Tag Archive for GEM

ONE Reigns Supreme as the #1 Korean Entertainment Channel in South East Asia

Legend of the Blue Sea and Scarlet Heart Beat Rivals Descendants of the Sun and Goblin as the Top Korean Dramas of 2016

SINGAPORE (January 17, 2017) Sony’s powerhouse ONE Channel dominated the Korean entertainment genre in 2016, doubling the ratings of its closest competitor in Singapore and Malaysia.

Unleashing an arsenal of groundbreaking Korean dramas throughout the year, including the epic blockbusters Legend of the Blue Sea and Scarlet Heart, ONE commanded a 66 per cent share of viewing among the four Korean channels in Malaysia, and was ranked #2 during primetime viewing (6pm-1am) among all pay-TV channels on Astro.

ONE mania extended to Singapore where it scooped a 51 per cent share of the Korean genre and took the crown as the #1 pay-TV channel among female audiences. The allure of ONE and its premium programming also secured its place as the #3 pay TV channel in Singapore, ahead of movies and kids’ channels.

In Indonesia, ONE was consistently the #1 entertainment channel on leading platform, Indovision, in 2016. It was also among the top three pay-TV channels on the platform.

“ONE’s channel name consistently lives up to expectations, bringing viewers Korea’s hottest content first to South East Asia. Our viewers know and trust that ONE is the top destination for the latest in Korean talent, storytelling and high value productions and they expect only the best. We’ll continue to deliver on this expectation so viewers do not need to go anywhere else for their daily fix of Korean entertainment,” said Virginia Lim, Senior Vice President and Head of Content, Production and Marketing, Sony Pictures Television Networks, Asia.

Despite fierce competition from other high profile dramas, ONE’s 2016 epic showstoppers Legend of the Blue Sea and Scarlet Heart were the undisputed new darlings of Korean entertainment.

In Malaysia, the average rating of Legend of the Blue Sea was three times the average rating of rival Descendants of the Sun and more than 10 times the average rating of Goblin.1 

The series performed equally well in Singapore, with both Legend of the Blue Sea and Scarlet Heart doubling the average ratings of Love in the Moonlight and Goblin. 2

“ONE is not just a TV channel it’s a lifestyle for lovers of Korean entertainment and culture. We go beyond the screen to immerse viewers in the world of Korean drama via fan meets, roadshows and social conversations. ONE is South East Asia’s gateway to Korea,” said Lim.

Source: Kantar Media, Malaysia DTAM 2016, combined HD and SD ratings for channels with same HD and SD content / Singapore SG-TAM Oct-Dec 2016, combined rating of ONE Mandarin/Malay and Oh!K Mandarin/Malay / Indovision Nielsen Rating Report. Target: Pay TV 4+. Consolidated activities run on Jan 9 2017.

  1. Average consolidated premiere timeslot ratings of Legend of the Blue Sea until episode 13 and Goblin until episode 10, full season of Descendants of the Sun
  2. Average consolidated premiere timeslot ratings of Legend of the Blue Sea until episode 13 and Goblin until episode 10, full season of Love in the Moonlight

 

New Asian entertainment channel GEM to make a dazzling entrance in Singapore!

Starting from 29 July, viewers can watch the latest Asian programmes, including express titles on the same day as their telecast in Japan, only on GEM (Singtel TV Ch 519)

Singapore, 26 July 2016 – Discover the delights of Asian entertainment with the new channel GEM, set to launch on Singtel TV Channel 519 on 29 July 2016! As the one-stop destination for the best of Asian entertainment, viewers in Singapore will now have access to high quality, hotly anticipated shows in high definition.

As a joint venture channel between Sony Pictures Television Networks and Nippon Television Network Corporation, Japan’s leading, award-winning terrestrial network, GEM’s offerings include first-run and exclusive programmes from Japan, as well as shows from other Asian territories including China, Hong Kong and Taiwan. Spanning action, period, comedy, family and romance genres, the channel is anchored by a wide range of drama and variety series featuring a star-studded cast that will keep audiences returning for more.

