ITV

Tag: ACE

  • MPA’s Ace cracks down on sports piracy mob in Vietnam

    MPA’s Ace cracks down on sports piracy mob in Vietnam

    MUMBAI: Now it’s the turn of the Motion Pictures Association (MPA’s) Alliance for Creativity & Entertainment (Ace) to bust  a piracy racket. The world’s leading anti-piracy coalition, announced the shutdown of a notorious live sports piracy ring based in Vietnam and viewed extensively throughout the world.

    Unbelievable, but true, the operation’s illicit sites logged 812 million visits over the past 12 months, making it one of the largest sports piracy rings in the world, and the largest sports piracy syndicates taken down by ACE to date. 

    The shuttered sites include  online sports piracy outlets such as bestsolaris[dot]com, streameast[dot]to; markkystreams[dot]com; crackstreams[dot]dev; and weakspell[dot]to.

    Through an intensive, global investigation, Ace identified and approached the sites’ Hanoi-based operators, who agreed to immediately transfer 138 domains to it.

    “The shutdown of this globally notorious live sports piracy ring is a huge victory in our campaign against the piracy of live sports programs and follows other recent successful actions by Ace and law enforcement in Vietnam,” said  MPA executive vice-president & chief content protection officer Larissa Knapp. “Ace’s live sports members face a unique threat when it comes to digital piracy, as live sports broadcasts lose substantial commercial value once the game ends. The takedown serves as a warning to piracy operators everywhere – including operators in live sports piracy – that Ace will identify and shut down their illegal operations.”

    Primarily targeting audiences in the US and Canada, the sites streamed sports events daily, including content from all the US sports leagues and global leagues of every category. The illicit operation affected all Ace  members, including ACE’s sports tier members beIN Sports, Canal+ and Dazn.

    “DAZN stands with Ace in the fight to eradicate piracy, which undermines the sports ecosystem at all levels,” said Dazn chief operating officer Ed McCarthy, “It is very pleasing that a criminal operation of this scale was taken down. Piracy often compromises the security of fans’ data, which is then used for illegal purposes, so the closure of this piracy ring has the added benefit that potential subscribers will be guided toward legitimate content providers like Dazn.”

  • Belinda Lui steps down as MPA head – APAC; Urmila Venugopalan to replace her

    Belinda Lui steps down as MPA head – APAC; Urmila Venugopalan to replace her

    MUMBAI: It’s time to say  goodbye to the Motion Picture Association (MPA). Belinda Lui who led the MPA for the past five years as president & managing director for the Asia Pacific has decided to hang up her boots.

    Belinda during her five years did a lot of work to take the Asia Pacific film industry forward  as well as  push Hollywood in the region. According to her during her term, the MPA:

    • Improved cultural exchanges between nations, through expanding access for American films and TV dramas to priority markets like China and achieving 15-20 per cent incremental box office revenue.

    • Fueled local economies and built capacity in markets like Australia, Japan, India, New Zealand and Thailand through competitive film and TV production incentives (up to 40 per cent in tax rebates in Australia alone).

    • Supported thousands of emerging filmmakers from almost 30 countries/territories in the Asia-Pacific through our film grants and LA training programs, with some of those projects going on to win the Academy Award and international Emmy.

    Belinda, who,  through her 30 year career,  worked for companies like Warner Media, Microsoft and Baker McKenzie, has decided to offer her services to companies as an independent non-executive director and spend as much time as she can with her family.

    She is being replaced on 31 January by Urmila Venugopalan , currently executive vice president of strategy & global operations at the MPA.   In her new role, Venugopalan will work on expanding access to local markets and promoting production in new areas, as well other advocacy activities across the region. She also will work with the MPA’s anti-piracy arm, the Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment, or Ace. Venugopalan will retain her duties as the MPA’s corporate board liaison.

    She will be based in Tokyo and report to MPA senior vice president, global policy &  government affairs Gail MacKinnon.

    MPA chairman & CEO Charles Rivkin said in a statement that Venugopalan “is a veteran leader who thrives at the complex intersections of business, public policy, and global affairs.” 

    He said that she “joined the MPA (in 2017) at a time of critical change and helped revitalise and realign its structure and priorities, strengthening our organisation from the inside out. I have full confidence that her deep experience working with every aspect of our global business operations, coupled with her existing corporate board liaison responsibilities, will advance our members’ objectives across the Asia Pacific and beyond.”

