths to its coastline and islands
Wild Patagonia – reveals Patagonia’s surprising wildlife and its lawless, powerful and demanding landscape
Big Blue Live – Presented by Steve Backshall, Matt Baker, Liz Bonnin and Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall. The series celebrates the success of the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary

Soojin Chung, General Manager, North East Asia for BBC Worldwide, commented on the deal: “We are very excited that BBC’s natural history and factual content has been a hit with JTBC’s viewers. Our relationship with JTBC started in 2012 with just one natural history title. The continued demand for BBC’s premium documentaries is an indication of its appeal to viewers. With this new deal, we hope to be able to deliver more premium quality, inspiring content to fans across South Korea.”

Su-young Lee, Head of Programming, JTBC, said: “BBC’s factual programmes have become increasingly popular on the channel. We are very glad to partner with BBC Worldwide to deliver the quality of factual programmes that our viewers demand. I look forward to working with BBC Worldwide to develop more exciting opportunities for our fans in Korea.”

BBC’s factual programmes are now available on JTBC viewers’ set top boxes as well as online at onair.jtbc.joins.com subtitled in Korean.

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 19^th to 22^nd February. Now in it is 41^st 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.

-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

About Showcase

BBC Worldwide sells programmes on behalf of the BBC and independent producers
BBC Worldwide is the biggest distributor of TV content outside of the US studios
BBC Worldwide Showcase is the world’s largest international TV market to be hosted by a single distributor
Over 700 of the world’s biggest TV buyers attend BBC Worldwide Showcase now in its 41st year
With 600 digi booths available at Showcase, buyers collectively screen over 3000 hours of content during the three days
There will be premier screenings at BBC Worldwide Showcase covering drama, natural history, music, comedy, science, history, documentaries, formats and factual entertainment

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

Evolution Digital and Conax Announce Deployment of Multi-DRM Security Platform on eVUE-TV

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/.

# # #

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

Sir David Attenborough to present Blue Planet II on BBC Earth

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

17 February, 2017

Welcome to News Views, CASBAA’s news round-up culled from sources across the industry for the week ending Feb 17th. 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:

Kevin Jennings

Vice President, Programme

Plans are in full swing for the CASBAA OTT Summit in Singapore on 1st March and the OTT Forum in Mumbai which will follow two days later on Friday 3rd. We have two packed programmes with a strong speaker line-up at both events. Regular rates for the Singapore event end next week and if you haven’t yet reserved your seat you can download the latest programme and registration form here. Meanwhile thanks to Diagnal and WWE for sponsoring Friday’s invitational event in Mumbai.

Christopher Slaughter

CEO

Time Warner shareholders have voted to approve the AT&T acquisition, in an overwhelming show of support — of the shares voted, 99% were in favour. This validates AT&T Chairman Randall Stephenson’s optimism last week that the deal would go through, probably by the end of the year. Don’t rule out the FCC getting stuck in, though; incoming head Ajit Pai told Fox News that if the deal looks anti-competitive, the agency will “…take appropriate action.”

John Medeiros

Chief Policy Officer

Fun in Washington: new FCC Chairman Ajit Pai is not talking publicly about his plans to deal with the “net neutrality” (NN) regulations bequeathed (over Pai’s objections) by previous Chairman Tom Wheeler. The uncertainty is producing “wild swings of sentiment” about Pai, who is said to be seeking an approach to broadband policy which is both pro-competitive and pro-investment.
And he may not get to decide on NN anyway, as some see the Republican Congress as stepping in to make the rules. Indeed, the 20-year-old Telecommunications Act may be ripe for revision. Pai is living in interesting times.

Kevin Jennings

Vice President, Programme

US TV presenter John Oliver has announced that he is running educational ads on several news networks with the intention of bringing viewers up to speed on information surrounding critical issues. The ads are aimed at one specific viewer – President Donald Trump. Oliver says he is running the ads in an attempt to bring POTUS up to speed on information he may lack. According to Oliver, the ads will run between 8:30 and 9 a.m. during MSNBC’s Morning Joe, CNN’s New Day, and Fox News’ Fox and Friends—all shows the President reportedly watches. The ads will cover topics such as the nuclear triad, the Geneva Convention, and the unemployment rate, among other things, and will air specifically in the Washington, D.C. area.