“GEM has seen great success in territories such as Hong Kong, Indonesia, Thailand, the Philippines and Cambodia. Building on the abiding interest in Japanese programmes and lifestyle trends in this part of the world, we are delighted that GEM can strengthen the burgeoning return of the J-wave. We look forward to exciting viewers in Singapore with the latest shows and top Japanese artistes,” said Ang Hui Keng, Senior Vice President and General Manager, Sony Pictures Television Networks, Asia.

Top-billed programmes in August include all three of Nippon TV’s current season of primetime dramas. Airing every Wednesday at 10.10pm on the same day as Japan, Your Home is My Business! is a Japanese comedy starring Keiko Kitagawa as a real estate agent who will go to any lengths to sell a property. Every Tuesday at 9pm, viewers can enjoy thriller series Lost ID within the same week as Japan. Starring Tatsuya Fujiwara from the Death Note movies, the series follows the journey of a man who has had his identity stolen from him. Rounding out the trio is a new television adaptation of acclaimed novel The Girl Who Leapt Through Time, which will premiere on 15 August and will air every Monday at 9pm, fresh from Japan.

Other Asian drama highlights include Because of Love, a Chinese romantic series starring former F4 member Jerry Yan; the series premieres on 9 August and airs every Monday to Friday at 8pm. Viewers can also catch the on-going series Lady & Liar, a Chinese romance drama from the producers of the hit series The Prince of Lan Ling, every Monday to Friday at 7pm.

The channel also boasts a myriad of highly entertaining Japanese variety programmes including TOKUSON: Life Hacks!, a series offering easy, efficient tricks and handy shortcuts to mundane tasks, airing every Monday at 10.10pm; MOCO’S Kitchen, a top-rated cooking show featuring quick, simple recipes by talented actor-chef Hayami Mocomichi, airing every Tuesday at 10.10pm; and EXIT!, an exhilarating puzzle-solving escape game show that will put audiences at the edge of their seats, airing every Friday at 10.10pm.

Viewers in Singapore can catch all this excitement and more on Singtel TV Channel 519 starting 29 July, 2016. Visit www.singteltv.com.sg/gem.

From 26 July 2016 till 25 August 2016, Singtel subscribers will also get a free preview of GEM during the first month of its launch.

For more information on GEM’s offerings, please see www.GEMTVASIA.com.

GEM Expands Channel Distribution to Indonesia, the Philippines and Singapore

Premieres First Original Production: “We are Asia – Dean Fujioka & Friends”

Set to Broadcast Nippon TV’s “The Music Day 2016 – Beginning of Summer” Live from Japan on July 2

SINGAPORE (June 29, 2016) – GEM, the joint-venture entertainment channel between Sony Pictures Television (SPT) Networks and Nippon Television Network Corporation (Nippon TV), announced today the expansion of its distribution to Indonesia, the Philippines and Singapore, making the channel available to viewers on over 10 pay-TV platforms across six markets in Asia.

Since its launch in 2015, GEM has carved a niche in the premium Asian entertainment space offering first-run and exclusive dramas, comedies and variety entertainment shows from Japan and other northeast Asian markets. Earlier this month, the channel made its foray into original production with the global premiere of “We are Asia – Dean Fujioka & Friends”, a five-part entertainment documentary series featuring Dean Fujioka and rising star Shuhei Nomura, rock band WEAVER, and video projection dance sensation Siro-A.

Ang Hui Keng, Senior Vice President and General Manager, Sony Pictures Television Networks, Asia, said, “GEM is gaining traction in Asia as it cements its position as the top destination for high quality, express content from Japan and northeast Asia. We’re focused on taking GEM beyond the screen and into the lives of fans across the region via talent tours, local filming and fan meets. Our new series, ‘We are Asia – Dean Fujioka & Friends’, marks the first original series for GEM, and will pave the way for more localized content in the future.”

Atsushi Hatayama, President, International Business Development, Nippon TV, said, “We are happy to know that GEM and its lineup of compelling content have been well-received by our viewers and pay-TV platforms across the region. We are looking forward to welcoming new viewers in the Philippines and Indonesia where Japanese content has not been shown before on this scale. The Singaporeans have a great appreciation for Japanese content, and can now watch it without delay. We are dedicated to bringing express telecast shows to GEM so viewers should look forward to catching the latest shows close to the Japan broadcast.”

