News

Comedy Central Debuts Series “Jeff Ross Presents Roast Battle” And Special “Jeff Ross Roasts Criminals: Live At Brazos County Jail” In Asia In November

SINGAPORE, 24 OCTOBER 2016 – Comedy Central today announced the debut of four-part series Jeff Ross Presents Roast Battle and special Jeff Ross Roasts Criminals: Live at Brazos County Jail in Asia. Inspired by the gritty, competitive proving grounds of the comedy-club circuit, Jeff Ross Presents Roast Battle is a bracket-style insult-comedy Thunderdome event led by Roastmaster General Jeff Ross and referee/comedian Brian Moses featuring the world’s most venomous comedians in one-on-one standoffs, with an all-star panel of judges deciding their tournament fate. The series premieres on Tuesday, 8 November at 8.55pm (TH/WIB), 9.55pm (HK/PH/SG/TW) and 10.55pm (MY) with a new episode every Tuesday. Jeff Ross Roasts Criminals: Live at Brazos County Jail shows Jeff Ross giving the most dangerous – and enlightening – roast of his life from behind the walls of the Brazos County Jail in Bryan, Texas. It premieres on Sunday, 27 November at 7.55pm (TH/WIB), 8.55pm (HK/PH/SG/TW) and 9.55pm (MY). A repeat telecast will air on Tuesday, 29 November at the same timings.

Ross is an actor, writer, director, producer, and comedian originally from Newark, New Jersey. He created and starred in The Burn with Jeff Ross on Comedy Central and continues to produce and star in the wildly popular celebrity roast franchise. He was seen on the big screen in Jeremy Garrelick’s “The Wedding Ringer” with Kevin Hart and Josh Gad, “Flock of Dudes” with Chris D’Elia, and the series “Kingdom”. He also starred in the multi-camera comedy pilot “Keep It Together,” produced by Kevin Hart. Ross’ writing credits include the screenplay “The Comedian” (co-written with Art Linson) and the book “I Only Roast The Ones I Love,” published by Simon & Schuster. Ross continues to tour the world performing live as “The Roastmaster General.”

Jeff Ross Presents Roast Battle

This four-part roast-off features Roastmaster General Jeff Ross, host Brian Moses and a panel of celebrity judges Judd Apatow, Whoopi Goldberg, Kevin Hart, Seth Rogen, Anthony Jeselnik, Jimmy Kimmel, Sarah Silverman, and David Spade. The comedians compete onstage while adhering to the Roast Battle rules: original material only, no physical contact, and every battle ends with a hug. In this competition, 16 comedians will enter the ring, but only one emerges as this year’s Roast Battle Champion.

All four one-hour episodes were filmed live at L’Astral Theatre during the Just For Laughs festival in Montreal. Hart and Spade judge the first episode; Goldberg and Jeselnik judge the second episode; Jimmy Kimmel and Seth Rogen judge the third episode; and Judd Apatow and Sarah Silverman judge the finals.

Comedians doing battle include Tom Ballard, Matthew Broussard, Jimmy Carr, Christi Chiello, Chris Cubas, Olivia Grace, Tony Hinchcliffe, Mike Lawrence, Ralphie May, Sam Morril, Mark Normand, Ms. Pat, Steve Rannazzisi, Earl Skakel, Sarah Tiana, and K. Trevor Wilson.

First round matchups are:

Jimmy Carr vs. Christi Chiello

Earl Skakel vs. Tom Ballard

Mark Normand vs. Tony Hinchcliffe

Steve Rannazzisi vs. Sam Morril

Ralphie May vs. Ms. Pat

Matthew Broussard vs. Mike Lawrence

Sarah Tiana vs. Chris Cubas

Olivia Grace vs. K. Trevor Wilson

Jeff Ross Presents Roast Battle is executive produced by Ross, Joel Gallen, Amy Zvi, Willie Mercer, Moses, Rell Battle, and Rick Austin. Jonas Larsen, Christian McLaughlin, Jordan Ellner and Ryan Moran are the Executives in Charge of Production for Comedy Central.

Jeff Ross Roasts Criminals: Live at Brazos County Jail

Jeff Ross Roasts Criminals: Live at Brazos County Jail is a compelling, funny, and unfiltered look at life in an orange jumpsuit. In this one hour special, Ross touches on the topics surrounding incarceration in the U.S. such as race, the use of solitary confinement and the death penalty. Ross was allowed to spend three days at the Brazos County Jail and experienced firsthand how inmates survive behind bars. From playing basketball in the yard to spending time in solitary himself, Ross gets up close and personal with the inmates, hears their stories, performs a stand-up show for them and even roasts a group of both male and female inmates. Jeff also speaks with numerous detention officers at the facility, learns about their inmate behavior management philosophy and sees firsthand how challenging their jobs can be.

Jeff Ross Roasts Criminals: Live at Brazos County Jail is executive produced by Ross, Stuart Miller, Willie Mercer and Amy Zvi. Christian McLaughlin is the Executive in Charge for Comedy Central.

