ITV

Tag: Latin America

  • Unprecedented worldwide audience for Euro 2008

    Unprecedented worldwide audience for Euro 2008

    MUMBAI: Uefa Euro 2008 will have unprecedented television coverage around the world after Uefa announced it had agreed the sale of broadcast rights to key territories outside of Europe, including the United States and Asia.

    “We will have coverage of the European Championship which we have never had before,” said Uefa chief executive Lars-Christer Olsson as he announced the deal yesterday.

    As already reported, ESPN Star Sports has won exclusive broadcast and internet rights for the Indian subcontinent for the tournament, the most prestigious in the football calendar after the World Cup.

    Explaining Uefa’s strategy, Olsson said that after putting the broadcast rights to tender, the European governing body had decided to enter into direct negotiations with broadcasters in certain strategic territories in light of the quality of offers received. “We invited in August to tender for the rights for the European Championship outside Europe and we got some very positive proposals from some individual markets,” said Olsson. “We decided to make direct contracts in certain territories – the United States, India, the Middle East, North Africa and Hong Kong.”

    The territories covered by the sale and the broadcasters involved are as follows:

    ESPN has been granted the rights for North America, including pay rights in Latin America. The deal guarantees extensive coverage of Euro 2008 on the ESPN network including two games on ABC.

    ESS has been appointed for the Indian subcontinent, including sub-licensing to terrestrial networks. The structure of the agreement provides a unique platform for the promotion of Euro 2008 in a region encompassing a global population of up to 1.3 billion people.

    Al Jazeera was granted the rights for the Middle East and North Africa. The agreement will ensure a wide coverage of the competition in this region, where most of the 350 million people are huge football fans and that has close links with European football.

    PCCW has been selected in Hong Kong. PCCW’s NOW TV is a cutting-edge broadcaster that runs the largest IPTV operation in the world. This agreement will put Uefa and Euro 2008 at the forefront of technology convergence with a fully integrated distribution on IPTV and mobile.

    To complement this network of broadcasters, Uefa has appointed SportFive to represent the media rights to Euro 2008 in all the remaining markets outside Europe. This is a natural extension of the current agency agreement between Uefa and SportFive for the European territories, and will ensure a consistent distribution of the broadcast rights worldwide

    Philippe Le Floc’h, director of marketing and media rights at Uefa, said: “We are delighted by the outcome of the process and are convinced that these new partnerships will lead to the most comprehensive and wide-reaching promotional platform ever for Uefa European Football Championship in territories ex-Europe. We are looking forward to developing a direct relationship with the broadcasters and to further deepen the collaboration with Sportfive.”

  • Global soccer fans are united and divided in their passion for the sport: Octagon study

    Global soccer fans are united and divided in their passion for the sport: Octagon study

    MUMBAI: Throughout the Fifa World Cup, a global audience has witnessed the exuberance that football fans have for the sport. Aside from national pride, what drives the passion fans from different countries have for football?

    Studies conducted in the past year by sports marketing agency Octagon quantify for the first time the key factors that ignite the passion fans have for football. Analysis from Octagon’s Passion Drivers study of football fans from World Cup participants Germany, France, the U.K., Australia and the US, the 2010 World Cup host nation South Africa, and China reveal similarities and differences.

    Octagon’s VP of research and creator of the study Simon Wardle says, “Fans from countries like the U.K., France and Germany, where a longstanding football tradition exists and the sport holds a dominant position, share similar motivating passions for the sport but with some differences.

    “Why fans from Europe follow the sport differs significantly from the factors that motivate fans in countries where football is less dominant.”

    The fan profiles developed by Octagon are based on 12 Passion Drivers factors. In varying degrees of intensity and in different combinations, these factors contribute to the passion fans have for football.

    Wardle adds, “Understanding ‘why fans are fans’ is critical for companies who sponsor sports to engage consumers with their brands. The relationship that Europeans have to football is first and foremost driven by Team Devotion.”

    “This factor truly differentiates ‘the beautiful game’ and its supporters from other sports. German and English football fans are very similar in the relationship they have with the sport. UK fans seem to be more team focussed and avid than their German counterparts. The chance to gloat over fans of rival clubs is much stronger among German fans.”