Christopher Slaughter

CEO

So he might have kajillions of viewers on YouTube, but PewDiePie has learned that online tomfoolery has real world consequences; he’s been dropped by Disney’s Maker Studios, he’s lost his “Google Preferred” (higher CPM) advertising status, and he’s had his YouTubeRed show cancelled. All this after the Wall Street Journal exposed (paywall, natch) a bunch of blatantly anti-Semitic videos on his channel. Okay, so he later “apologised”… sort of. And while the whole affair isn’t going to suddenly change the Internet overnight, it certainly highlights the fact that as online stars increasingly attract digital ad revenue, like it or not, their business partners are going to be constantly evaluating their brand alignment.

John Medeiros

Chief Policy Officer

The EU Commission has finalized its “content portability” rules, which come into effect in 2018. These will allow subscribers to HBO Go, Netflix, Amazon, Spotify, etc. etc. to stream their bought-and-paid-for content in any part of the EU, despite single-country copyright licensing. Variety termed these rules the “least contentious” part of the Digital Single Market proposals advanced by the EU. And Europe’s pay-TV industry had said portability could be acceptable, if done right. But other, more frontal attacks on geographic licensing seem to be in the offing, and the pay-TV industry doesn’t like that at all.

Mark Lay

Vice President, Singapore

Snapchat has been getting a lot of attention recently in the financial press about their upcoming IPO, now valued less than their initial guidance. A number of further developments are happening with their Discover/Stories section of the app. Media partnerships have grown from 12, at launch, to more than 40 and it’s now starting to look a lot like TV. Snapchat has recently added ‘Shark Week,’ and other original short form series from Discovery and also just did a multi-show deal with A+E for ‘Second Chance’, and unscripted dating series. Some even believe that Snapchat could bring back TV’s golden age and even be the “HBO of the Smartphone”.

Kevin Jennings

Vice President, Programme

It may have been a bit slow off the blocks but Apple has announced it will launch its first foray into original content in the “next few months”. The claim comes from Eddy Cue, the company’s SVP of internet software and services. Speaking at this week’s Code Media conference in California, Cue revealed that Carpool Karaoke and Planet Of The Apps will become available “in most countries in the world” on Apple TV. Mac and iOS devices as part of Apple Music, the company’s subscription music offering. This crowded space is going to get very interesting very fast.

Christopher Slaughter

CEO

Usually, it’s ME who toots Apple’s horn, despite Kevin’s disapproval; but this week, like a lot of others, I’m feeling kinda contrarian about Apple TV— especially after hearing investor Ross Gerber declare it’s “…actually worse than using cable TV used to be, and… the whole goal was to make it better.” And when you read headlines like “Apple’s First TV Show Looks Like a Cry for Help”, and other decidedly luke-warm reviews, it’s hard not to succumb to the snark. Which, in turn raises questions about just how serious Apple is about online video, and what failure in this space would mean for the company.

John Medeiros

Chief Policy Officer

The mundane case of internet piracy relating to Facebook streaming of a boxing match in Australia (which I mentioned last week) became quite a cause célèbre – from both sides. Foxtel made a fuss (saying it was the first time they had come across live-sport piracy of their broadcasts) which BBC called “risking a public backlash.” The usual coterie of academics and internet “experts” cluck-clucked that it was all the fault of Foxtel’s high prices. Foxtel then floated the recording of a conversation by their rep, who called during the match to get one of the pirates to turn off his stream. The threat of prosecution seemed very real (the guys were clearly guilty), but in the end Foxtel decided to get public apologies and drop the idea of prosecutions (to avoid creating martyrs). And they’re going to work with Facebook to improve the latter’s automated takedown tool. Everything concluded with a very eloquent op-ed column by Peter Tonagh, Foxtel’s CEO, who had told the press “This idea of allowing people to be heroes from pirating content is a real issue.”