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About Comedy Central

Comedy Central, the world’s biggest comedy network, has been making audiences laugh since it first launched in the United States in 1991. Renowned for featuring a stable of exclusive and tailor-made local and international comedy, the brand has become the ultimate destination for all kinds of humour, from traditional to satire to sketches to popular sitcoms. Outside of the United States, Comedy Central, seen in over 70 territories via more than 12 locally programmed and operated TV channels, is part of Viacom International Media Networks (VIMN), a division of Viacom Inc. (NASDAQ: VIA, VIAB), one of the world’s leading creators of programming and content across all media platforms. For more information about Comedy Central in Asia, visit www.comedycentralasia.com.

Media Contact

Viacom International Media Networks

Loh Bi Feng

Manager, Communications, Southeast Asia

t: +65 6420 7154 m: +65 9002 9607

e: loh.bifeng@vimn.com

Twitter: @VIMNAsia_PR

21 October, 2016

Welcome to News Views, CASBAA’s news round-up culled from sources across the industry for the week ending Oct 21st. 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:

Christopher Slaughter

CEO

Netflix managed to suck a lot of the oxygen out of the room again this week, with its better-than-expected Q3 earnings report and the resulting massive surge in its stock price. (You can watch the whole Reed-and-Ted Show here.) The company reported adding 3.2 million subscribers outside the US, where some 40% of its revenues come from now; however, as at least one critic pointed out, “Netflix needs its US business to perform perfectly to bankroll its global ambitions. And it’s far from perfect.” Meantime, it’s been noticed that Netflix is spending a LOT of money on programming (as is Amazon), although the company is also promising that doesn’t mean it will raise subscription prices… yet.

John Medeiros

Chief Policy Officer

Thailand is going through a difficult phase; no doubt about it. Firstly, the country has lost its collective royal father, and remains in deep mourning. (I was in Bangkok on the day HM the King passed away, and I’ll tell you that things got real quiet, real fast.) Sadly, information flow has suffered, as the government lashes out against nay-sayers. Pressure was ratcheted up on international news channels, (accused of being “manipulative and provocative”) and also on internet service providers. Now the government is after social media sites to remove lots of negative stuff; it remains to be seen if Facebook, YouTube, Line, etc. will comply. There has also been a bit of excessive sensitivity, like government denunciations of press reports because they gave numbers of mourners that were disrespectfully low. And there have also been some sudden personnel movements, which the government swears are “not related to the current situation in the country.”

Andrew Lin

Regulatory Assistant

Those regulations suspending entertainment broadcasting for 30 days are expected to have a negative effect on advertising, which is forecast to decrease by 5% in the fourth quarter. Businesses across the country are also expected to pull their ads as they observe the period of mourning — a marked difference from usual, since the end of the year is normally a season of festivities (and ad campaigns) in Thailand.

John Medeiros

Chief Policy Officer

Meanwhile, legislation to reform Thailand’s National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) is nearing final approval. The revamped Commission will have 7 members instead of 11, and the Broadcasting Committee (the 5-member panel that really made the decisions about our industry) is being eliminated, in favor of a more flexible decision process. The new NBTC will also have to share its license and auction receipts with the Digital Economy ministry. (We wish that instead of sharing the spoils, they’d cut the fees charged to pay-TV operators, which are too high.) It will be interesting to see who the new Commissioners are, and if they adopt new policies – the old ones are being blamed for a rush to mediocrity in programming. Anyway, the Commission is to be independent, and spokesmen assure us that the stiff requirements for new NBTC members will ensure high-quality decision-making. (The legislation defines any military man of the rank of lieutenant general or higher as meeting the standard, of course. Those guys always make high quality decisions.)

Christopher Slaughter

CEO

China goes to Hollywood: Dalian Wanda chairman Wang Jianlin is offering a 40% rebate on production costs if producers use his Qingdao studio complex. Hollywood goes to China: Steven Spielberg has sold a 5% stake in his Amblin Partners to Alibaba Pictures, which will be co-producing and co-financing future projects. To find out more about the China-Hollywood connection, be sure to catch the session dedicated to the subject with East West Bank’s Bennet Pozil at the CASBAA Convention 2016 in Macau; if you haven’t already registered, sign up soon!

Mark Lay

Vice President, Singapore

Over the last couple of years here in Asia we have seen a number of bold announcements from LeEco. On Wednesday, the company made its official US debut to a crowd of roughly 1,700 employees, Silicon Valley insiders and media where they announced ‘more products than you’ve ever seen’. “LeEco wants to dominate: big screen televisions, smartphones online video streaming services, an online marketplace to buy its services, self-driving cars, virtual reality headsets, and Internet-connected bicycles.” LeEco said the streaming service would include content from MGM, Lionsgate, VICE, A+E and Showtime, among others.

John Medeiros

Chief Policy Officer

I made the mistake of commenting last week in front of a Japanese TV exec that not much Japanese content was being pirated in the rest of Asia. I had sumo and dramas in mind, but he politely (of course) told me that Japanese animé content was wildly popular and it is in fact being widely pirated. Of course he was right. Gomen nasai.

Kevin Jennings

Vice President, Programme

Laos based DTH operator InfoSat-Laos, has signed a multi-year transponder agreement with Thaicom 8 for the launch of its new DTH platform. The Ku-band satellite deal will enable the platform operator to make more than 15 channels available, in both SD & HD format. The deal also underscores Thaicom’s ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) strategy.