    “Venugopalan is a trusted advisor who has earned the respect of colleagues and member companies. Her work has already touched every part of our organization, and she maintains a wide-angle lens on key political and sectoral trends – all while remaining laser-focused on how we can best tell the story of a creative industry that drives local economies, creates jobs, and connects communities everywhere,” said  MacKinnon. “With her at the helm of our APAC operation, I am confident the MPA will achieve even greater impact in the fastest-growing region. I am also grateful to Belinda for her effective stewardship and counsel, which has greatly benefited the MPA and our member studios in the region.”

    “The Asia-Pacific region has already played an important part in the history of our industry – and is set to assume a starring role in the future of great storytelling,” said Venugopalan. “At this critical juncture for the film, television and streaming industries, MPA members are more excited than ever about the vitality of this region – its enthusiastic and engaged audiences, its relentless dynamism, and its immensely talented casts and crews. I look forward to supporting our member studios and their local partners in their collective efforts to fuel local economies and enrich cultures across the region.”

    Before joining the MPA, Venugopalan served as a member of the policy planning staff at the US state department in Washington and as a senior consultant at the Albright Stonebridge group. She holds a bachelor’s degree from McGill University and a master’s degree from the London School of Economics & Political Science.

  • ACE & Premier League take action against illegal streaming devices seller in Malaysia

    ACE & Premier League take action against illegal streaming devices seller in Malaysia

    Mumbai: The Malaysian ministry of domestic trade and consumer affairs (MDTCA) has raided an electronics outlet for allegedly selling illicit streaming gadgets that gave customers unauthorised access to entertainment and sporting events, including Premier League games. The Premier League and the Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment (ACE), the foremost anti-piracy alliance in the world, collaborated to organise the event.

    The Johor Bahru-based retailer is accused of peddling a variety of gadgets, including SVICloud boxes. The devices had unauthorised software installed that gave users access to live sporting events, including Premier League content, as well as film and television programming. The retailer is suspected of running an illegal sales operation across numerous internet channels in addition to selling similar gadgets through their brick and mortar store.

    The Premier League and ACE are among the first organisations to take action under Malaysia’s new Copyright (Amendment) Act 2022. The amended Copyright Act strengthens copyright legislation and empowers authorities to take action against those who sell illegal streaming devices and illegal website operators.

    Motion Picture Association executive vice president and ACE head & global content protection chief Jan van Voorn said, “We commend the Malaysian government for the recent amendments to the Copyright Act, which criminalises the sale of such illicit streaming devices. These new provisions have become a gold standard within the APAC region. We would like to thank the MDTCA for taking prompt action to shut down this illicit operation.”

    “IPTV piracy services like the one closed down today put consumers at risk of malware, undermine investment, reduce tax contributions to governments, and stifle creativity. We will continue to identify and interdict the operators of such online piracy services and work closely with Malaysian law enforcement agencies to protect the livelihoods of Malaysian and international creators and distributors,” Voorn added.

    Premier League General Counsel Kevin Plumb said, “We are extremely pleased to be able to put the recently amended Copyright Act into action. The strengthened legislation puts Malaysia at the forefront of copyright protection, making it very clear that anyone involved in providing or facilitating illegal streams is carrying out a crime.

    “The Premier League is committed to fighting piracy in Malaysia and will continue to take action against those responsible for providing illegal access to our content. We want to ensure fans watch Premier League content in the best quality and safest way possible-and the majority do so via authorised sources. However, for those who don’t, they must be aware that by using devices such as SVICloud, they face security risks and disrupted viewing experiences.” Plumb said.

    “I would like to place on record our thanks to the MDTCA for their cooperation and swift response to support this enforcement action,” he added.

  • Ace filmmaker Subhash Kapoor signed by ALTBalaji for its next #ALTBalajiOriginal

    Ace filmmaker Subhash Kapoor signed by ALTBalaji for its next #ALTBalajiOriginal

    Since its launch in April, ALTBalaji has more than 15 million mobile downloads. The ad free, subscription-based platform is available in over 90 countries and offers original content in various Indian regional languages, making it India’s largest repository for original and exclusive digital content.

    ALTBalaji has made some big announcements in the last few weeks. Recently, the digital platform announced its association with the highly acclaimed writer-director Habib Faisal and now ALTBalaji has signed up ace filmmaker Subhash Kapoor for its next #ALTBalajiOriginal based on the infamous 1959 Nanavati Case – making yet another big announcement in just one week!

    Subhash Kapoor who is known for directing satirical hits like Phas Gaye Re Obama, Jolly LLB and Jolly LLB 2 to name a few would be making his digital debut with ALTBalaji. 

    The show is in its pre-production stage and the cast is yet to be finalized.

