ITV

Tag: AXN TV

  • AXN TV expands presence in Europe

    AXN TV expands presence in Europe

    LONDON: Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE) has announced the continued expansion of its global cable and satellite networks portfolio.

    Next month, the action-oriented AXN TV will launch in six European countries — Poland, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Romania and Bulgaria.

     

     
    Tom Davidson
    SPE executive Tom Davidson is the new network’s general manager. He will be based in Budapest.

     

    An official release informs that AXN now reaches over 86 million households in over 40 countries throughout Asia, Europe and Latin America. In Europe, AXN is currently available in Spain and Portugal.

     

    AXN’s programme offering includes a wide selection of hit European and US series, blockbuster feature films and exclusive franchise properties. In India the channel is trying to connect with viewers through localised ground initiatives. The latest one Extreme Dhamaka will kick off shortly.

     

    Launched as a customised subscriber and ad-supported basic channel, AXN will deliver localised content to the Hungarian, Polish, Czech, Slovak, Romanian and Bulgarian markets. With each country to eventually join the expanded European Union, AXN is well-positioned for rapid growth in the region, the release informs.

     

    In Portugal, a recent Cabovis?o subscriber survey confirmed that AXN was the most-watched general entertainment channel on the platform and ranks in the top five most popular channels available. It was surpassed only by free-to-air terrestrial Portuguese channels.

     

    In Spain, a recent audience report issued by Sofres ranks AXN as number one in prime time among cable and satellite subscribers.

     

    SPE’s senior vice president international networks Darren Childs says, “AXN consistently delivers the demographic that MSOs need to drive their distribution, and that advertisers covet. Establishing channels in these six new territories is a key part of our strategy to extend the reach of AXN throughout Europe.”

    Childs says, Davidson is a very talented media executive who brings proven channel management experience together with exceptional industry knowledge of these countries.

     

    Davidson will oversee the channel’s overall business operations in the above mentioned European regions, including day-to-day management of programming, acquisitions, sales, marketing, promotion, branding and technical operations.

     

    Davidson joined SPE in 2000 and more recently served as executive director of finance. Prior to joining SPE, Davidson played an integral role in the launch of HBO Romania, the country’s first premium TV channel, where he served as chief financial officer adds the release.

  • AXN rolling out seven new series over next two months

    AXN rolling out seven new series over next two months

    Continuing a programme push that began in April, AXN TV, the action channel from Sony Entertainment Television, is launching seven action series over the next two months, “Crime Scene Investigation”, “Sheena” and the third series of VIP among them.

    And in an initiative aimed at promoting the brand in Indian homes, AXN is talking to Indian production companies to evolve a programme series with purely indigenous action content.

     

    “We’re talking with leading local production companies and it is taking time. But we are optimistic that we will work something out. Especially in the area of adventure/lifestyle/sports. The interaction between SET and AXN in India has been mutually beneficial to both,” says Shantonu Aditya, senior VP, (franchise channels and distribution) SET.

    AXN TV had announced in April that it was concentrating on developing five areas of on-screen entertainment – action series, adventure, sports, animation and movies.

    In a first for AXN, Gena Lee Nolin, the actress who plays Sheena, will be in Mumbai and Delhi between June 25 and 29, soon after the launch of the serial. The four-year old AXN has not brought a celebrity down to Asia before and it hopes for more such promotions.

    AXN hopes to hit the target with Jerry Bruckheimer’s blockbuster series. “Crime Scene Investigation” (CSI), premiering on 18 July at 9 pm. “CSI”, the hottest show of the 2000/2001 television season in the United States, will premier exclusively on AXN Asia, ahead of all other cable and satellite channels and terrestrial channels in the region.

    Executive-produced by Jerry Bruckheimer, who also produced the newly-released Pearl Harbor and other top-grossing films such as “Top Gun”, “Con Air”, “Gone in 60 Seconds,” CSI was the highest-rated new drama series in the US.

    “CSI pushes the envelope in terms of visual effects and cinematography. It is a ’21’ century Sherlock Holmes” that presents the crime and evidence the way real-life crime scene investigators see it – a concept that’s new to television audiences,” said Betty Tsui AXN’s Vice President of Programming & Acquisition.

    Accompanying CSI’s entry into Asia on AXN in July are four new series, including the critically-acclaimed Now & Again (launching Tuesday, 17 July, 9pm), Academy of Science Fiction, Horror and Fantasy Films Awards 2000’s Best Television Network series award winner Seven Days (Friday, 20 July, 9pm); Star Trek creator. Gene Roddenberry’s fourth season of Earth: Final Conflict (Monday, 16 July, 9pm) and Golden Globe nominee Lorenzo Lamas’ The Immortal (Thursday, 19 July, 9pm).

    According to Gregory Ho, VP (marketing) AXN Asia, a half-yearly revamp and introduction of new programmes is a tradition at AXN, reflecting commitment to the viewers. Though in the Asian market, AXN which has tied up with Sony Entertainment Television, has no competitor yet in the niche group that it has developed: “We will have to compete with other channels for the time of the viewer, especially in markets like India, where channel loyalty has not taken root.”

    AXN Asia is available to more than 22 million households 24-hours daily throughout Asia in Taiwan, India, Hong Kong, Singapore, Thailand, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh, Malaysia, Indonesia, Brunei, South Korea, Macau, Papua New Guinea, and in hotels and VIP compounds in China. AXN channels operate in Japan, Israel and Latin America, and will continue to launch more channels worldwide, according to a company release.

  • AXN SETs forth new action plan

    AXN SETs forth new action plan

    AXN TV, the action channel from Sony Entertainment Television, has rolled out plans for the next year which will see the channel concentrating on developing five areas of on-screen entertainment – action series, adventure, sports, animation and movies.

    “The coming months will see a lot of action on this front,” promises Shantonu Aditya, Senior vice president, Distribution and franchise channels, SET. This will involve ground events, on air promotions as well as PR exercises.

    The Eco Challenge recently launched on AXN is a part of the effort to get more public involvement in activities associated with the channel, says Aditya.

    Eco Challenge is a 350-mile long endurance course which has to be completed in 10 days with teams of four taking on the elements with no mechanical equipment whatsoever. The stipulation being that each team has to have at least one woman and all team members have to finish the course together.

    Queried whether there were any plans for organising reality TV series similar to the popular Survivor series abroad, Aditya replied in the negative. He, however, said AXN might put together a team from India that would be sent abroad to participate.

    At present the only Indian channel going ahead with plans for a similar programme is Zee TV which is putting together POW, which will have “prisoners” trying to escape from a prisoner of war camp. It has been modeled on the successful “Jailbreak” which aired on British television last year.