John Medeiros

Chief Policy Officer

It seems that a couple of the piracy sites ordered blocked by a UK court last summer actually originated in the Philippines. They were run by a fellow named Rainier Tamayo and he gave the sites eponymous names (like rainiertamayo.com ). So he wasn’t hard to identify. So the Philippine police arrested Tamayo and they’re throwing him in the clink (not The Clink, that’s in London) for 6 months to 12 years. Maybe next time he’ll choose another name (is www.intheclink.com already used?)

Christopher Slaughter

CEO

Things are about to get even MORE interesting, now that Google has reportedly signed a deal to carry CBS on the web TV service it’s planning; discussions are reportedly well underway with Disney, Fox, and Viacom, too. The live streaming service will provide a skinny bundle of channels for between US$25-40 a month, and is expected to launch early next year.

John Medeiros

Chief Policy Officer

Don’t you hate when you’re trying to load a website, and the bloody ads delay and delay and delay and hang up the page loading? And you’re not going to look at the silly ad videos anyway, right? Well, in India the TRAI is getting ready to ride to the rescue against autoloading video ads. Of course, Indians are most upset because hundreds of millions of them are accessing the internet through mobiles, and “data is expensive,” to quote a TRAI official. There’s no guarantee regulatory action will actually be taken, but in general the TRAI is not shy about snapping the whip.

Member News

Additional News

Eurosport Secures Exclusive Worldwide Rights for Inaugural Six Day Cycling Series

– Eurosport underlines position as Home of Cycling, presenting all three Grand Tours, including the Tour de France, and all five Monuments –

– Eurosport to become gatekeeper for broadcast rights to the track cycling series for 2016/17 –

– World’s best track cycling heroes set to compete in thrilling new series –

Singapore, 20 October 2016 – Eurosport is bringing cycling fans another new series of world-class track cycling events, with the inaugural 2016/2017 season of the Six Day Series. Eurosport, the undisputed Home of Cycling, will hold exclusive international rights*, and work with the organisers to help grow the series globally through strategic sublicense agreements with local broadcasters.

The series will be broadcast worldwide across Eurosport channels and platforms. In Asia Pacific, it will air in Australia, Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Vietnam, Laos, Malaysia, Mongolia, Myanmar, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, and Thailand.

The Six Day Series is owned and operated by Madison Sports Group and will feature some of the world’s best professional riders like Mark Cavendish, Sir Bradley Wiggins, Kenny de Ketele, Moreno de Pauw, Morgan Kneisky and Benjamin Thomas in a new innovative format, all set within a unique party-like atmosphere with great music and entertainment forming the backdrop to the drama on the track.

The full calendar for the 2016/17 6 Race Series:

London: 25 – 30 October 2016
Amsterdam: 6 – 11 December 2016
Berlin: 19 – 24 January 2017
Copenhagen: 26 – 31 January 2017Mallorca (The Final): 17 March 2017

Peter Hutton, CEO of Eurosport, said: “The Six Days Racing series has undoubtedly found its natural home at Eurosport, where we fuel the passion of fans all year round with an unrivalled calendar of world-class cycling. We are always looking at how we can innovate in the sport, be it using augmented reality to explain the intricacies of cycling or creating the first ever 360° VR film shot during a competitive cycling race. Given this commitment to find new ways to bring fans even closer to their sport, we are particularly excited to partner with Six Day Racing and support their ambition to transform track cycling.”

Mark Darbon, Madison Sports Group CEO, said: “The Six Day Series is bringing a discipline with a fantastic history right up to date and having a quality live broadcast partner is vital. Eurosport knows cycling inside out and is absolutely the right partner to be working with as we launch the first ever Six Day Series. We’ve given Six Day racing a makeover to make it more compelling, more exciting and more accessible for spectators – whether they’re in the venue or watching at home. We cannot wait to get started.”

Held over six consecutive nights, the Six Day Series sees teams of two riders compete in multiple races across a variety of sprint and endurance disciplines in a bid to be crowned champions. The cornerstone of the event is the Madison race where the riders sling each other in and out of the action, creating compelling and highly tactical racing.

Alongside the elite men, there is an elite women’s omnium competition set to run across the series with men and women riders battling it out to qualify for a one-off, one-night spectacular final in Mallorca on 17 March 2017.

The partnership with the Six Day Series utilises pioneering production initiatives to bring fans closer to the action, including on-bike cameras, real-time speed, heart rate and cadence data from riders. For the first time in track cycling, location tracking will be integrated for each rider to help follow the race more closely than ever before.

Cycling enthusiasts can catch all three Grand Tours, including the Tour de France, and all five Monuments on Eurosport. Last month Eurosport launched the first ever 360° VR film shot during a competitive cycling race. The footage was captured during La Vuelta and was shared with fans via the Eurosport VR App.

More information about the Six Day Series can be found here. High-res images are downloadable here.

-ENDS-

*Non-exclusive in the UK

Indonesia’s Natasha Liana Gets Once-in-a-lifetime Mentorship Stint To Be MTV Breaks EMA 2016

JAKARTA/ SINGAPORE, 20 OCTOBER 2016 – Thousands globally applied for MTV Breaks to seize a chance to be at the MTV EMA 2016 this November, where MTV is offering big ‘breaks’ to four talented, young creatives who will get the opportunity for a stint as a photographer, costume designer, Snapchat producer, and DJ at this year’s MTV EMA. Opened to applicants from across 52 countries, MTV today announced that Natasha Liana from Indonesia has scored the stint as the MTV Breaks Snapchat Producer. Natasha will be joining two other candidates who have been announced:

MTV Breaks Costume Designer: Nichole Smith from South Africa

MTV Breaks Photographer: Carlota Sanchez from Spain

Details on the fourth candidate will be announced later.