Jane Buckthought

Advertising Consultant

The chief brand officer at Procter & Gamble, the world’s biggest advertiser, thinks companies have been blissfully dozing in digital’s warm bath for much too long and it’s time they woke up to the truth. Marc Pritchard says consumers are being bombarded with so much technology-created “crap” that it’s little wonder ad-blocking is growing so strongly. Pritchard believes advertisers have no realistic idea of what bang they are getting for their digital buck because measurement methods are unreliable, giving fraudsters a field day.

John Medeiros

Chief Policy Officer

Exit strategy – it’s all about the exit strategy. The venture capital firm which owns Taiwan’s second-biggest MSO, CNS, has struck out for a third time in trying to sell control of the cable company. Regulators got their backs up because the proposed buyer, telco FarEasTone, has a bit of government ownership, and Taiwan has an absolute prohibition on government ownership of “media” companies. (Except when it doesn’t, as in the case of Chung Hwa Telecom…..) FarEasTone rightly called the law “obsolete.” Meanwhile, MBK must be incredibly frustrated. Calling the CNS sale drawn-out would be a vast understatement; the talks with FarEastTone (never mind the other two rejected buyers, Want Want and Ting Hsin) began in 2009!

Kevin Jennings

Vice President, Programme

In India the India Space Research Organisation (ISRO) set a new precedent in launching satellites this week and successfully launched a rocket which put a record launching 104 satellites into orbit on a single mission. ISRO surpassed its personal best of sending up 20 satellites in one go and it was one for the history books as the previous record was 37 satellites launched by Russia in 2014. All but three of the satellites are from foreign countries, and 96 of them are from the United States. The launch took place from the space centre in east India. Observers say it is a sign that India is emerging as a major player in the multi-billion dollar space market.

Christopher Slaughter

CEO

Don’t expect to see fewer of those anti-smoking messages on TV in India any time soon; in fact, expect even more, if the Ministry of Health gets its way, because of an “…urgent need for better implementation and enforcement.” That comes from a report called “Evaluation of Tobacco-Free Film and Television Policy in India” produced by health-care advocacy group Vital Strategies. The rule was implemented in 2012, and requires insertion of anti-smoking messages on-screen any and every time a character lights up, and the report claims it has been a success, just not implemented completely. And while it’s tough to argue in favour of the tobacco industry, one can wonder whether it’s fair to lay the complete burden of the government’s anti-smoking drive on the shoulders of the media industry.

Mark Lay

Vice President, Singapore

This week’s Economist features a Special Report on Mass Entertainment (at the bottom of the home page), and it’s got loads of takeaways. Among them: in a fragmented media world, blockbusters are more important than ever; even as audiences are migrating to digital platforms, linear TV still has staying power; and as long as you put on a good show, nothing beats a live event. Well worth the read.

John Medeiros

Chief Policy Officer

So, call me the office Luddite, but I can’t resist pointing out the impending demise of yet another tech product that was long on hype and short on value – the Oculus Rift. It’s “firmly on the bottom of the pack” in terms of sales. Anybody wanna buy a 3-D TV?

Andrew Lin

Regulatory Assistant

The Philippines Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) has announced plans to launch the Digital Terrestrial Television Broadband (DTTB) Migration Plan. The purpose of this plan to shift from an analog broadcasting system to digital in order to provide citizens with a better viewing experience. With the assistance of the Japanese government, this transition to a digital broadcasting system will take around another four to six years.

Member News

Additional News

10 February, 2017

Welcome to News Views, CASBAA’s news round-up culled from sources across the industry for the week ending Feb 10th. 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:

Kevin Jennings

Vice President, Programme

A reminder that the CASBAA OTT Summit is just around the corner and will be held in Singapore on 1st March. Speakers include Ajit Mohan from Hotstar, Yu-Chuang Kuek from Netflix, Ravi Vora from Hooq, Simon Vella from MPP Global; Luke Gaydon from Brightcove; Michael Greco from Vindicia and Irdeto’s Roger Harvey. If you haven’t yet reserved your seat download the latest programme and registration form here.

Thanks to Presenting Sponsor Brightcove and Sponsors, Diagnal, Irdeto, MPP Global and Vindicia.

