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CALIFORNIA: Sony Pictures Entertainment today announced that Man Jit Singh has been named President of Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (SPHE), reporting to Michael Lynton, CEO, Sony Entertainment, Inc., and Amy Pascal, Co-Chairman, Sony Pictures Entertainment.
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Man Jit, who was previously Chief Executive Officer, Multi Screen Media Pvt. Ltd. (MSM), the operating company that manages Sony Pictures Television’s TV networks in India, will continue as Non-Executive Chairman at MSM while transitioning from his role in the Television division to his new role in Home Entertainment.
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N.P. Singh, formerly Chief Operating Officer at MSM, has been appointed Chief Executive Officer, managing Sony Pictures Television’s Indian TV networks. N.P. will report to Andy Kaplan, President, Worldwide Networks, Sony Pictures Television.
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“Man Jit is a savvy global executive with a long track record of success at Sony Pictures, having built our Indian TV channels into high-performance, high-margin businesses. I am confident in his vision for Sony Pictures Home Entertainment and his ability to provide strong leadership for the division as the marketplace continues to evolve,” said Lynton.
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Under Man Jit, Sony Pictures Television’s Indian TV networks leveraged changing technologies and consumer behaviors to grow into some of the most profitable and highest-rated channels in the market.
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At SPHE, Man Jit will continue the studio’s focus on reducing overhead costs, while growing high-margin businesses.
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“As the ways in which consumers experience our content continue to change and multiply, our organization and its strategy for delivering content must evolve to meet the demands of the market. I look forward to building on the foundation of innovation and operational discipline at SPHE to position this business for future growth,” said Man Jit.
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On N.P. Singh’s appointment to CEO of MSM, Man Jit added, “NP and I have worked closely together as equal partners these last five years and the success of the company is largely due to his efforts. The time has come for him to lead the company to the next level and I fully expect the innovations he brings as CEO will ensure we have years of success ahead. As the Non-executive Chairman of MSM, I look forward to supporting NP and will continue to remain involved with the Indian television industry.”
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In his new role at MSM, N.P. will continue to focus on developing original, local-language programming and expanding the audience for MSM’s eight highly-profitable channels across India and the more than 70 countries around the world where they are viewed.
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Man Jit Singh has a strong background in technology, entertainment, and consumer products, with over 20 years of experience in global operations. He has worked in North America, Europe, Asia and Australia. Since 2009, he has overseen Sony Pictures Television’s Networks business in India, which includes SET, SAB, PIX, AXN, MIX, SIX, LIV and MAX. Man Jit was previously Chairman of the Board of Directors of MSM. He spent much of his early career in general management consulting, and he held senior positions at firms including Sibson & Co., LLP in Los Angeles, The Cast Group AG in Zurich, Switzerland and Los Angeles, and Cresap in Los Angeles. Man Jit began his career at Nestle India.
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N. P. Singh originally joined MSM in 1999 and has been Chief Operating Officer of MSM since December 2004, overseeing day-to-day operations at the company’s highly profitable TV channels and working closely with Man Jit on long-term strategies for continued growth. Previously, Singh served as Chief Financial Officer. Before joining MSM, N.P. held Chief Financial Officer roles at Spice Telecom and Modicorp, and was Controller at Modi Xerox Limited, in addition to other positions.
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Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE) is a subsidiary of Sony Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary of Tokyo-based Sony Corporation. SPE’s global operations encompass motion picture production, acquisition and distribution; television production, acquisition and distribution; television networks; digital content creation and distribution; operation of studio facilities; and development of new entertainment products, services and technologies. For additional information, go to http://www.sonypictures.com.
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Media Contact:
Charles Sipkins
310-244-5651
Charles_Sipkins@spe.sony.com
Tag: Michael Lynton
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Sony Pictures Ent appoints Man Jit Singh president of Sony Pictures Home Ent
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Rovio’s angry birds feature film nests at Sony pictures entertainment
NEW DELHI: Sony Pictures Entertainment has won the exclusive worldwide distribution rights to the much anticipated Angry Birds animated film, making it one of the most high-profile deals of the year.