In addition to the channel’s first original production, viewers can look forward to Japan’s hottest music event of the year,  Nippon TV’s “The Music Day 2016 – Beginning of Summer”, which will be broadcast live and exclusive for the first time on GEM from 5:00pm until 10:00pm on Saturday, July 2, 2016. This annual music event brings together Japan’s top artists in a festival that celebrates the very best of J-pop.

Fans of Japanese and northeast Asian entertainment can now enjoy GEM on the following pay-TV platforms in Asia:

  • Indonesia: Indovision, MyRepublic, Nexmedia, Skynindo and Transvision
  • The Philippines: Via ACCION’s distribution network of provincial cable affiliates
  • Singapore: Launching August 1, 2016 on Singtel TV

GEM is already available on PPCTV in Cambodia, nowTV in Hong Kong and TrueVisions in Thailand.

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

Top Japanese star Dean Fujioka headlines GEM’s first-ever original production

SINGAPORE, 25 May 2016 — GEM, the channel that brings the hottest dramas such as Goodbye Ghosts! and The Most Difficult Romance within a week of their Japan telecast, is set to air its first-ever original production We are Asia: Dean Fujioka & Friends.  Headlined by dashing actor-musician Dean Fujioka, the series is set for a global premiere on 19 June at 8.30pm/7.30pm (JKT/BKK).

GEM, which is a joint venture between Sony Pictures Television Networks and Nippon TV, is uniquely positioned to bring together the best entertainment from Japan and the rest of Asia.  Shot on location across 4 Asian cities including Japan, Cambodia, Hong Kong and Indonesia, We are Asia will feature the inimitable beauty, tradition and essence of Asia and its myriad cultures.

In this 5 episode documentary-style entertainment program, viewers will be taken on a cultural journey alongside Dean Fujioka and his celebrity friends: up-and-coming actor Shuhei Nomura, rock band WEAVER, and video projection dance sensation Siro-A.

Through the lens of these Japanese stars, audiences will be treated to a rare opportunity to witness the fusion of different cultures that springs from the exchange of knowledge between the local populace and the artistes.

Each episode of the program marks a step in a larger journey leading up to a spectacular finale stage, set against the magnificent backdrop of a World Heritage Site in Indonesia.  In a never-before-seen collaboration, viewers will be awed by the harmonious melding of cultures as Dean and WEAVER take to the stage with a gamelan orchestra, joined by Siro-A as well as a specially choreographed projection of Shuhei Nomura and the children they met on their expedition.  Performed live in front of an audience of 300 children from an Indonesian orphanage, the finale promises to put a smile not just on their faces, but also that of viewers from all around the world!

The global premiere of We are Asia: Dean Fujioka & Friends is set on 19 June, airing every Sunday at 8.30pm/7.30pm (JKT/BKK), first and exclusively on GEM, the glittering jewel of Asian entertainment.

#   #   #

For further information:

GEM Media Networks Asia/ Sony Pictures Television Networks Asia
Timothy Oh
Tel: +65 9006 5979
Email: timothy_oh@spe.sony.com 

About GEM

GEM is the latest Asian entertainment channel from Sony Pictures Television Networks, Asia, the broadcaster of Asia’s leading cable channels AXN, ONE, Animax and Sony Channel Asia.

GEM promises to be the glittering jewel of Asian general entertainment. The channel features first-run and exclusive dramas, comedies and variety entertainment shows from Japan as well as other Asian territories including South Korea, China, Hong Kong and Taiwan. This also includes selected prime time dramas within the same week of broadcast in Japan.

Spanning across period, contemporary, action, comedy, family and romance genres, GEM is anchored by a wide range of Asian drama with the most compelling stories, the greatest characters and the brightest stars to keep audiences returning for more. The channel also boasts variety programs that spotlight the latest entertainment buzz around popular celebrities in the region, to complement its drama offerings.

See www.gemtvasia.com for more regional websites.

Join our newsletter