ITV

Tag: Philippines

  • SPT Asia signs deal with pay-TV platform in Philippines

    SPT Asia signs deal with pay-TV platform in Philippines

    MUMBAI: Sony Pictures Television (SPT) Networks, Asia has signed an agreement with Sky Cable Corporation to expand carriage of AXN and beTV to the Destiny Cable pay-TV platform in the Philippines.

    Both channels are located on Destiny Cable‘s basic tier of channels, which are available to its widest base of subscribers. Destiny Cable customers can now enjoy AXN and beTV on channels 61 and 62 respectively.

    "The Philippines is a key market where we continue to invest and hope to entertain even greater audiences by expanding AXN and beTV‘s reach to the country‘s second most subscribed to pay-TV platform, Destiny Cable. Our expanded partnership with Sky Cable Corporation provides even more viewers with access to our high-quality programming," said SPT Networks, Asia EVP and GM Ricky Ow.

    With the launch of AXN and beTV on Destiny Cable, SPT Networks, Asia claims that all its channels are now available on every pay-TV platform in Metro Manila and on all major systems in the country.

    "We are excited about this new agreement with SPT Networks, one of the producers of top-quality shows in the world. Our relationship with them has truly grown even further through the years. Our growing client base in the Philippines will surely be elated as well since they would be the beneficiaries of these exciting entertainment packages. Subscribers are assured of up-to-date viewing of popular shows that are currently being aired in the United States," said Destiny Cable GM Jon Arayata.

    Delivering first run, exclusive top-rated drama series, blockbuster movies, adventure and competitive reality programs from around the world, as well as localized original productions, AXN remains the No.1 rated English GE channel in the Philippines .

    beTV is Asia‘s new entertainment hangout for the best of TV. With first and exclusive, award-winning new and returning hit drama, comedy, mystery and lifestyle shows, beTV is a broad GE channel which is female skewing, with a core audience of 18-34 years old.

  • Ten films by newcomers to compete in Busan

    Ten films by newcomers to compete in Busan

    New Delhi: Ten films are to feature in the New Currents Competition in South Korea‘s Busan International Film Festival next month.
    The section in the Festival from 4 to 13 October is for first- and second-time directors. This year‘s selection comprises films by an unusual number of first-time directors.
    The lineup includes two films from South Korea and two from Taiwan, and one film apiece from Thailand, Philippines, India and Japan, in addition to two titles – within the festivals‘s broad definition of Asia – from Iraq and Lebanon.
    The Korean films are coming-of-age drama Fatal in which “sin, conscience and accountability take center stage”, and Your Time is Up about the “living avenging the dead”.
    From Taiwan, Chang Rong-ji‘s Touch of the Light is about the relationship between a blind pianist and a female dance student. It is joined by another first feature, Hsu Chao-jen’s ensemble drama Together.
    Thai scriptwriter Nawapol Thamrongrattanarit is taking 36 which “examines the power of memory to create reality” after a hard drive crash destroys a year worth of photographs.

    The Philippines‘ Vincent Sandoval is presenting his second film Apparition which is about an “act of brutal violence that shatters a convent‘s cloistered tranquility”. Its selection had already been announced in domestic media.

    India‘s Filmistaan features “a kidnapped Indian production grunt who bonds with his Pakistani captors over their shared love of Bollywood”. From Japan, The Town of Whales is about a high-school student‘s quest for her missing brother.

    BUSAN IFF‘S NEW CURRENTS COMPETITION 2012

    • 111 Girls; dirs. Nahid Ghobadi & Bijan Zmanpira [Iraq]
    • 36; dir. Nawapol Thamrongrattanarit [Thailand]
    • Apparition; dir. Vincent Sandoval [Philippines]
    • Fatal; dir. Lee Don-ku [South Korea]
    • Filmstaan; dir. Nitin Kakkar [India]
    • Kayan; dir. Maryam Najafi [Canada/Lebanon]
    • The Town of Whales; dir. Tsuruoka Keiko [Japan]
    • Together; dir. Hsu Chao-jen [Taiwan]
    • Touch of the Light; dir. Chang Rong-ji [Taiwan]
    • Your Time is Up; dir. Kim Sung-hyun [South Korea]