The 3D film is being developed, produced, and financed by Rovio Entertainment and will be released worldwide by Sony Pictures on 1 July 2016. Several major studios pursued the global film rights in recent weeks, with Sony Pictures Entertainment emerging as the winner.
Sony Pictures Entertainment chairman and CEO Michael Lynton, Sony Pictures Entertainment co-chairman Amy Pascal and Rovio Entertainment CEO Mikael Hed jointly announced their partnership today. John Cohen and David Maisel – producer of Despicable Me and executive producer of Iron Man, respectively – are both on board for the new Angry Birds feature film. Cohen will serve as producer and Maisel is executive producer.
Commenting on the announcement, Mikael Hed said, “Sony impressed us with their great attitude, determination, and professionalism. They convinced us that we have found the right partners and team to help us market and distribute our first motion picture. Michael, Amy, Jeff Blake, Sony’s marketing and distribution head, and their teams will be the best possible collaborators as we get set to take our franchise to the next level.”
Lynton and Pascal said, “Every studio in town would love to add Angry Birds to their slate. There are few titles out there that bring this kind of excitement, brand awareness and built-in audience to the table. We’re thrilled to be distributing this film and we hope this is just the beginning of what will be a long relationship with Rovio as we look for ways to work on future projects together.”
David Maisel and John Cohen said, “We are very excited to join with Sony Pictures in presenting this movie to the world in 2016 and we will have many more announcements as we begin production in the coming months.”
Angry Birds is one of the world’s biggest entertainment franchises, starting in 2009 with the original mobile game that remains the number one paid app of all time. Angry Birds has expanded rapidly into entertainment, publishing, and licensing to become a beloved international brand.
Angry Birds has been praised for its great value and simple, casual gameplay. Players use a slingshot to launch birds at green pigs in an attempt to get their eggs back, with the game setting the model for what is possible in terms of game development and commercial success. To date, the Angry Birds and Bad Piggies games have been downloaded more than 1.7 billion times across platforms and versions.
The upcoming movie marks Rovio Entertainment’s first foray into feature films, although fans have already been introduced to the Angry Birds world with the weekly Angry Birds Toons animated series. Rovio launched the series in March through its Angry Birds apps as well as on select video-on-demand channel providers, Smart TVs, connected devices, and on select TV networks around the world. Paving the way for a full-length feature film, Angry Birds Toons has been a massive success for Rovio clocking in over 150 million views from the Angry Birds apps alone within the first six weeks.
While known for distributing world renowned motion picture franchises such as Spider-Man, Sony Pictures has been building a strong reputation in contemporary animation through its house production unit, Sony Pictures Animation, and hit films including Hotel Transylvania, The Smurfs, Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, Surf’s Up, Open Season, and Aardman’s Arthur Christmas and The Pirates! Band of Misfits.
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Michael Lynton renews contract with Sony Entertainment
MUMBAI: Michael Lynton, Chief Executive Officer of Sony Entertainment, and Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Sony Pictures Entertainment, has renewed his contract, it was announced today by Kazuo Hirai, President and Chief Executive Officer of Sony Corporation.
Lynton joined Sony Pictures Entertainment in January 2004 and, with Co-Chairman Amy Pascal, they put the studio on a path of stability and success across its lines of business. Lynton was appointed to the additional role of CEO, Sony Entertainment, in 2012, overseeing Sony‘s global entertainment businesses, including Sony Music Entertainment, Sony/ATV Music Publishing and Sony Pictures.
This past year, Sony Pictures enjoyed its best performance ever at the worldwide box office, ranking #1 in North American theatrical market share among all Hollywood studios due to the strong performance of hits like Skyfall, The Amazing Spider-Man, Men in Black 3 and Hotel Transylvania.
The company‘s growing Sony Pictures Television unit now encompasses global production and distribution of top-rated programming across all genres, one of the largest libraries of content and formats, as well as a global portfolio of television networks, channel investments, a premium digital video network and multi-platform ad sales.