  • Autistic-friendly ‘Sing’ screening held at PVR

    MUMBAI: Vkaao, India’s first-ever ‘theatre-on-demand’ service that enables individuals to choose the films that play in their local theatres, recently celebrated World Autism Awareness Day in a special way.

    The platform collaborated with Autism Centre for Excellence (ACE) to conduct a unique sensory-friendly movie screening of the movie ‘Sing’ for individuals with autism and their families. The screening was recently held at PVR Sangam, Delhi, in a safe and comforting environment designed especially to cater to the specific viewing requirements of autistic individuals.

    Sounds and lights were paid specific attention to by Vkaao during the screening. Lights were turned up for a better viewing experience, while the sound was turned down to levels more palatable to individuals on the autistic spectrum. This attention to detail was one of the prime reasons for the success of the Vkaao screening; the show was a houseful affair and audience members were seen enjoying the movie to the fullest, singing and dancing throughout the movie.

    PVR Pictures CEO Kamal Gianchandani said, “Autism affects more than 10 million people in India but awareness about this unique disorder is very limited. Our aim to associate with ACE to host this special screening of ‘Sing’ was to raise greater awareness about the issue. Witnessing the joy on the faces of people who attended the screening was extremely gratifying. We hope this initiative will help foster a nurturing, supportive environment for individuals on the autistic spectrum in the country.”

    A school for autistic children, ACE was conceived with the vision of improving the level and quality of autism-related interventions in India. ACE aims to utilise cutting-edge research and standardised educational practices to improve the outcome for children with moderate-to-severe autism.

    Vkaao focuses on leveraging state-of-the-art technology in order to create a social, crowd-sourced movie going experience.

  • NFL Players Association launches company to produce original athlete driven lifestyle content

    NFL Players Association launches company to produce original athlete driven lifestyle content

    MUMBAI: Athlete Content & Entertainment (ACE Media) has been launched as a new, original content business that will identify and create programming opportunities for athletes around the world.

    With consumer demand for exclusive, high-quality sports-related content at an all-time high, ACE Media will begin by leveraging the NFL Players Association’s (NFLPA) exclusive group player rights and access to more than 1,800 active players to produce compelling sports-lifestyle content focused on athletes, whom fans would otherwise know solely through their statistics and game highlights.

    The NFLPA will be the majority shareholder in ACE Media, working in collaboration with strategic media and sports partners.

    “Like all athletes, NFL players are an extraordinary group of people with an incredible range of talents, passions, perspectives and backstories. Many of those stories have flown under the public radar. ACE Media will aim to unlock those stories for diehard and casual fans alike and will reach new audiences as well by casting athletes in a light that allows their off-the-field attributes to amplify and complement their on-field accomplishments,” said NFL Players Inc president Ahmad Nassar, who is also a member of ACE Media’s board of directors. 

    ACE Media has already forged strategic partnerships with a broad range of media entities to provide athlete-driven programming. These include distribution channels such as BET Networks, Bleacher Report, The Players’ Tribune and 120 Sports; producers such as Tongal and Academy Award winning producers Ed Cunningham and Seth Gordon of World Record Headquarters; and global brands like Nike. 

    Programs in production or development include, among others, several episodes of BET’s web series #BLX; the multi-episode series Take it to the House for Bleacher Report; a range of first-person perspectives for The Players’ Tribune; and a wide variety of interviews and event-driven content for 120 Sports. 

    Future plans include scripted and unscripted television series, animated and other youth-oriented content, short-form content and audio programming, as well as expansion beyond football to incorporate athletes from other sports into ACE Media’s content efforts.

    NFLPA executive director DeMaurice Smith calls ACE Media a “transformative chapter” in the union’s ongoing evolution. NFL players agree:

    “As professional athletes we have a huge opportunity to offer unbelievable levels of access and authenticity to the fans that support us. With the launch of ACE Media, we now have a way to seize that opportunity by creating content that no one else can, showing sides of ourselves that you won’t see anywhere else. We’re excited about the content we plan to help create, and we’re excited by the future of this company,” said All-Pro Cornerback Richard Sherman of the Seattle Seahawks. 

    All-Pro Linebacker Von Miller of the Denver Broncos added, “We’re all about being perfectionists on the field, but there is so much more to each of us when we are off of it. We’re multidimensional, with interesting ideas, pursuits and backgrounds. ACE Media will really be able to lift that curtain and bring some of those stories and ideas to life. Players have been asking for an outlet like this, and we’re excited to create some really cool content that will speak to multiple audiences in our personal voices.”