Christopher Slaughter

CEO

Earnings season again, and lots of info coming out in various reporting calls: Time Warner had a good Q4, and the company is confident that the deal with AT&T will close by the end of the year. And on a side-note, the standalone streaming service HBO Now has crossed 2 million subscribers in the US, and sees a “big untapped subscriber opportunity” in the States.

Mark Lay

Vice President, Singapore

The first earnings release of Viacom under new CEO Bob Bakish have generally been seen as positive, with revenue rising 5.39 percent to $3.32 billion. More importantly Bakish outlined a Radical Revamp of Cable Operations designed to focus the conglomerate’s resources on six core channels and a decision to rebrand Spike TV as the Paramount Network in early 2018. Core channels being: Paramount Network, Nickelodeon, Nick Jr., MTV, Comedy Central and BET. CNBC provides us with a great interview of Bakish outlining these turnaround plans.

Christopher Slaughter

CEO

Elsewhere, 21st Century Fox reported a 27% jump in profits, driven by higher US ad sales around baseball and politics; making it “…the star of the quarter.” Meanwhile, CEO James Murdoch dangled a direct-to-consumer carrot on his earnings call, saying that it was an option — stronger wording than his December comment that Fox was “in no hurry” to go direct-to-consumer. Oh, and Peak TV? Fox expects to produce more than 20,000 hours of entertainment worldwide this year. Just sayin’…

Mark Lay

Vice President, Singapore

Also releasing earnings this week was Disney, with earnings of $1.55 per share, vs expected EPS of $1.49. “Chairman and CEO Bob Iger said more deals are on the way with over-the-top providers, including pacts that could help boost penetration rates for the sports channel.” And while he didn’t exactly clear up the succession question, Iger told analysts he was open to extending his contract, due to expire in 2018, “…if it’s in the best interests of the company.”

Christopher Slaughter

CEO

And finally in our earnings review, online retail giant Amazon is touting the success of its Prime Video product; users more than doubled their consumption of digital media on the platform in 2016. CEO Jeff Bezos described “tens of millions” of new paid members, but didn’t give specific sub numbers, so it’s hard to tell whether their overnight launch in 200 markets outside the US has paid off yet. One thing that is clear, however, is that Amazon is going to continue to bet on original programming; investment in programming and marketing will “…continue in 2017 and likely beyond.”

John Medeiros

Chief Policy Officer

In European piracy news: Copyright industries want to implement piracy site blocking in Belgium, as in other EU countries – and in Ireland, too. Italian police busted an online retransmission piracy ring. Sweden is looking for ways to tighten up its anti-piracy enforcement, recognizing they are playing catch-up because “when most country’s copyright laws were first laid down, the Internet simply did not exist.” Torrentfreak complains that even “weak” antipiracy measures give pirates a pain in the behind. (I feel so bad for the poor, frustrated pirates.) On the bad-news front, in the Czech Republic, a court let the Pirate Party off the hook, for operating a piracy linking website…..with the “reasoning” that it wasn’t a commercial enterprise, and maybe they didn’t realize it was pirated material. Right; that’s believable. Meanwhile, the UK police have been out knocking on doors of ad industry players involved in placing ads on pirate websites. The policemen have a cup of tea, and then advise their hosts that their ads are supporting illegal activities. No threats…..it’s just about awareness, y’see…..but people seem to listen more when it’s a person in blue making them aware.

Kevin Jennings

Vice President, Programme

As we mentioned last week, at no other time of year are TV ads such a hot topic of conversation in the US as they are before, during and after the Super Bowl. And according to Fox, this year, the Big Game was the most-watched program in US television history. A bold claim, but one that also acknowledges that broadcast viewing slipped for the second year in a row. Despite that, this year’s game carried the second-heaviest ad load in Super Bowl history, with 51 minutes and 30 seconds of ads and promos in the 3 hour 47 minute game. And while some of them were considered quite good, plenty of them were underwhelming, and some were rather divisive, giving pundits the opportunity to vent their opinions and slice and dice the TVCs every which way.