    TCompared to German and UK fans, the study revealed the French are more overall fans of the sport itself. For the French fan, the pure enjoyment that comes from watching football is oftentimes more important than which teams are playing and the outcome of the match.

    Wardle goes on to explain that in European markets, Team Devotion starts almost at birth. This contrasts to Chinese fans who do not have deep rooted team affinities. They are primarily motivated by an overall love of the game. The skill exhibited by world-class players and strategy employed by the top clubs, regardless of where these teams come from or a players’ nationality, are far more important than the outcome of the match.

    In South Africa, the opportunity football provides to socialise is the dominant motivator. Football also conjures a sense of nostalgia for many South Africans who grew up with the sport and appreciate the role football played in their personal and country’s history. However, the Team Devotion factor is growing more important in this developing football market as it prepares to compete as host nation in the 2010 Fifa World Cup.

    As a market influence, football remains in its formative stages in Australia and the US. The US and Australia are unique in their passion being primarily fuelled by a current or past involvement playing or coaching the sport, a Passion Drivers factor called Active Appreciation.

    Wardle notes that Australia’s success in the 2006 Fifa World Cup (they narrowly lost in a last minute penalty to finalists Italy) could accelerate its transition to a developing football market. The US holds the distinction as the world’s least homogeneous football market in terms of the factors that drive its fans’ passion for the sport. Along with active appreciation, US football fans are strongly driven by the opportunities the sport presents to talk and socialise. Nostalgia is also important for the many fans who emigrated from Europe and Latin America.

    Octagon conducted Passion Drivers studies in eight countries among more than 20,000 fans of their nation’s most popular sports. “With a deeper understanding of what drives their consumers’ passion for sport, sponsors can truly harness the power of sports to differentiate their brands and engage consumers in meaningful, lasting ways,” said Wardle.

  • BBC Worldwide looks to expand reach of channels in Latin America

    BBC Worldwide looks to expand reach of channels in Latin America

    MUMBAI: UK pubcaster the BBC’s commercial arm BBC Worldwide has made an appointment with a view to expanding the reach ot its chanels in Latin America.

    Jessica Rodriguez becomes VP, global channels for Latin America and for the Hispanic US Market. She will be responsible for the strategic development and implementation of BBC Worldwide’s channels and will manage the day-to-day activity across the Latin American region and in the US Hispanic market.

    BBC Worldwide MD global channels Darren Childs said, “Jessica’s appointment is a commitment from BBC Worldwide to further develop the Latin American and Hispanic North American market for our channels business. Jessica has introduced a number of new channels and we are keen to explore new opportunities for growth.”

    Rodriguez says, “In Latin America, BBC Worldwide’s presence is already strong through our programming participation and investment in Animal Planet and People and Arts. Given its rapid growth and strength, the US Hispanic market is critically important to our strategy. BBC America has already successfully demonstrated the power of the BBC’s superlative content in the US, and I am delighted to be developing our new branded channels in this marketplace.”

    She has over 16 years of experience in launching and expanding brands such as Travel Channel, National Geographic and USA Network across international markets. She also has an extensive development and management record having worked in business development positions at Discovery Channel and Landmark Communications and having spearheaded several channels in Latin America and Asia.

    Based in Miami, Jessica will be working across BBC Worldwide’s content divisions of program sales, new media, magazines, consumer publishing and home entertainment to maximise and consolidate brand exposure in the Latin and US Hispanic markets.

  • BBC World to produce six programmes on nominees of ‘The World Challenge’

    BBC World to produce six programmes on nominees of ‘The World Challenge’

    MUMBAI: BBC World will produce six 30-minute programmes on each nominee of the The World Challenge – a global competition seeking to highlight and reward outstanding examples of community enterprise and innovation. The programme will examine how the initiative began, its inspiration and why it is socially and environmentally successful. 

    For The World Challenge competition in 2006, BBC World and Newsweek, the weekly global current affairs magazine, have joined with Shell to search for, highlight and reward individuals or groups that have used enterprise and innovation to the benefit of local communities.

    In an official statement issued, the six programmes will feature two finalists per programme and will be broadcast to BBC World’s weekly global audience of 65 million viewers in October and November 2006. The channel’s viewers will be invited to vote online for the most commendable and inspirational project. Full details are available online at http://www.theworldchallenge.co.uk. 