  • The Dark Knight Rises still at No. 1 with $34.2 mn intake

    The Dark Knight Rises still at No. 1 with $34.2 mn intake

    MUMBAI: Fighting the hot temperatures in the UK and the Olympics, The Dark Knight Rises remained at the No. 1 spot with an intake of $34.2 million.
    According to Warner Bros., the film is tracking 46 per cent ahead of the comparable take of its predecessor The Dark Knight “at today‘s exchange rates.” The Christopher Nolan film has grossed $445.3 million in foreign locales to date, $23.7 less than the overseas total amassed by the first version.
    The film‘s top weekend markets included the UK, France and Brazil.
    Opening in 13 foreign territories day-and-date with its No. 1 US debut was The Bourne Legacy, the fourth episode of the espionage franchise. The film drew $7.8 million from 694 locations — averaging nearly $11,300 per site — in Eastern Europe, India, the Caribbean and in Asia (Hong Kong, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Taiwan and Vietnam).
    The film‘s top debut market was the Philippines followed by Singapore, while its No. 2 take was in Taiwan with an intake of $1.2 million from 67 sites for a per-location average of nearly $18,000.
    The three previous Bourne titles had grossed a total of $419.6 million on the foreign circuit with the 2007‘s The Bourne Ultimatum leading with an overseas tally of $215 million. 2004‘s The Bourne Supremacy collected $112.3 million offshore while 2002‘s The Bourne Identity registered $92.3 million.

  • Avengers grosses $ 178.4 million on debut in 39 markets

    Avengers grosses $ 178.4 million on debut in 39 markets

    MUMBAI: Disney and Marvel Studios‘ The Avengers has debuted to a massive opening of $178.4 million from as many as 39 markets across the globe.

    The film opened at No. 1 in all 39 territories and posted the biggest opening weekend ever in key Latin American markets including Mexico ($15.9 million) and Brazil ($11.3 million).
    BIn the UK, the film debuted to $24.7 million, the biggest opening ever for a superhero title as well as Disney‘s biggest three-day opening. The 3D film grossed $19.7 million in Australia, the second highest opening ever.

    In Asia, the film posted the highest opening weekends in history in Taiwan, Hong Kong and the Philippines . In India, Avengers also rolled out and enjoyed the third highest opening for a Western film, according to Disney.

  • Multichannel TV beneficial to advertisers : Casbaa

    Multichannel TV beneficial to advertisers : Casbaa

    MUMBAI: A 100 per cent allocation of a $1.75 million budget to free-to-air (FTA) results in a campaign viewed by just 33 per cent of the TV population. The campaign reach increases from 33 per cent to 56 per cent when half of the TV budget is redistributed to multichannel TV from only FTA TV allocation.

    Casbaa has released a powerful first-of-its-kind reach and frequency analysis of the definable returns on media investment in multichannel TV advertising.

    Commissioned by Casbaa and executed by global media agency Universal McCann, the study measures the benefits of allocating variable percentages of a $1.75 million TV budget on multichannel TV and FTA in seven key Asia-Pacific markets: India, Australia, Hong Kong, the Philippines, Malaysia, Singapore and Taiwan.

    Casbaa CEO Simon Twiston Davies said, “The clear advantage of advertising on multichannel TV becomes self evident when simulating real-life budgeting scenarios via robust Peoplemeter data. The numbers demonstrate that multichannel TV makes undeniable fiscal sense when reach and return on investment are optimized.”

    Added Universal McCann Hong Kong managing director Chris Skinner,”This powerful new look at TV data allows to us to better understand that for a regional campaign, switching a portion of the budget onto regional multichannel TV channels means we can deliver higher reach at a lower cost-per-thousand for our clients.”

    An equal combination of FTA and multichannel TV sees total impressions (gross number of times a commercial is viewed) multiplied by 2.5 times from an FTA only schedule: increasing from 537 million to 1.4 billion. Using multichannel TV lowers cost per thousand (CPT) by up to 60 per cent in a 50/50 multichannel TV/FTA combination versus an FTA only schedule.

    “Campaigns that allocate part of their terrestrial TV budget to multichannel TV reap the rewards. The research tells us that you can effectively double your reach, increase the viewing frequency of ads, and lower your CPT – all with no extra investment” added Twiston Davies.

    A similar trend was also monitored when the demographics data was analysed to reflect key age, gender and socio-economic groups.

    In the coming months, Casbaa will release yet more data from two other global media agencies supporting the case for multichannel TV advertising.