    ACE Media will be led by CEO Scott Langerman, a 20-year veteran of the sports and entertainment industries who has held senior positions at Comcast SportsNet and Turner Broadcasting, among other media companies. Most recently, Langerman was an executive and advisor at SB Nation (now Vox Media), joining the company in its earliest stage and helping set the strategy for the new company. 

    Langerman is currently assembling a dedicated team of executives to build ACE Media into a highly efficient content company that will maximise opportunities for players, programmers, publishers, brands and leagues to engage with audiences amidst a rapidly changing media landscape.

    “ACE Media will be a totally different kind of media company with the unique ability to access professional athletes at scale to create a steady, year-round stream of compelling content opportunities. Moreover, given our unique relationship with athletes we’ll be able to feed an expanding appetite for content in a way that’s incredibly user-friendly, efficient and customizable,” says Langerman. “Regardless of where our partners sit within the content ecosystem, we’ll be able to deliver a player-driven solution for their business, whether it’s on the production, distribution or brand side of the industry.”

    While the NFLPA has been a driving force behind the formation of the company, ACE Media’s vision is by no means limited solely to NFL players. “If this concept works for football players, we’re confident it will be a success for baseball, hockey, basketball and soccer players as well, along with any number of other professional athletes from every sport across the globe,” declared Nassar. “We look forward to building a company that will ultimately benefit all athletes by serving unique and compelling content across all sports and mediums.”

  • ACE names Spielberg as filmmaker of the year

    ACE names Spielberg as filmmaker of the year

    MUMBAI: Steven Spielberg will be honoured with the ACE Golden Eddie Filmmaker of the Year Award at the American Cinema Editors‘ 63rd annual ACE Eddie Awards on 16 February.

    “Steven Spielberg is a cinematic treasure. For over four decades, he has been moving audiences around the world with his unique, powerful brand of storytelling. As one of the most successful directors in history, he has brought us beloved films, which have not only delighted us but have been indelibly woven into our cultural fabric,” the ACE Board of Directors said in a statement.

    Spielberg‘s latest film Lincoln is leading with 12 nominations at the upcoming Oscar awards, including the best picture and best director.

    ACE, the honorary society of film editors, comprises more than 700 editors working in film and television.

  • Rainbow Media signs deals for Mag Rack Vod content

    Rainbow Media signs deals for Mag Rack Vod content

    MUMBAI: US media firm Rainbow Media Holdings has added international broadcasters to the growing reach of its Mag Rack video-on-demand (Vod) content.

    The latest round of deals delivers several Mag Rack titles into the UK, Sweden, Central and Eastern Europe, Russia and the Middle East. Continuing Rainbow’s international expansion, the deals represent 319 VOD segments.
    Launched in 2001 in the US, Mag Rack is an on-demand television service, delivering made-for-Vod programming. Mag Rack is available to 12 million on-demand customers in 50 US markets, and several of its series were sold into Scandinavia, Hungary and Greece earlier this year.

    iD MD Sally Miles says, “Our continued momentum with Rainbow’s stable of brands is truly a testament to the international appeal of this top-quality programming. With Mag Rack, buyers are getting a rich array of series that speak to the diverse tastes of their viewers’ evolving, on-the-go lifestyles. Mag Rack is a truly progressive brand to be working with in the VOD marketplace.”

    The newest round of international Mag Rack deals includes:

    Inside Weddings has been Sold to Wedding TV (UK), TV7 (Sweden), Club Channel (Poland & Hungary), CTC Domashy Network (Russia) and Spektrum (Czech Republic). The show has advice on everything from gowns and formal wear, flowers and photography to places to celebrate.

    Mama Gena has been sold to TV7 (Sweden) and Club Channel (Central & Eastern Europe). In this “school of womanly arts,” Mama Gena’s lessons teach women to take control of their power of pleasure to have their way with the world and men, with each episode offering new tips and techniques.

    Eight segments of Wild Wheels have been sold to TV4 (Sweden) and 24 sold to Prava/Prevodi (Bosnia & Herzegovina). This series takes viewers into a world of crazy cars—rock crawlers, aqua cars, modified stretch limos, mud/ice racers and more—for a drive on the wild side.

    Let’s Go Garden has been sold to ACE (Russia). Let’s Go Garden, hosted by Jackie Albarella. This focusses on the practical side of gardening with projects real people can achieve whether a beginning gardener or a passionate green thumb.

    Motorcycle Freedom has been sold to Ananey (Israel). These short segment programs take viewers onto the open road with a virtual ride on some of the latest superbikes.