Not only will each candidate get a chance to show off their skills at the massive MTV EMA 2016 in Rotterdam, but each candidate will get their work seen on MTV and get an awesome industry mentor to provide support during the event and follow up sessions with their mentor. Natasha’s stint takes place in Rotterdam just prior to the MTV EMA 2016 under the mentorship of Charley Read, Social Media Manager for MTV UK based in London. As a Snapchat producer, Natasha will be tasked with creating Snapchat content and capturing all the on-ground excitement at the EMAs. Her snaps will be shared on MTV EMA and international MTV Snapchat accounts. MTV will also be filming the candidates experience and snippets will be broadcast around the world, as well as on MTV digital and social media platforms.

“Young people are constantly looking for opportunities to showcase their talents and to get a ‘break’ to help unlock their passion and creativity. We’re thrilled to offer talents like Natasha an amazing platform to gain real-life experience while working with some of the best available expertise from across the creative industries on such a massive live music event! As the first Asia MTV Breaks representative at the MTV EMAs, she’ll certainly be flying the Indonesia flag high too while she shows off her snaps to the world,” said Paras Sharma, Senior Vice President & General Manager, Southeast Asia, Viacom International Media Networks.

MTV Breaks is an on-going global program and is the umbrella brand for all content and initiatives from MTV intended to address the issue of youth employment by giving a chance to kick-start a career in the creative industries, including a variety of apprenticeships and paid internships that it offers in key markets around the world. Launched globally at the 2014 MTV EMAs, this highly successful property is aimed at creating economic opportunity for talented young people.

20-year-old Jakarta-based Natasha Liana is currently an English Literature student with Creative Writing as her major. Social media has been a huge part of her life since the era of MySpace and Friendster. It has given her a great space to make new friends across the world.

“I learn a lot about current issues through social media and I love to see people’s reactions and read their comments on different topics. My platforms, especially Snapchat have helped unleash the inner fangirl heart!” said Natasha Liana. “The first time I came across MTV Breaks was on MTV’s Snapchat Discovery. After seeing it a second time, I decided to join the competition as I’ve always wanted to be part of MTV. I’ve watched MTV when I was a kid and since then, it’s been a dream to not only experience being at an MTV event, but to get to know what goes on behind-the-scenes. I still can’t believe MTV chose me. I’m so anxious, but excited at the same time.”

View her MTV Breaks winning entry HERE.

View Natasha’s reaction HERE.

“Given young people’s love for Snapchatting, it’s no surprise we received many strong entries for this category and it was tough to pick just one candidate. However, Natasha’s entry was fun and her responses to the final creative brief gave us a glimpse about herself and her daily life in Indonesia. She also wowed us with her enthusiasm during our interview. We can’t wait to begin working with her. Welcome to the MTV EMAs, Natasha!” said Charley Read (MTV Snapchat Producer Mentor), Social Media Manager, MTV UK.

Follow the MTV Breaks candidates’ journeys on what they will be up to in the week leading up to MTV EMA 2016 via the MTV Breaks platforms at mtvbreaks.tv as MTV will be live streaming exclusive A-list sessions in the week of the EMA.

The 2016 MTV EMAs, in partnership with Évos headphones, will broadcast LIVE across the globe on Monday, 7 November at 3am (TH/WIB) and 4am (MY/PH/SG)** from the Ahoy Rotterdam, in Rotterdam, Netherlands, with support from Rotterdam Festivals, Rotterdam Partners and the city of Rotterdam. The show repeats on the same day at 8pm (TH/WIB) and 9pm (MY/PH/SG).

The 2016 MTV EMAs voting is open until 6 November at 5.59am Indonesia/6.59am Singapore time so visit mtvema.com to cast your vote.

About the 2016 MTV EMAS

The 2016 MTV EMAs, in partnership with Évos headphones, will broadcast LIVE across the globe on Monday, 7 November at 3am (TH/WIB) and 4am (MY/PH/SG)** from the Ahoy Rotterdam, in Rotterdam, Netherlands, with support from Rotterdam Festivals, Rotterdam Partners and the city of Rotterdam. One of the biggest global music events of the year that celebrates the hottest artists from around the world, the MTV EMAs bring 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, Instagram, and Vine, and join the conversation with #MTVEMA. Fans are invited to participate in the 2016 MTV EMA campaign using MTV Bump. Bruce Gillmer and Richard Godfrey are Executive Producers for the 2016 MTV EMAs. Debbie Phillips and Chloe Mason are Producers. For MTV EMA news, updates and press materials please visit press.mtvema.com.