    Newsweek will mirror the programmes’ content in a six-part series of advertorials on the 12 nominees, aimed at driving its readers to the online voting site. The campaign will reach 1.5 million weekly readers across Europe, Asia and Latin America.

    The World Challenge has attracted more than 800 nominations, nearly double the amount received last year.

    Nominations for the 2006 competition closed on 7 June and a total of 816 nominations were received – a 79 per cent increase on last year’s nominations of 457. This year’s competition attracted the greatest numbers from India (159), Philippines (56), Nigeria (47), USA (34), Kenya (32), South Africa (32), England (20) and Uganda (20), states an official release.

    A panel of expert judges will now shortlist the nominations to 12 finalists that show the best examples of community-based business, development or environmental projects. The finalists will then be announced at the beginning of July.

    During The World Challenge in 2005, more than 120,000 votes were cast from around the world. The winning project, Coconets from the Philippines, was presented with a US$20,000 grant from Shell, which has been invested in further developing their system to prevent landslides using waste coconut husks.

    Once voting has closed, the winner of World Challenge 2006 will be announced at an awards ceremony in The Hague in December 2006. The winner will again receive a US$20,000 grant from Shell to invest in their project, plus the two runners-up will each receive US$10,000.

  • Discovery Intl’s quarterly revenue up 21 %

    Discovery Intl’s quarterly revenue up 21 %

    MUMBAI: For the three months ended 31 March 2006 Discovery Communications Inc experienced a six per cent revenue growth to $443 million and three per cent operating cash flow growth to $152 million.

    Internationally, it achieved a 21 per cent revenue growth to $193 million and 35 per cent operating cash flow growth to $31 million at its International Networks division for the first quarter of 2006.

    During the first quarter, Discovery commercially launched Cosmeo, its online homework help tool.

    Net distribution revenue increased by 25 per cent due to increases in paying subscription units in Europe, Latin America and Asia, as well as the international joint venture channels combined with contractual rate increases in certain markets. Net ad revenue increased by 16 per cent primarily due to higher viewership in Europe and Latin America combined with an increased subscriber base in most markets worldwide.

    Operating expenses increased by 19 per cent due to expected increases in headcount as the business expands, particularly in the UK and Europe, combined with an increase in marketing expense associated with branding and awareness efforts, particularly in Europe, related to the Lifestyles category initiative. Operating cash flow increased as the growth in revenue outpaced the growth in operating expenses.

    The growth in revenue in the US was due to a 22 per cent increase in distribution revenue. This was partially offset by a six per cent decrease in ad revenue. Net distribution revenue increased 22 per cent as the US Networks had an 11 per cent increase in paying subscribers in the first quarter combined with contractual rate increases.

    US networks distribution revenue increases were also aided by reduced launch fee amortisation, a contra-revenue item, as certain affiliation agreements were extended. Net ad revenue decreased by six per cent, primarily due to lower advertising sell-out rates combined with lower rates at certain networks.

    Operating expenses increased by eight per cent due to an increase in programming expense as the company continued its investment across all US networks in original productions and high profile series and specials. Operating cash flow increased due to the increased revenue.

  • Nick Intl acquires show from an Irish animation firm

    Nick Intl acquires show from an Irish animation firm

    MUMBAI: Irish animation house Jam Media has licensed its interactive kids’ series Picme to Nickelodeon across Europe, Asia and Latin America.

    The five-year deal will see all 104, five-minute long episodes of the series rolled out to Nickelodeon channels around the world .

    The series launched on RTE in September 2004 and also airs on Nick UK. The animated preschool series allows kids to be star of the cartoon alongside a group of animal friends. JAM Media has developed a broadcast-ready software package that allows broadcasters to superimpose a child’s face onto an animated body and place them into the PICME environment.

  • Discovery commissions new travel series ‘Mr. and Mrs. Smith’

    Discovery commissions new travel series ‘Mr. and Mrs. Smith’

    CANNES: Discovery Networks International, has commissioned a new lifestyle series, Mr. and Mrs. Smith. It is based on the popular series of travel guides, for launch on Discovery Travel & Living in Europe, Asia and Latin America.

