Category: ICC WORLD CUP

NEW DELHI: Animation and graphics company DQ Entertainment (DQE) has conferred Lifetime Achievement Award to René Goscinny in Mipcom, in recognition of his contribution towards children entertainment.

Goscinny is the creator of iconic characters like Le Petit Nicolas (Little Nick), Asterix and Lucky Luke.

This is for the first time that DQE has launched an annual Lifetime Achievement Award to honour those individuals who have made significant contribution in the field of children’s entertainment.

While accepting the award, Anne Goscinny (daughter of Goscinny) said, “I am honoured to receive the award on behalf of my late father. I am sure he is with us right now and watching over us. His work lives on through the production of the animation series based on his creations such as Le petit Nicolas and Asterix.”

MUMBAI: Disney Media Networks Latin America (DMNLA) has inked several deals at Mipcom, including a pan-regional version of The Amazing Race and an expanded alliance with Terra TV.

As per the expansion of coalition, Terra – the Latin American internet giant – will begin offering DMNLA content on Terra TV, cell phones and social networks across the region from next year.

The expanded partnership includes catch-up rights to a slate of content, which will be available free of charge for seven days following the TV broadcast. The deal covers the fifth and sixth seasons of Lost, the fifth seasons of Desperate Housewives and Grey’s Anatomy and the eighth season of Scrubs.

“This new deal is the result of a successful partnership and will bring much more content for the Internet user in Latin America,” said Terra Latin America president Fernando Madeira. “Terra will offer an innovative format to Latin America’s users allowing the online advertising leverage revenues in the region.”

The new programming on Terra TV for 2009 will include the fourth seasons of Lost, Desperate Housewives and Grey’s Anatomy. While series like Amazing Race (seasons 10, 11 and 12), Samantha Who?, Six Degrees, Brothers & Sisters, Ugly Betty and Dirt will be shown for the first time on Terra TV in 2009. Terra will also bolster the Disney-branded content on Planeta Disney section with the second seasons of Hannah Montana, Disney’s Lilo & Stitch and Mickey Mouse Clubhouse.

Other teen and kids fare on Terra will include Disney’s Phineas and Ferb and The Suite Life of Zach & Cody, American Dragon: Jake Long, Disney’s Little Einsteins, The Emperor’s New School and Kim Possible.

The new alliance between the two companies also covers films like The Incredibles, High School Musical 2, Princess Diaries 2, Cheetah Girls, The Sixth Sense and Flight Plan.

“One of our key strategies is to expand, support and simplify the consumer’s access to our content, embracing new technologies that help us create and distribute our programming through all platforms,” said The Walt Disney Company Latin America and DMNLA president Diego Lerner.

DMNLA also announced a deal with Discovery Networks Latin America/US Hispanic for a pan-regional The Amazing Race. The local version will air on Discovery Channel across Latin America, featuring contestants from Mexico, Brazil, Colombia, Argentina and Venezuela, among other markets. Pre production begins in January for a late 2009 premiere.

“I believe there is no better media outlet in Latin America to showcase the highly anticipated customised production of Amazing Race,” said DMNLA senior VP Fernando Barbosa. “We are happy to join forces with Discovery Networks on this particular journey and I trust this will be the first season of many to come. Without a doubt, it will capture Latin American audiences across the board.”

DMNLA will also take on responsibility for distributing the Disney catalogue to the US Hispanic market. This covers Disney-branded fare; content from ABC Studios; feature films from Walt Disney Pictures, Touchstone Pictures, Hollywood Pictures, Miramax Films and Disney-Pixar; titles from Patagonik and Miravista; reality formats; and made-for-TV movies.

“The US Hispanic market is growing at a rapid rate and networks and independent stations are increasingly in need of quality original programming and feature films specifically tailored for their viewers,” said Disney-ABC Domestic Television president Janice Marinelli. “We are happy to partner with Disney Media Networks Latin America as their expertise with Spanish-language programming will play a key role in expanding this business.”

MUMBAI: Disney-ABC-ESPN TV has concluded a multi-year, multi genre content agreement with Spain’s major free television network Antena 3.

The agreement includes season one of “Wizards of Waverly Place,” Disney Channel’s hit Original Series which follows the lives of the Russos, who are a lot like the other families in their Manhattan neighbourhood, with one significant difference – they come from a long line of wizards and now, the three teens in the house – Justin, Alex and Max – must learn to hone their budding magical powers or soon risk losing them.

It also includes free television first runs of a wide range of Walt Disney Studios feature films such as The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe, Dark Water, Eight Below, The Guardian, Annapolis, Venom (The Reaper) and Scary Movie 4.

For Disney-ABC-ESPN Television this agreement was concluded by Disney-ABC-ESPN Television vice president programme distribution David Nogueira with Antena 3 head of acquisitions Mercedes Gamero.

MUMBAI: Disney-ABC-ESPN Television and Kabel Plus have concluded a multi-year agreement for the launch of Walt Disney Studios movie titles on Czech and Slovakian PC video on demand service Metoo.

This new deal encompasses current and library feature titles and is in line with Disney’s strategy of working with international partners in the new media space to bring its content to viewers in interactive, flexible ways.