**Check local listings.

About MTV

MTV is the world’s biggest youth entertainment brand. With a global reach of nearly 785 million households, MTV is the cultural home of the millennial generation, music fans and artists, and a pioneer in creating innovative programming for young people. MTV reflects and creates pop culture with its award-winning content built around compelling storytelling, music discovery and activism across TV, online and mobile. Outside of the United States, MTV is part of Viacom International Media Networks, a division of Viacom Inc. (NASDAQ: VIAB, VIA), one of the world’s leading creators of programming and content across all platforms. For more information about MTV in Asia, visit www.mtvasia.com.

Media Contacts:

Viacom International Media Networks

Adeline Ong

Senior Director, Corporate Communications, Asia

t: +65 6420 7240 m: +65 9366 7323

e: adeline.ong@vimn.com

Twitter: @VIMNAsia_PR

Loh Bi Feng

Manager, Communications, Southeast Asia

t: +65 6420 7154 m: +65 9002 9607

e: loh.bifeng@vimn.com

Discovery Communications announces ‘Project C.A.T.: Conserving Acres For Tigers’

– In partnership with World Wildlife Fund, Discovery will fund and conserve a nearly 1 million acre tiger site in India and Bhutan –

– To air around-the-world documentary focused on tigers – from Orlando von Einsiedel’s Grain Media (Academy® Award Nominated Producers of VIRUNGA) –

San Francisco/Singapore, 20 October, 2017 – Discovery Communications announced today a historic partnership with World Wildlife Fund (WWF) through which Discovery will fund and help conserve nearly 1 million acres of protected habitat in India and Bhutan to protect and increase the wild tiger population.

“The global movement to protect tigers just got one million acres stronger,” said David Zaslav, President and CEO of Discovery Communications, who made today’s announcement. “Discovery is a purpose-driven company, and for more than 30 years we’ve had cameras in every corner of the globe, from PLANET EARTH to RACING EXTINCTION, documenting and inspiring audiences about the beauty and splendor of our planet. Unfortunately, our cameras also have captured the fragile state of much of the world and its animals. So today we take a bold step further, beyond the lens, to protect one of our most iconic and endangered species. Not on our watch will we let these beautiful animals disappear from the world. We will shine a light on this compelling cause and amplify it through our global brands and platforms with the goal of doubling the wild tiger population by 2022.”

In the last century alone, the wild tiger population has dropped an astonishing 96%, to less than 4,000 left in the wild due to habitat loss and pervasive poaching. Given ample space, prey and protection from poaching, tiger populations can rebound.

Discovery’s sponsorship of this transboundary landscape in which World Wildlife Fund has been a conservation partner with the governments of India and Bhutan, will allow rangers to more closely monitor tiger health and other key scientific data, take additional anti-poaching safeguards, and maintain land and corridors to improve movement of all wild animals.

The effort to double tigers – a species at the top of the food chain – will protect other endangered species and stimulate a healthy ecosystem across the nearly 1 million acre site. For more information on Project C.A.T., please go to discovery.com/projectCAT.

Along with sponsorship of the habitat, Discovery will leverage its formidable creative capabilities and unmatched global multiplatform distribution of channels to 3 billion cumulative worldwide viewers to support WWF’s Tx2 effort, which began in 2010, to double the population of wild tigers across the world by 2022, the next Year of the Tiger.

Discovery will create original public service announcements and in-program content tied to Project C.A.T. to drive awareness and encourage viewers around the globe to take action to support wild tigers.

Reinforcing its commitment, Discovery has put into development a new documentary on tigers from Orlando von Einsiedel’s Grain Media, the Academy® Award nominated producers of VIRUNGA, which will air on Discovery’s networks globally in 2018.

WWF’s efforts include conservation of additional tiger sites, across all 13 tiger range countries, with rigorous scientific analysis and monitoring of tigers and their prey, as well as advocating for and raising awareness of tiger conservation and eliminating illegal wildlife trade around the world.

“Tiger populations are rising for the first time in a century,” said Carter Roberts, president and CEO of World Wildlife Fund (WWF). “These numbers reflect the extraordinary commitment of regional leaders and leading philanthropists to double the population of tigers in the wild. We need even more of a movement to accomplish these goals. Discovery’s devotion to conservation and impressive reach can only inspire others to join the cause.”

For 30 years, Discovery’s real-world entertainment and documentaries have captured the wonder of the natural world and wild animals. Today, many of those projects have been impacted by environmental deterioration:

ICEBERG ALLEY, the first show to air on Discovery Channel in 1985 about the frigid waters of the North Atlantic, is now impacted by trillions of tons of ice lost on Greenland’s ice sheet. In 2008, polar bears were listed as endangered species because of the ice loss.
Animal’s Planet landmark series THE CROCODILE HUNTER, which followed Steve Irwin through Australia’s wild animal kingdoms, often underwater, now faces a deteriorating Great Barrier Reef with half the coral lost.
SHARK WEEK, Discovery Channel’s iconic week of programming, now is confronted with the illegal killing of as many as 75 million sharks annually, primarily due to demand for shark fin soup. This year, Discovery partnered with Oceana and encouraged viewers to send letters to legislators to support the Shark Fin Trade Elimination Act to ban the buying and selling of shark fin products in the U.S.
RACING EXTINCTION, which aired in more than 220 countries and territories in 24 hours last December, took a broad and sweeping viewing at endangered species, and compelled viewers to take action to reverse those declines and climate change.