    The 5×30-minute series will reach 147 million homes outside the U.S. when it launches this fall. The series is executive produced by Helen Veale for Outline Productions and Robert Curran for Discovery Networks International.

    Discovery Networks International executive VP of creative development and brand management Rebecca Batties said, “Mr. and Mrs. Smith goes beyond the standard travel series format to focus on luxury, style and design trends in some of the most inviting locales in the world. The series embodies the true essence of the Discovery Travel & Living brand as it encourages viewers to explore their world, imagine possibilities and live life to the fullest.”

    In each episode of the series, the co-creators of the books-Andrew Grahame and Juliet Kinsman-will investigate rural spa retreats, funky boutique hotels, restaurants, nightclubs and other sites in locations around the world to determine which deserve a place in the latest Mr. and Mrs. Smith guide.

  • Fremantle beefs up ancillary rights operations in Latin America, Spanish speaking USA

    Fremantle beefs up ancillary rights operations in Latin America, Spanish speaking USA

    MUMBAI: FremantleMedia Licensing Worldwide (FLW) has appointed Jack Alfandary as vice president licensing and new business development.

    In this newly created position, Alfandary will be responsible for overseeing sponsorship, licensing and digital activity throughout Latin America and Spanish speaking USA for key FremantleMedia brands such as American Idol, The Apprentice, The Price Is Right and the upcoming Latin American and Brazilian local versions of the Idols format, Latin American Idol and Idolos Brazil respectively.

    Additionally, he will manage the company’s new business development initiatives in South and Latin America. Alfandary will be based in Miami and will report to Fremantle Productions Latin America managing director Latin America and Spanish speaking USA Carlos Gonzalez and FremantleMedia Licensing Worldwide, Americas executive vice president Olivier Gers.

    Gonzalez said, “We are really excited to be launching Latin American Idol and Idolos Brazil in the region. The Idols format has been extremely popular with audiences around the world and Jack will be instrumental in ensuring the success of both local versions on and off-air. Jack will be invaluable to the Latin American operation and we’re pleased to welcome him to the team.”

    Gers added, “Latin America and Spanish speaking USA are increasingly important ancillary rights markets for us and Jack’s appointment is indicative of how seriously we view the region. We are really exited to have Jack on board and we are confident that, with his wealth of talent and experience, he will be a great asset to the team and really help further strengthen FremantleMedia’s position as one of the leading licensors and innovators in the Americas.”

    Alfandary joined FremantleMedia in January 2004 as a consultant. Prior to this, he was BMG senior director strategic marketing and business development. There he was responsible for the overall leadership of strategic marketing activities in Latin America and Spanish speaking USA including strategic alliances, new business development, partnership marketing, licensing, media buying and planning, advertising and promotions, catalogue and online marketing and new technology.

  • IBN deal part of CNN’s strategy in English language segment: Cramer

    IBN deal part of CNN’s strategy in English language segment: Cramer

    NEW DELHI: The Indian news market with its diverse products is a bonanza for viewers in terms of choice, according to CNN International MD Chris Cramer.

    “It’s an extraordinary news market , which was starting to explode in 2004 when I last came, and is still doing so. It’s also a very good thing for consumers in terms of choice,” Cramer told Indiantelevision.com.

    On a visit to India, Cramer is touching base with various constituents of the broadcast and cable industry, including CNN’s partner, Global Broadcast Network (GBN), which runs the CNN IBN news channel.

    Pointing out that CNN IBN has shaped up extremely well, Cramer said, “After seeing the news channels here, one can say that they are world class products offering consumers a variety of choice.”

    Along with some new local level and India-wide news channel launching over the last six months to add to the over 25 existing such products, India, probably, is the only country in the world where so many news channel have mushroomed and have managed to survive in a market that is estimated to be wroth slightly over Rs. 5 billion.

    Though a hint of uncertainty did creep in with Jagran TV-promoted Channel7 selling management control to Television Eighteen-led GBN and talks of India TV in early stages of negotiations with another media company in the air, Cramer refused to hazard a prediction on the consolidation phase . “I have no predictions on consolidation as I am not very well acquainted with the ground situation and other details. But this is a very energetic market,” he said.

    Cramer is responsible for the CNN International directorate, which is comprised of the five flagship CNN International services in English, CNN en Espa’Pol and CNNj (Japan), together with joint ventures such as CNN IBN, CNN+ and CNN Turk, in addition to the international newsgathering operation outside of the US.