At Sony Music, led by Chief Executive Officer Doug Morris, increases in digital revenue and chart-topping performers like One Direction, Adele, Alicia Keys and Pink have driven growth. This past year, under the leadership of Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Martin Bandier, Sony/ATV took over the administration of EMI Publishing, making it the world‘s foremost music publishing business.
"Michael‘s steady leadership and strong vision for the digital future will help keep Sony‘s entertainment businesses stable and reliable contributors to Sony‘s growth," said Kazuo Hirai.
"I look forward to working closely with Michael in ensuring that music and pictures remain integral parts of our global strategy. We‘re thrilled he will continue at the helm for years to come."
During Lynton‘s tenure, Sony Pictures has rapidly expanded its global presence and digital footprint. Worldwide box office revenue for Sony Pictures‘ films surpassed the four billion dollar mark in 2012 for the first time.
Sony Pictures Television now has 18 production companies in 15 countries around the world covering multiple regions and boasts international television networks with 124 channel feeds in 159 countries reaching over 800 million homes worldwide.
In addition, the studio has become a leader in digital entertainment pioneering business models like the ad-supported Crackle digital video network, early Electronic Sell-Through (EST) and cloud-based content ownership through UltraViolet.
Lynton commented, "I am grateful to work with some of the finest minds in the entertainment business, starting with my partner at Sony Pictures, Amy Pascal, as well as Doug Morris at Sony Music and Marty Bandier at Sony/ATV. They are the best in their fields, and together we will strive to bring the very best films, music and television shows to our growing, global audiences."
Lynton continued, "We will continue to collaborate closely with Kaz Hirai to create innovative, world-class entertainment and technology experiences, as only Sony can."
Born and raised in Europe, Lynton attended Harvard College and Harvard Business School. He has previously worked on Wall Street and for The Walt Disney Company, Hollywood Pictures (serving as President), Pearson plc‘s Penguin Group (Chairman and CEO), AOL Europe (CEO), AOL International (President) and Time Warner International (President). -
Sony Pictures Entertainment promoted Pascal as co-chairman
MUMBAI: Sony Pictures Entertainment has promoted Amy Pascal to cochairman and has extended her deal with the studio to 2011. This announcement was made by chairman and CEO Michael Lynton.
In addition to her new title, Pascal will continue to serve as chairman of the studio’s Motion Picture Group. Both Pascal and Lynton will continue to report to Sony Corporation chairman and CEO Howard Stringer.
The move recognizes Pascal’s vast contributions to the company and was initiated by Lynton, who wanted to formalize the strong relationship he and Pascal have forged as partners, managing the operations of Sony Pictures, according to an official release.
“This richly deserved promotion reflects the reality of our partnership here at Sony Pictures,” Lynton said. “Ever since Howard brought us together, Amy and I have been partners in running the studio, and I really wanted our titles to reflect our teamwork.”
Sony is the only studio to exceed the $6 billion dollar mark in domestic box office sales between 2002 and 2006. To date this year, Sony has released eight films, including The Da Vinci Code, Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby and Click.
Upcoming films from Sony Pictures include the launch of Sony Pictures Animation and their debut title Open Season, Pursuit of Happyness, starring Will Smith, Casino Royale, the 21st James Bond adventure, The Grudge 2, and Nancy Meyers’ The Holiday, starring Cameron Diaz, Jack Black, Jude Law and Kate Winslet, among many others.
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Sony Pictures Entertainment promoted Pascal as co-chairman
MUMBAI: Sony Pictures Entertainment has promoted Amy Pascal to cochairman and has extended her deal with the studio to 2011. This announcement was made by chairman and CEO Michael Lynton.
In addition to her new title, Pascal will continue to serve as chairman of the studio’s Motion Picture Group. Both Pascal and Lynton will continue to report to Sony Corporation chairman and CEO Howard Stringer.
The move recognizes Pascal’s vast contributions to the company and was initiated by Lynton, who wanted to formalize the strong relationship he and Pascal have forged as partners, managing the operations of Sony Pictures, according to an official release.