Most recently, Discovery and the U.S. Wildlife Trafficking Alliance, in conjunction with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, launched an originally created public service announcement narrated by actor Edward Norton encouraging individuals to take action and stop illegal trade and purchase of animal products around the world. The PSA is currently airing in the U.S. and Africa, and soon will appear across Discovery’s networks in Asia.

CLICK FOR PROJECT C.A.T. VIDEO

Telespazio and Eutelsat partner on driving HD and Ultra HD growth from flagship HOTBIRD video neighbourhood

Paris, Rome, 18 October 2016 – Eutelsat Communications (NYSE Euronext Paris: ETL) and Telespazio, a Leonardo-Finmeccanica (67%) and Thales (33%) joint venture, a global broadcast service provider, are strengthening their longstanding strategic partnership with a new agreement that sets the stage for growth of higher resolution video channels at Eutelsat’s HOTBIRD video neighbourhood.

In addition to pursuing transmissions of Standard Digital platforms (in DVB-S, DVB-S2), Telespazio is committed to accelerating the move to High Definition and Ultra HD from the HOTBIRD video neighbourhood that is the point of reference for multi-channel broadcasting in Italy and provides unparalleled coverage across Europe, North Africa and the Middle East.

Luigi Pasquali, Telespazio CEO, said: “Providing services to large and medium-sized broadcasters is one of Telespazio’s core business lines. For over two decades we have favoured from our teleports the HOTBIRD satellites for their footprint and the audience they deliver as well as their reliability and capacity to scale up to HD and Ultra HD. In addition to covering advanced renewals the new agreement with Eutelsat confirms our commitment to drive continued growth of HOTBIRD-based services.”

Rodolphe Belmer, Eutelsat CEO, added: “Telespazio is a longstanding partner with extensive experience in serving a diversified array of broadcast clients. This expertise will add new impetus to the growth of HD and Ultra HD channels in Italy and across the broad footprint of the HOTBIRD satellites that are a pillar of our video activity.”

About Eutelsat’s HOTBIRD neighbourhood

Eutelsat’s cluster of three high-power HOTBIRD satellites at 13° East provide prime coverage of Europe, the Middle East and North Africa. They deliver an unrivalled line-up of 1,000 channels in 40 languages to over 135 million homes through Direct-to-Home reception, cable, IP and DTT networks.

About Telespazio

Telespazio, a Leonardo and Thales 67/33 joint venture, is one of the world’s leading operators in satellite services. Its activities range from the design and development of space systems to the management of launch services, from in-orbit satellite control to Earth observation, from integrated communications, satellite navigation and localisation services to scientific programmes. Telespazio plays a leading role in the reference markets harnessing technological experience acquired over the years. Since its establishment, the company has participated in major European space programmes such as Galileo, EGNOS, Copernicus and COSMO-SkyMed. In 2015, Telespazio generated sales of EUR 632 million while employing approximately 2,500 people worldwide.

Press contacts:
Telespazio Press office Phone: +39 06 4079 6252/6017 telespazio.pressoffice@telespazio.com

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 38 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
Violaine du Boucher Tel: + 33 1 53 98 37 91 vduboucher@eutelsat.com

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

BBC Worldwide signs Planet Earth II co-production deal with Tencent in China

Today, BBC Worldwide announced a co-production deal with one of China’s largest providers of Internet value added services, Tencent Holdings Limited (“Tencent”, SEHK: 00700) for Planet Earth II. This is the first time BBC Worldwide is co-producing a documentary with a video platform in China.

Narrated by David Attenborough and produced by the BBC’s Natural History Unit, the highly anticipated Planet Earth II will reveal the planet from a new perspective. Shot in UHD and using the latest camera stabilisation, remote recording and aerial drone technology, Planet Earth II will take the audience closer to nature and allow them to experience the wilderness as if they were there. Combining dramatic animal behaviour and incredible wildlife spectacle, the six-part series promises to give audiences the most immersive wildlife documentary experience to date.

The deal was sealed at a signing event on the second day of MIPCOM with Molly Feng, Director, Video Content Co-operation, Tencent and David Weiland, EVP, Asia BBC Worldwide representing the two organisations.

Planet Earth II will broadcast simultaneously in China at the same time as the UK on Tencent’s v.qq.com platform and its video app.

“A decade ago, Planet Earth redefined natural history filmmaking, giving us the ultimate portrait of life on Earth in HD. Planet Earth II is set to be another game changer. It will reveal our planet from a completely new perspective, using significant advances in both filming technology and our understanding of the natural world”, said David Weiland, EVP Asia, BBC Worldwide. “We are very excited to be co-producing this landmark series with Tencent whom we have had a long and mutually beneficial relationship. This production partnership is an affirmation of the shared commitment we have in producing ambitious natural history content. Tencent’s involvement will bring this landmark series to a wider Chinese audience across Greater China.”

“We’ve been partnering with BBC Worldwide for some time now, working with them to bring in premium documentaries for our audiences in China. This co-production agreement signifies a new level in our relationship which we hope to grow further. We are confident that this is just the beginning of a fruitful and successful partnership,” said Jeff Han, Vice President, Tencent Online Media Group and General Manager, Marketing & Video Content Co-operation.

Planet Earth II is a 6×60 series is a BBC Studios Natural History Unit production, co-produced with BBC America, ZDF, Tencent and France Télévisions. It will premiere in the UK on BBC One. It will simultaneously be aired on Tencent’s v.qq.com platform.