    Though Cramer has ruled out any immediate introduction of a Hindi language version of CNN, he did admit that as a policy the company is always on the look out for opportunities to extend the CNN brand in as many market segments as possible.

    “The CNN IBN deal is part of CNN’s strategy to look for opportunities in the English language segment and vernacular languages with or without local partners. But if you are asking me whether we have any definite plans for Hindi, there’s nothing in the horizon,” Cramer said.

    According to him, for a CNN IBN type of deal to be replicated in other Indian languages, it is a matter of exploring the market to find the “right deal.”

    CNN International’s English language service, which completed 20 last year, continues to be the No. 1 product in most market places without getting complacent about its leadership position.

    “We continue to reinvent ourselves as we have done recently with a new look and feel in a crowded (global) news market place. We found that increasingly the business of consuming news was becoming difficult. So we have de-cluttered the screen (for the viewer),” Cramer said, giving a glimpse of the thinking that goes on in CNN International, a Time Warner company.

    India is one of the rare instances where CNN lags behind BBC because of “legacy issues” involving the Mark Tully effect. Tully had been the head of BBC radio operations in India for many decades and helped in spread awareness about brand BBC.

    “CNN reaches out to about 10 million (C&S) homes in India, compared to BBC’s 14 million, “Cramer said, adding, “But I am comfortable with the loyalty of the audience here.”

    Even though CNN’s new service CNN Pipeline broadband service has received “overwhelming and enthusiastic response in the US,” Cramer feels such a service will take some time to take off in India.

    Pointing out that the company has been profitable every year since 1989 in the expensive business of news dissemination, Cramer said global advertising revenue has been “pretty good” last year too.

    Globally CNN International has three broad revenue steams: advertising, subscription and content sale.. While advertising and subscription contribute 45 per cent each, the remaining 10 per cent comes from selling content.

    Cramer is based in CNN’s world headquarters in Atlanta and is a member of the CNN executive committee. He also sits on the board of directors for the German news channel n-tv and the Spanish network CNN +.

    Before taking on the role of overseeing international newsgathering and becoming managing director of CNN International, he was previously president of CNN International Networks. He was CNN International’s executive vice president from August 1997 to January 1998, and senior vice president and managing editor from February 1996 to July 1997.

    Since joining CNN International, Cramer has led the introduction of 80 hours of new programming each week and, in September 1997, launched “regionalisation,” an initiative that led to the creation of five separately scheduled English language international CNN channels that serve Europe/Middle East/Africa, Asia Pacific, South Asia, Latin America and North America.

  • EuroNews launches on digital cable in Mexico

    EuroNews launches on digital cable in Mexico

    MUMBAI: EuroNews has launched on digital cable in Mexico by Cablevision and has appointed Eurochannel as its exclusive representative for South America. As a result of this partnership, 100,000 subscribers can now watch EuroNews in Spanish, English and French since 1 March 2006.

    Eurochannel’s mission will be to extend the distribution network of the multi language news channel all across the continent via cable, satellite and all new media platforms.

    Based in Miami, USA, Eurochannel distributes a cable TV programming service for pay TV Systems in South America and is released in 25 countries in Latin America. More than six million homes receive Eurochannel and it is a part of the 30 most popular thematic channels available.

    EuroNews president Philippe Cayla said, “EuroNews is the most watched and widely distributed international news channel in Europe. As well as North America, we plan to develop the channel’s distribution in South America. Eurochannel’s in depth market knowledge will be a key element in the implementation of our strategic plans for distribution in these dynamic markets. EuroNews broadcasts in seven languages including the two main languages of South America, Spanish and Portuguese. The channel has great potential to expand its presence on this continent and to bring a new perspective on international news to audiences in these territories.”

    Eurochannel chairman and CEO Gustavo Vainstein added, “We are proud to contribute towards the growth of EuroNews’ distribution in Latin America. EuroNews is eagerly anticipated in Latin America, because everybody in the continent is keen to have access to “the European vision of the world”. EuroNews is also a well known brand for journalist and professionals. With such a powerful mix of brand and programming we envision a rapid development of EuroNews in Latin America.”