  • Third Eye Fest ends with Rang Rasiya

    Third Eye Fest ends with Rang Rasiya

    MUMBAI: The 10th Third Eye Asian Film Festival, that got underway on 22 December, screened as many as 100 feature films and 50 short films.


    The films were selected from among over 400 entries received from different Asian Countries including Iran, China, Japan, Israel, Philippines and Indonesia.


    The festival that had Turkey as the focus country, promoted and showcased several Turkish films like My Marlon And Brando, Uzak ( Distant) and Yamurta (Egg) that were earlier appreciated at other festivals around the world.


    The seven-day affair paid tributes to departed film luminaries like Ashok Kumar and Dev Anand whose cult film Guide was screened in the presence of his son Suniel. Tributes were paid to Ashok Kumar by screening of his B R Chopra-starrer Gumrah.


    The festival, that rolled with the premiere of the Chinese film 11 Flowers, ended with Ketan Mehta‘s Rang Rasiya.

  • India more lenient towards media’s coverage of economic downturn: Study

    India more lenient towards media’s coverage of economic downturn: Study

    MUMBAI: While the world stands to blame the media for keeping them blindsided to the severity of the economic crisis, about a third of Indian respondents do not rest all blame on media, reveals the latest 52-nation online survey conducted by The Nielsen Company.

    India figures ninth on the list of countries who disagree with the view that news media did not do a good job of informing them of issues that led to the economic downturn in India.

    The general consensus among consumers across much of the world is that the media did a poor job informing the public about the issues leading up to the current financial crisis. In India too, 45 per cent of the respondents agreed that media coverage was inadequate but the number of people who disagree is also quite large.

    The two regions where consumers were most dissatisfied were Europe and North America. Not surprisingly, these were the areas hit the most by the current economic crisis. On the other hand, consumers in many Asia Pacific nations, where the impact on the economy hasn’t been as harsh, were generally less critical of the media.

    “In the recent Nielsen Global Consumer Confidence study India was ranked third on confidence levels. The comparatively high level of confidence that Indians have in their economy might be a reason why Indians have shown more mercy towards media coverage during the downturn than the rest of the world. Also the fact that India didn’t face a full blown downturn helped the media to save itself from consumers’ ire,” said The Nielsen Company India associate director – consumer research Vatsala Pant.

    The study states that not only do fewer Indians blame media for its past coverage of the downturn, but with 70 per cent votes, India is ranked third in the list of countries who think that the current media is doing a good job in helping them understand the issues affecting the global economy. Indian respondents also agree that media is helping them to better understand what the governments are doing to solve the economic problems at hand (61 per cent – 6th highest globally).

    Attitudes about early media coverage were most positive in the Philippines, Pakistan, Indonesia, Venezuela and India, all of which scored above the global average.

    Factors that drove the failure to communicate were varied.

    Some critics have argued that the financial media was too close to those it covered. Moreover, the speed of negative events following the Lehman Brothers bankruptcy filing caught not only journalists by surprise, but also economists and government officials.

    Globally, many of the 25,000-plus consumers polled believe media performance has improved over time. In much of the Asia Pacific region, the public thought the media was doing a good job in providing information about what the issues are and what governments are doing to address them.

    57 per cent Indian respondents think that the amount of current news coverage of the global financial crisis is just about right for them, 23 per cent think it’s not enough for them and 20 per cent think there is too much coverage.

  • ‘As there is no clear No. 2 sport in India, NBA has an opportunity to take that spot’ : Emilio Collins – NBA senior VP international development & partnerships

    ‘As there is no clear No. 2 sport in India, NBA has an opportunity to take that spot’ : Emilio Collins – NBA senior VP international development & partnerships

    Cracking the Chinese wall, the National Basketball Association (NBA) plans to break into the Indian market and become the No. 2 sporting power within five years.

     

    Last week the NBA inaugurated a dedicated basketball court at Nagpada in Mumbai, the first in a series of courts that it plans to develop in line with its long term commitment to grow the sport in India.

     

    For the first time, the NBA also opened up its live matches to the online viewers in India.

     

    In an interview with Indiantelevision.com’s Ashwin Pinto, NBA senior VP international development and partnerships Emilio Collins talks about the other plans that the company has to grow the market for basketball in India.