“This richly deserved promotion reflects the reality of our partnership here at Sony Pictures,” Lynton said. “Ever since Howard brought us together, Amy and I have been partners in running the studio, and I really wanted our titles to reflect our teamwork.”
Sony is the only studio to exceed the $6 billion dollar mark in domestic box office sales between 2002 and 2006. To date this year, Sony has released eight films, including The Da Vinci Code, Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby and Click.Upcoming films from Sony Pictures include the launch of Sony Pictures Animation and their debut title Open Season, Pursuit of Happyness, starring Will Smith, Casino Royale, the 21st James Bond adventure, The Grudge 2, and Nancy Meyers’ The Holiday, starring Cameron Diaz, Jack Black, Jude Law and Kate Winslet, among many others.
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Sony Pictures Home Entertainment restructures for the digital age
MUMBAI: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (SPHE) has announced a reorganisation to meet the challenges and opportunities of the digital era. New appointments and promotions have been made.
David Bishop will oversee SPHE’s North American business and Matt Brown will oversee SPHE’s European business. Sean Carey will head SPHE’s digital distribution business.
Explaining the strategy behind the move, SPHE president of Worldwide Home Entertainment, digital distribution and acquisitions Benjamin S. Feingold says, “This month, we started selling movies through digital downloads over the Internet, and next month, we begin to sell Blu-ray Discs for the very first time.
“With the digital market poised for growth, now is the time for us to organise ourselves to reap the full benefits of this new era, and to maintain and expand our leadership position in the home entertainment market.”
Sony Pictures Entertainment chairman and CEO Michael Lynton says, “The changes in technology and consumer interests demand that we be innovative and visionary in our approach to home entertainment. The digital market has evolved to the point where it has earned its own place in our home entertainment business. Digital distribution and high definition have evolved from a theoretical concept to a new retail business, and that’s why we’re making the strategic moves necessary to ensure that we aggressively market this business in the months and years ahead.
“And it all begins with people — putting the right people in the right place at the right time.” Sony Pictures Entertainment Motion Pictures Group chairman Amy Pascal says, “While nothing can replace the theatrical experience, we want people to have the opportunity to see our movies in their homes or wherever they desire. That is true for our new films as well as the tremendous stories and performances that exist in our extensive library.”
Bishop had been Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE) president of worldwide brand integration. He will now oversee all aspects of the North American business including sales, marketing, and operations. He will also have an integral role in the international operations of the MGM catalogue.
Feingold stated, “With the MGM transition nearing completion, I am delighted that David has decided to remain with our company. His strong reputation within the home entertainment industry, as well as his outstanding executive skills, will help to insure the ongoing success and growth of our core business. David’s experience with MGM product will also be a great benefit to the division.”
Bishop says, “I am thrilled to be at SPHE because this is one of the most exciting and dynamic times in the history of home entertainment. I also look forward to working with Ben and the whole team as we focus on the growth of our core business and explore the new options given to us by the
digital revolution.”Brown, meanwhile, will be based in London and will oversee all aspects of the European business, including sales, marketing and management. Brown will help create and execute strategic business plans for SPHE’s growth throughout Europe, especially in light of the proliferation of new digital technologies in the region. He earlier was SPHE senior VP worldwide franchise properties.
Carey will focus on two areas. First, developing and managing the North American distribution of movies and other SPE content via the internet as well to mobile devices such as cell phones and PSPs. In that regard, he will also work closely with Sony Pictures Digital Entertainment, Sony Pictures Television and Sony Pictures Television International. He will also will oversee all business aspects of SPHE’s production and acquisition group, as well as negotiate key acquisition agreements.
Feingold adds, “We are at the dawn of a new age in home entertainment. Digital technology, combined with the increasing sophistication and mobility of devices on which content can be stored and played, opens up a whole new world for us and for consumers. By reorganizing our home entertainment division now, we are positioning ourselves to deliver entertainment to people wherever, whenever and however they want to enjoy it.”