*photo caption from left to right:

Mike Gunton, Creative Director of Factual and The Natural History Unit, BBC Worldwide, David Weiland, EVP, Asia BBC Worldwide, Molly Feng, Video Content Co-operation Department Supervisor, Tencent and Stefani Sun, Senior Strategic Partner Manager, Tencent

Ends –

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: www.bbcworldwide.com/annual-review

www.bbcworldwide.com

twitter.com/bbcwpress

For more information, please contact:

BBC Worldwide:
Jeanne Leong

BBC Worldwide

Tel: +65 6849 5292

Email: Jeanne.Leong@bbc.com

Discovery Networks Asia-Pacific and Info-Communications Media Development Authority to invest in content partnership

Year-long partnership to bring Singapore talent to the forefront of cutting-edge production technologies

Singapore, 17 October, 2016 – Discovery Networks Asia-Pacific (DNAP) and the Info-Communications Media Development Authority (IMDA) today announced a year-long partnership designed to upskill and co-create content with emerging and established production companies in Singapore using the most advanced techniques and technologies including 4K and Virtual Reality (VR). These content will premiere on Discovery’s platforms globally.

Driven by Discovery Networks International (DNI) and DNAP, the USD$5 million (or SGD$6.8 million) year-long partnership is designed to both nurture new and upcoming producers, as well as give Singapore’s established producers the opportunity to showcase their expertise to a global audience. Local producers will have the opportunity to learn the latest techniques, train in using new technologies, experiment with various content formats and present them across multi-channel platforms that will travel across the Discovery global network.

“Discovery is a pioneer in using cutting-edge technology to tell amazing stories. Together with IMDA, a long-time partner and supporter of the development and growth of our homegrown talent, we are pleased to have the opportunity to help mentor and invest in the next generation of Singapore producers,” said Louis Boswell, General Manager, Discovery Southeast Asia. “Building on Discovery’s expertise across the globe, together with the industry’s top players, we will establish a training ground for Singapore producers to showcase great content that can resonate around the world.”

“We are pleased to partner Discovery to create this opportunity for Singapore’s media talent to tell their stories using new production technologies that deliver a more immersive and engaging experience for the viewer. We are confident that this combination of Discovery’s experience in innovation with the creativity of Singapore’s media talent will result in a series of new shows that will delight global audiences.” said Angeline Poh, Assistant Chief Executive Officer, Content & Innovation Group, IMDA.

The initiative kicks off next month with a public call for entries and pitch brief, resulting in a boot camp aimed at taking aspiring producers through DNAP’s best practices of documentary-making for a global audience. In partnership with Viddsee, the region’s leading online video platform for short-films, the training aims to prepare these upstarts for the big leagues across both linear and digital platforms, with the shortlisted films premiering on DNAP and Viddsee.

In 2017, seasoned producers will be invited to a series of workshops dedicated to imparting the fundamentals and advanced techniques of 4K productions. This will culminate in DNAP’s first full 4K commission with selected Singaporean production companies, which will be aired on Discovery across the region.

As an early adopter with a dedicated virtual reality (VR) application, 2017 will also see Discovery’s experienced global crew train local producers in VR technology – sharing their know-how and expertise on storytelling. The final films will break new grounds and premiere on the Discovery VR application globally.

Eurosport brings fans the latest in sports entertainment with Drone Racing

– Crucial part of Eurosport’s strategy to showcase innovative content –

– 70 countries across Europe and Asia Pacific to broadcast DR1 –

– Eurosport to be exclusive distribution partner for DR1 –

Singapore, 18 October 2016 – Eurosport today announced its partnership with DR1 Racing, the leading international drone racing series, to exclusively distribute content for broadcast in 70 countries across Asia Pacific and Europe. Eurosport will represent DR1’s sublicensing interest globally (excluding the USA).

The first episode of the DR1 Invitational from Los Angeles will air on Eurosport on Tuesday, 8 November at 10.00 p.m. GMT (11.00 p.m. CET). In Asia Pacific, it will air in Australia, Brunei, Cambodia, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Vietnam, Malaysia, Mongolia, Myanmar, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Taiwan and Thailand.

Drone racing, which sees competitors navigate remote control aircraft through complex obstacle courses, will provide further support to Eurosport’s innovative strategy of showcasing contemporary content, and its ongoing efforts to engage a broad demographic of fans through a combination of the most exhilarating sports on all platforms.

Eurosport will televise three additional racing series next year, including the DR1 Champions Series set for debut globally in 2017, and the DR1 Micro Series. Additionally, Eurosport.com will host Micro Events and additional video content featuring extra footage, outtakes and interviews with some of the most talented and daring drone racers in the world.

Stars such as Australia’s Chad “FinalGlideAUS” Nowak, the United States’ Tommy “Ummagawd” Tabajia and Luke “BanniUK” Bannister from the UK are included in the stellar line-up of pilots who have taken drone racing to new heights. The DR1 Champion’s Series will include elite drone racing teams battling across the globe to crown the World Champion.