John Medeiros

Chief Policy Officer

Last week, we noted that a UK test case was being pursued to establish clearly that sales of “fully loaded” ISD boxes are illegal. While the case is moving through the courts, the police are remaining active; this week there were five new raids and five new arrests of sellers of “fully loaded” boxes.

Christopher Slaughter

CEO

Not only has Space X returned to launch, as we mentioned a couple weeks ago, but the company is planning an aggressive schedule of launching its Falcon 9 rockets every two to three weeks this year. In order for that pace to be met, its new launch facility in Florida needs to be up and running, but even so, there are still questions about how realistic the schedule will turn out to be.

John Medeiros

Chief Policy Officer

Two Aussie lads are facing potential legal trouble for using Facebook Live to stream a recent boxing match. Awww….how much damage could two blokes do? One of them reported that 153,000 people were watching his feed. Foxtel was trying to commercialize that event on VOD at A$59.95 – so that’s A$9.2 million worth of damage. Just a couple of blokes having fun, eh?

Andrew Lin

Regulatory Assistant

Virginia lawmakers have recently brought up the interest of passing a “Virginia Broadband Deployment Act.” However, this bill would instead limit broadband deployment , as municipalities would be prohibited to offer internet service if an existing network already provides 10Mbps download and 1Mbps upload speeds under the proposed legislation. Municipal internet advocates were unhappy with this proposed bill and it even got Google and Netflix chiming in on this issue. Due to heavy opposition, the bill has been withdrawn just hours ago.

John Medeiros

Chief Policy Officer

Well! Two of the major Pakistan media groups, ARY and GEO, have been going at each other tooth and nail in courts in both the UK and Pakistan, and now the UK regulator has closed ARY down in that lucrative market. The Ofcom decision to revoke the licenses for six ARY channels comes after Dubai-based ARY placed its UK company in voluntary liquidation, after a UK court entered an expensive libel judgement against it, in a suit brought by GEO owner Mir Shakil ur Rahman (MSR – also based in Dubai). The UK high court found ARY had seriously defamed MSR in broadcasts which accused him of being “a traitor to Pakistan who had conspired with Indian intelligence agencies and the CIA to publish fabricated stories maligning Pakistan’s armed forces.” Apparently, ARY wasn’t able to produce any evidence justifying the claims. The judgement and channel shutdown are a first, and they are a cautionary note for “the bare-knuckled Pakistan media industry,” as the Guardian put it. Geo had brought 18 actions in Pakistani courts, and only one in the UK – but legal processes in Pakistan rarely produce results, and the UK court sure did!

Member News

Additional News

Eutelsat hits new milestone of 1,000 High Definition channels

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

CBeebies set to make its digital platform debut in China on iQIYI

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

Global First: Star India and TED Announce Greenlight of “TED Talks India: Nayi Soch” Television Series Hosted by Shah Rukh Khan

Mr. Uday Shankar, Chairman & CEO, Star India

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.

New Season Of Emmy®-winning Last Week Tonight With John Oliver Premieres February 18 On Cinemax

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.

# # #

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.

“MTV EMAs 2017″ to light up London

LONDON, ENGLAND – FEBRUARY 14: Mayor of London Sadiq Khan and Dave Lynn, CEO of Viacom International Media Networks at a photocall to announce London as the host city for the 2017 MTV EMA’s at MTV London on February 14, 2017 in London, England. (Photo by Anthony Harvey/Getty Images for MTV) *** Local Caption *** Sadiq Khan; Dave Lynn

MTV International’s Biggest Night in Music Returns to the UK’s Capital City on 12th November 2017 Live from The SSE Arena, Wembley

Click to Tweet: .@MTV announces @ssearena to host #MTVEMA 2017 in London on 12 November

SINGAPORE, 15 FEBRUARY 2017 – MTV today announced that London has been chosen to host the 24th annual MTV EMAs 2017. Celebrating the year’s music highlights and featuring the world’s biggest artists, the MTV EMAs 2017 is confirmed to broadcast across MTV’s TV, social and digital platforms live from The SSE Arena, Wembley on Sunday 12th November. Telecast details for Asia will follow soon.

