ITV

Tag: Craig Hunegs

  • Warner Bros. acquires SVOD service DramaFever

    Warner Bros. acquires SVOD service DramaFever

    MUMBAI: Warner Bros has signed an agreement to acquire DramaFever, a US-based company that operates subscription and on-demand video services, including its flagship DramaFever channel, which offers hundreds of Korean television and film dramas, as well as programming from other countries, to subscribers in the US and around the world.

    DramaFever joins Time Warner’s company-wide efforts to reach audiences directly, including the recent acquisition of iStreamPlanet and the launch of SVOD services with HBO NOW in the US, and, in partnership with Tencent, Hollywood VIP in China.

    DramaFever has a strong and growing subscriber base of diverse millennials and plurals that fits well with the company’s plans to enhance its relationship with that audience.

    DramaFever’s experience in creating and running SVOD services targeted at niche audiences, including for third-parties, brings critical expertise, which will be vital to Warner Bros. as it explores various OTT scenarios and establishes more direct connections with its audiences.

    “This is a great fit for Warner Bros.. With Warner Bros.’ resources, we will rapidly enhance and grow the DramaFever channel. As importantly, we are bringing to Warner Bros. a great and talented team, led by Seung Bak and Suk Park, that will move quickly with our own distribution and creative teams to create and build more OTT services,” said Warner Bros. Television Group president, business and strategy Craig Hunegs.

    DramaFever’s co-founders Bak and Park will continue to oversee the company and report to Hunegs.

    “Warner Bros. is truly the ideal home for us. Combining our deep media sensibilities and experience in developing online video destinations with Warner’s vast library and production expertise will provide an unlimited number of opportunities to create the next generation of OTT services and Internet TV brands,” said DramaFever co-founder and CEO Seung Bak.

    DramaFever, while wholly owned by Warner Bros., will continue to operate under that consumer-facing brand and be based in New York.

    DramaFever was launched in 2009 with 10 Korean drama series. The service continues to expand rapidly and has become the leading online destination for the best TV shows and movies from around the world. Today, DramaFever offers hundreds of series, variety shows, films and kids programs, in multiple languages, and is available in more than 20 countries globally and growing.

    Warner Bros. is acquiring DramaFever from SoftBank. The deal is expected to close in the second quarter of 2016.

  • Warner Bros. acquires SVOD service DramaFever

    Warner Bros. acquires SVOD service DramaFever

    MUMBAI: Warner Bros has signed an agreement to acquire DramaFever, a US-based company that operates subscription and on-demand video services, including its flagship DramaFever channel, which offers hundreds of Korean television and film dramas, as well as programming from other countries, to subscribers in the US and around the world.

    DramaFever joins Time Warner’s company-wide efforts to reach audiences directly, including the recent acquisition of iStreamPlanet and the launch of SVOD services with HBO NOW in the US, and, in partnership with Tencent, Hollywood VIP in China.

    DramaFever has a strong and growing subscriber base of diverse millennials and plurals that fits well with the company’s plans to enhance its relationship with that audience.

    DramaFever’s experience in creating and running SVOD services targeted at niche audiences, including for third-parties, brings critical expertise, which will be vital to Warner Bros. as it explores various OTT scenarios and establishes more direct connections with its audiences.

    “This is a great fit for Warner Bros.. With Warner Bros.’ resources, we will rapidly enhance and grow the DramaFever channel. As importantly, we are bringing to Warner Bros. a great and talented team, led by Seung Bak and Suk Park, that will move quickly with our own distribution and creative teams to create and build more OTT services,” said Warner Bros. Television Group president, business and strategy Craig Hunegs.

    DramaFever’s co-founders Bak and Park will continue to oversee the company and report to Hunegs.

    “Warner Bros. is truly the ideal home for us. Combining our deep media sensibilities and experience in developing online video destinations with Warner’s vast library and production expertise will provide an unlimited number of opportunities to create the next generation of OTT services and Internet TV brands,” said DramaFever co-founder and CEO Seung Bak.

    DramaFever, while wholly owned by Warner Bros., will continue to operate under that consumer-facing brand and be based in New York.

    DramaFever was launched in 2009 with 10 Korean drama series. The service continues to expand rapidly and has become the leading online destination for the best TV shows and movies from around the world. Today, DramaFever offers hundreds of series, variety shows, films and kids programs, in multiple languages, and is available in more than 20 countries globally and growing.

    Warner Bros. is acquiring DramaFever from SoftBank. The deal is expected to close in the second quarter of 2016.

  • Warner Bros TV signs acquisition of Eyeworks’ operations in 15 countries, except US

    Warner Bros TV signs acquisition of Eyeworks’ operations in 15 countries, except US

    MUMBAI: Warner Bros Television Group has entered into an agreement to acquire independent television production company Eyeworks Group’s businesses in 15 countries across Europe, South America, Australia and New Zealand for $273 million.