With this multi-year partnership, viewers will be able to stream the latest features, plus a selection of library titles, to rent. New features in this agreement include the critically acclaimed Disney/Pixar animation “WALL-E,” the latest instalment in the much-loved Narnia stories – “The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian.” Also available will be adventure comedy “National Treasure: The Book of Secrets” and two times Academy Award winning “There Will Be Blood.”

These deals were brokered by Vanessa Patenon, manager, New Media Distribution, Disney-ABC-ESPN Television manager new media distribution manager Vanessa Patenon and Kabel Plus director content Igor Caban.

MUMBAI: Disney-ABC-ESPN Television, the international TV channel and content distribution arm of The Walt Disney Company, and Portugal based Sonaecom have concluded a transactional video on demand agreement for current and library features for the Portuguese telco’s Clix SmarTV IPTV service.

With this multi-year deal, viewers will be able to stream the latest features, plus a selection of library titles, to rent. New features in this agreement include the critically acclaimed Disney/Pixar animation “WALL-E,” “The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian” and There Will Be Blood.

This deal was concluded by Disney-ABC-ESPN Television manager new media distribution Karen Wrankmore, Disney-ABC-ESPN Television manager programme distribution Marta Ezpeleta, and Sonaecom IPTV marketing director Susana Barbato.

Disney-ABC-ESPN Television SVP new media distribution Maria Kyriacou commented, “This deal is in line with our focus on working with select new media platforms to expand international distribution of our content, bringing it to viewers in flexible ways, and will offer Clix SmartTV customers easy, on-demand access to some of the most talked-about features of this year.”

Barbato said, “the deal will contribute to our strategy of building a diversified and quality driven, on-demand product which will satisfy consumer needs and trends of personalisation and control, by giving them the content they need, when they need it and where they need it.”

MUMBAI: Disney-ABC-ESPN Television and Prima TV have entered into a multi-genre content deal in Mipcom. Movies like 101 Dalmations, Sleeping Beauty, The Incredibles

, The Jungle Book and Disney Channel original movies High School Musical, High School Musical 2 and Camp Rock will be aired in the Saturday slot “Wonderful World of Disney” on Prima TV.

Each film will be preceded by an introduction filmed in Disneyland Resort Paris and starring Prima TV anchor Virgil Iantu and his daughter.

In addition, Prima TV has licensed movies for general broadcast on its channels, including The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe, Flightplan and Starsky & Hutch.

Various ABC Studios series will be launched including Brothers & Sisters, Private Practice and new seasons of Desperate Housewives.

Prima TV has also licensed Disney animated series including Tarzan and Lilo & Stitch for its channels.

Disney-ABC-ESPN Television SVP programme distribution EMEA (South) Francesca Tauriello said, “The Wonderful World of Disney showcases some of Disney’s most loved new and classic features, and we’re delighted to be working with Prima TV to bring more Disney magic to viewers in this key growth market.”

Prima TV Deputy General Manager Veronica Sorescu said, “The Romanian public enters The Wonderful World of Disney, a truly magical place for the entire family. Twenty exceptionally great movies with unforgettable characters bring families together for an enriching experience that unfolds a delightful world of adventure. Prima TV is now offering to its viewers a wonderfully funny and thrilling ride into Disney’s universe, a superb lesson about family, courage and challenges, for all ages.”

MUMBAI: At the television trade event Mipcom in Cannes, Disney-ABC-ESPN Television, the international TV channel and content distribution arm of Disney, concluded multiple content agreements with Poland‘s free television network TVP. The agreements include short films, returning live action series and the global smash Disney Channel Original Movies Camp Rock, High School Musical and High School Musical 2.

The two companies have closed an agreement for TVP to license the complete collection of Pixar Animation Studios‘ beloved short films, which will be broadcast on television for the first time in Poland. Loved by fans all over the world, these 14 short films were originally made to precede screenings of Disney/Pixar feature animation, and some went on to win Academy Awards. Titles include recent short Presto. This is the story of a magician‘s rabbit who turns the tricks on his master after he fails to feed him.

In further contracts, Disney-ABC-ESPN Television has also licensed to TVP three Disney Channel Original Movies – Camp Rock, High School Musical and High School Musical 2. The broadcaster has also picked up Hannah Montana, which follows everyday tween Miley Stewart and her alter-ego, pop star Hannah Montana. Also included is The Suite Life of Zack and Cody which follows the mayhem caused by identical twins Zack and Cody, the newest residents of Boston‘s swanky Tipton Hotel.

The adventure show Lost will be returning to TVP. Continuing from season three, the plane crash survivors learn more about the mysterious ‘Others‘ inhabiting the island and continue to work together against the cruel weather and harsh terrain in their battle to stay alive.

These deals were brokered by Disney-ABC-ESPN Television‘s Tatjana Vucanovic working with Slawomir Cyra at TVP.

Disney-ABC-ESPN Television‘s Francesca Tauriello says, “We are delighted to be working once more with TVP to offer such a wide breadth of our content to viewers in Poland. From addictive live action drama such as Lost to a trio of record-breaking Disney Channel Original Movies, and Disney/Pixar‘s much-loved collection of short films, these agreements underline our commitment to providing innovative and high quality programming for all audiences.”