“London is arguably the world’s musical epicentre and it’s both a huge privilege and opportunity to bring the MTV EMAs 2017 to the UK’s capital city,” commented David Lynn, CEO of MTV’s international parent company, Viacom International Media Networks. “The EMA creates an incredible buzz wherever it lands it; that will be amplified tenfold in London.”

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, commented: “After two decades away, the MTV EMAs are returning to electrify the greatest city in the world once again. It promises to be an absolutely incredible evening, featuring some of the globe’s top artists and watched by millions. London is the natural city to host one of the greatest musical shows on earth – with our exceptional musical history, wealth of creative talent and outstanding venues – we’re the entertainment capital of the world. Whether you’re a musical superstar, Londoner or visitor to the city – London is Open to entertain you!”

Bruce Gillmer, who executive produces the MTV EMAs and is Executive Vice President, Music, Talent Programming and Events, MTV International, added: “The MTV EMAs are one of the biggest and most unforgettable nights in music globally. We anticipate this year’s event in London will be even bigger and louder than ever before. The city’s incredible musical heritage along with the local fan’s robust energy will undoubtedly make this one killer show.”

John Drury, VP & General Manager of The SSE Arena, Wembley said: “Everyone at the venue and the wider AEG team are delighted that London’s first MTV EMAs in 21 years will be at The SSE Arena, Wembley. It’s fitting that the world’s leading music brand will be working with one of the world’s most iconic venues. Wembley’s intimate atmosphere will no doubt help to create more special EMAs moments and we can’t wait to welcome them here.”

First held in London in 1996, this will be the 6th time that the UK has hosted the awards show with previous host cities including Edinburgh (2003), Liverpool (2008), Belfast (2011) and Glasgow (2014).

Fans can stay up-to-date with all things EMAs by following the show on Instagram, Snapchat, Twitter and Facebook and follow the social conversation using #MTVEMA.

Notes to Editors

For artwork, press assets and further information please visit press.mtvema.com.

About the MTV EMAS 2017

The MTV EMAs 2017 will broadcast LIVE across the globe on Sunday 12th November at 8pm GMT** from The SSE Arena, Wembley in the London Borough of Brent.Telecast details for Asia will follow soon. One of the biggest global music events of the year that celebrates the hottest artists from around the world, the MTV EMAsbring music fans a unique, multi-platform experience across MTV’s global network of more than 60 channels and over 300 digital media properties and platforms. Follow @MTVEMA on Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat and Instagram, and join the conversation with #MTVEMA. Fans are invited to participate in the MTV EMAs 2017 campaign using MTV Bump. Bruce Gillmer and Richard Godfrey are Executive Producers for the MTV EMAs 2017. Debbie Phillips and Chloe Mason are Producers. For MTV EMAs news, updates and press materials please visit press.mtvema.com.

**Check local listings.

About #LondonIsOpen

#LondonIsOpen is a major campaign – launched by the Mayor, Sadiq Khan – to show that London is united and open for business, and to the world, following the EU referendum. It shows the world that London remains entrepreneurial, international and full of creativity and possibility. It reassures the more than one million foreign nationals who live in London that they will always be welcome, and that any form of discrimination will not be tolerated. London is the best city in the world. We’re entrepreneurial, international and outward looking. The key ingredient of our city’s success has been the flow of brilliant ideas and talent from across the globe. Our city is comfortable in its diversity, proud of its history and optimistic about its future. London is open.

Sadiq is urging all Londoners, organisations and businesses to show their support for the #LondonisOpen message via social media and other creative ways.

We don’t simply tolerate each other’s differences, we celebrate them. Many people from all over the globe live and work here, contributing to every aspect of life in our city. We now need to make sure that people across London, and the globe, hear that #LondonIsOpen. I urge everyone to get involved with this simple but powerful campaign to send a positive message to the world.

Sadiq Khan

Contact

Loh Bi Feng

Viacom International Media Networks

Manager, Communications, Southeast Asia

t: +65 6420 7154 m: +65 9002 9607 e: loh.bifeng@vimn.com

Twitter: @VIMNAsia_PR

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