     

     

    The acquisition, which does not include Eyeworks’ operations in the US, will add 13 new territories to Warner Bros Television’s network of production companies, according to a statement from Warner Bros Television.

     

     

    Once completed, this acquisition will further strengthen Warner Bros’ international television production capabilities and also see Warner Bros take over all of Eyeworks’ international distribution activities.

     

     

    Warner Bros Television is expected to complete the acquisition of Eyeworks later in 2014, subject to regulatory approvals.

     

     

    The announcement was made by Warner Bros. Worldwide Television Distribution President Jeffrey Schlesinger, Warner Bros Television Group President, Business and Strategy Craig Hunegs, Warner Bros Television Group President and Chief Content Officer Peter Roth and Eyeworks Group Founder and current Chief Executive Officer Reinout Oerlemans.

     

     

    Founded in The Netherlands by Oerlemans in 2001, Eyeworks is a major international independent producer and distributor of scripted and non-scripted content across a range of genres, including entertainment, drama and film, which airs in more than 150 countries worldwide.

     

     

    The acquisition of Eyeworks will mark a milestone for Warner Bros International Television Production, led by Warner Bros International Television Production  Head and Executive Vice President Ronald Goes, which was originally formed in 2009 to establish operating production companies.

     

     

    Warner Bros Entertainment Chief Executive Officer Kevin Tsujihara said: “Our proposed acquisition of Eyeworks’ 15 local production companies, represents a significant next step in our strategy, further strengthening Warner Bros’ position in global television.”  

     

     

    Hunegs, Schlesinger and Roth added: “This is an important move for the Warner Bros Television Group, as we establish local production companies around the world, each with a mandate to develop original local programming and adapt the output from the studio. We see Eyeworks as a strong complement to our existing US and international production capabilities.”

     

     

    This follows the acquisition in 2010 of Shed Media, a leading production company in the UK, and in 2011, BlazHoffski in The Netherlands and Belgium.

     

     

    In connection with the transaction, Reinout Oerlemans would move to Los Angeles for his new role in the industry, as Chairman of Eyeworks USA, leading the further expansion of that company in the US. Reinout will step down as CEO of the Eyeworks Group once the acquisition is completed.

     

     

    Oerlemans said: “For Eyeworks, this is a defining step towards our ongoing objective to be a major player in content production around the globe. I realise this is the end of an era, because I will no longer be the CEO of the Group, after an amazing period of 12.5 years.”

  • Warner creates digital production venture to make content for broadband, mobile

    Warner creates digital production venture to make content for broadband, mobile

    MUMBAI: The Warner Bros. Television Group (WBTG) is establishing a new digital production venture Studio 2.0.

    This will work with creative talent and advertisers to create original live-action and animated short-form programming for broadband and wireless devices.

    WBTVG has tapped producer and senior advertising executive Rich Rosenthal to head Studio 2.0. These announcements were made by WBTG president Bruce Rosenblum. The venture will be overseen by WBTG executive VP Craig Hunegs.

    Studio 2.0 will provide a creative platform for the Television Group’s established as well as up-and-coming talent to produce content of varying lengths – from multiple-episode series to one-offs. Rosenthal will actively align Studio 2.0 with advertisers seeking early identification and involvement with original programming. They will develop projects through independent creative resources as well as through the various in-place Warner Bros. Television Group production arms.

    Studio 2.0 will look to license the programming to online sites, portals and wireless providers in collaboration with the recently formed Warner Bros. Digital Distribution.

    Rosenblum says, “What has become eminently clear is that our advertising partners in our traditional television businesses are anxious to work in collaboration with the creative community to develop original digital content.

    “At our core, we are a content creation company and Studio 2.0 is a natural, yet extraordinarily exciting, extension of our television production businesses. We are confident that Rich and Studio 2.0 will successfully provide advertisers with cutting edge tools that will integrate their brands with inventive digital content in fresh, impactful and meaningful ways.

    “At the same time, Studio 2.0 will present our creative partners in our television production divisions with a vibrant platform to express their vision in expanding digital arenas and allow us to collaborate with Simon Kenny (President, Warner Bros. Digital Distribution) and his team on terrific content for digital distribution.”

    Hunegs says, “Rich’s breadth of advertising experience, both as a creative and production exec, and the wide array of advertisers, brands and companies for which he has created, make him the ideal choice to run Studio 2.0. It is a coup to have him join us”.

    Time Warner Global Marketing, the cross-divisional client partnerships arm of Time Warner, will work closely with Rosenthal and Time Warner advertising clients.