Eurosport CEO Peter Hutton said: “Eurosport is constantly looking to innovate and we believe new technology, be it Virtual Reality content in our coverage or innovations within emerging sports, is a great driver of engaging fans in sport. It has been fascinating to see the continued growth in popularity of eSports, and the way DR1 combines this with the more traditional nature of sporting competition is an exciting model.

We are looking forward to working with DR1 and offering fans the chance to follow the twists and turns of this exciting news sport on all Eurosport’s platforms.”

Brad Foxhoven, Founder of DR1 Racing, said, “We are thrilled to be bringing this exciting sport that combines Formula 1, NASCAR and eSports to an audience as broad as Eurosport’s.

“Eurosport showed a genuine appetite to not only broadcast drone racing through its linear broadcast channels but also play an important part in growing the sport via its social and digital platforms too. The growth opportunities of drone racing, both from a high performance and an innovation standpoint, are endless.”

For more information on DR1 Racing, please visit dr1racing.tv.

The Amazing Race Asia Season 5 Debut Sizzles as the Best Performing English OP Premiere of 2016

Tops the premiere ratings for Asia’s Got Talent in Singapore and Malaysia

SINGAPORE (October 18, 2016) – AXN has delivered yet another stunning original production (OP) with the adrenaline-fueled The Amazing Race Asia Season 5. The highly anticipated series raced to the top during its premiere amongst all English general entertainment channels on Thursday, October 13 at 9pm, becoming the best performing English OP to premiere in Malaysia, Singapore and the Philippines this year.*
“AXN responded to a huge demand for the return of The Amazing Race Asia and we have delivered a series that has captivated audiences across the region. The journey our intrepid racers embark on is a rollercoaster of emotion: it’s stressful, dramatic, endearing and funny,” said Virginia Lim, Senior Vice President and Head of Content, Production and Marketing, Sony Pictures Television Networks, Asia. “We have a wonderful line-up of racers whose quirky personalities, diverse relationships and comedic antics make for a fantastic viewer experience. We are very encouraged by the initial performance and know that it will gather even more momentum as the series builds.”
The debut of The Amazing Race Asia Season 5 also beat the premiere episode of AXN’s award-winning Asia’s Got Talent (March 2015) in Singapore and Malaysia achieving a 26 per cent and 33 per cent increase in ratings respectively. This marks an accolade not topped by any other channel’s OP series until now.
“Asia’s Got Talent was a record-breaking OP for the broadcast industry last year so we are thrilled that AXN has out-performed itself yet again with the premiere of The Amazing Race Asia Season 5. AXN is truly Asia’s home of powerful, premium original productions,” said Virginia.
In Singapore, which is represented by the bubbly siblings Rei & Keiji, and popular DJs JK and Mike, AXN scooped a 38 per cent share of the English general entertainment genre, making AXN the top channel during the premiere episode’s timeslot.
Viewers in Malaysia could not get enough of their dynamic local teams: best friends Brandon & Alphaeus, beauty queens Yvonne & Chloe and muscle brothers Will & Alex; as AXN zoomed ahead with a 44 per cent share amongst the 11 English general entertainment channels to become the number four channel on Astro in its timeslot; only behind the vernacular content channels.
Filipino viewers also embraced their national teams: married couple Eric & Rona and beauty queens Maggie & Parul, ensuring AXN clinched the number one spot in the series’ timeslot amongst 22 English general entertainment channels.
The Amazing Race Asia airs every Thursday at 9:00pm (8pm JKT/BKK) first and exclusively on AXN. The Amazing Race Asia Season 5 is supported by presenting sponsor Wonderful Indonesia, and partners Garuda Indonesia, Grab and Great Eastern.

*Source: Kantar Media Malaysia DTAM, Target: Astro 4+ / GFK SG-TAM, Target: Pay TV 4+/ Kantar Philippines, Target: Pay TV 2+. Numbers as of Oct 17 2016.
Singapore rating before 1 Jul 2016 is based on Kantar Singapore Rating Data.
Singapore rating during 1 Jul – 30 Sep 2016 is based on SG-TAM Pilot Data.
Disclaimer: The SG-TAM Trial Data is not the official source of television audience measurement in Singapore. No warranty is made as to the accuracy or completeness of the SG-TAM Trial Data or to any warranty of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose or non-infringement. Any reliance on the SG-TAM Trial Data is done so at the user’s own risk.”

Jennifer Doig
Executive Director, Marketing & Communications, English Content

Sony Pictures Television Networks, Asia
10 Changi Business Park Central 2, #03-01
Hansapoint@CBP, Singapore 486030
T: 65 6622 4278 M: 65 9852 1459
a Sony Company

www.SonyPicturesTelevision.com

*Source: Kantar Media Malaysia DTAM, Target: Astro 4+ / GFK SG-TAM, Target: Pay TV 4+/ Kantar Philippines, Target: Pay TV 2+. Numbers as of Oct 17 2016.

Singapore rating before 1 Jul 2016 is based on Kantar Singapore Rating Data.

Singapore rating during 1 Jul – 30 Sep 2016 is based on SG-TAM Pilot Data.

Disclaimer: The SG-TAM Trial Data is not the official source of television audience measurement in Singapore. No warranty is made as to the accuracy or completeness of the SG-TAM Trial Data or to any warranty of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose or non-infringement. Any reliance on the SG-TAM Trial Data is done so at the user’s own risk.”

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