     

    Excerpts:
    Could you talk about the strategy NBA has employed to grow its reach globally over the last couple of years?
    Our strategy starts with media. This means getting television reach and forming partnerships with other digital outlets to grow the reach of the NBA brand. Post this, we focus on building the sport out. This is done by creating more basketball opportunities. We aim at providing more access to the game like infrastructure development.

    Which are your top five markets outside the US and where does Asia fit in this?
    China is our biggest market. It represents 40 per cent of our international business. Over the last six years, there has been substantial growth in that market. Philippines, Korea and Japan are the other key Asian markets where the basketball population is very high.

     

    In Europe there is tremendous relevance in Turkey, Spain, Italy, the UK and Russia. A lot of our international players come from Europe and so the relevance is very high. Latin America is a big priority for us, especially Mexico and Brazil. We have recently started to look at the Middle East.

    Did the NBA see good revenue growth last year?
    The NBA is growing at a significant clip at 20 per cent a year. I cannot talk about numbers, though. Asia contributes a little over 50 per cent while Europe accounts for 35 per cent. Latin America makes up the rest.

    How much do television license fees contribute?
    Media license fees contribute 50 per cent. This is followed by sponsorship and consumer products.

    Why didn’t you push NBA into the Indian market earlier and how big a market opportunity do you see here now?
    The biggest challenge that we face at the NBA as far as our international business is concerned is how to size up opportunities simultaneously. We wanted to ensure first that we managed China correctly. A lot of resources went there.

     

    India is one of our focus markets now, along with the Middle East and Latin America. The emerging middle class provides a big opportunity for us here. Basketball can play a big role in the development of sports infrastructure. The appetite for sports and entertainment is growing which has been proven with the success of the IPL. The NBA also fuses sports and entertainment. The IPL has successfully tapped into this combination.

    How do Indians perceive the NBA as a brand?
    The brand value is very high. We are in the unique position where the best basketball players from around the world play in the NBA. So if you grow up and get exposed to basketball, you automatically aspire to be a part of the NBA. Our players are global icons and by the sheer nature of the presentation of our game, players become larger than life personalities and figures; they are fused into the world of pop culture and entertainment. This has enhanced the status of the NBA brand.

     

    How tough is India as a market for the NBA to grow, particularly since it is a one-sport nation?
    This, in fact, marks an opportunity for us as we want to be number two. In a market where there is no clear number two, there is an opportunity for growth side by side with the number one sport that is cricket.

     

    Our strategy revolves firstly around building the sport. We want to provide more access to the sport through infrastructure development. Then we want to get involved with the community and develop activities around it with our local partners. We can use basketball as a means to contribute to the community. Thirdly, we plan to expand the reach of NBA Lifestyle and offer opportunities to fans to experience the NBA. This can be done through basketball competitions, interaction with players and most importantly through broader media distribution.

     

    Where do you see the NBA in India five years down the line?
    The NBA has a long-term development plan for India. Our goal is to make basketball the No. 2 sport in India in the next five years.
    ‘Outside the US, China is our biggest market. It represents 40% of our international biz. Philippines, Korea and Japan are the other key Asian markets where the basketball population is very high. India is one of our focus markets now‘

    You have successfully grown the NBA in countries like China and Japan. Are there any learnings from that brand building process which you would want to apply to India?
    We have learnt the most from China. It all starts with spreading the NBA brand through television. This is then followed up with on-ground activities mixed with community initiatives. To make a court for the Nagpada neighbourhood and make this the epicenter of social and physical activities for them would make a difference to the community. This is critical to all the markets where we operate.

     

    Secondly, we want to introduce the sport to new audiences. This means going into schools and teaching basketball fundamentals through a Junior NBA initiative. We also want to create participation. We can use the Nagpada court to have tournaments there.

     

    We bring the NBA Lifestyle experience to the market. In the USA, we will be going into malls over the summer and bringing the experience to fans like slam dunk on a small court. One can play NBA videogames. You can meet NBA players and really feel the NBA experience.

     

    Finally, we want to bring the NBA competition to India. We will bring NBA teams to compete in an exhibition game. But before doing this, the infrastructure in India has to develop at a faster pace.

    How is the deal with Star Sports working out?
    They have partnered with us for many years – in fact, since 1993. In addition to showing our games live on Fridays and Saturdays, they are also increasingly showing repeats during primetime. This is very important in terms of broadening the awareness of the NBA. We go beyond this by offering highlights and condensed programming that allow fans to connect.

     

    Then there is behind the scenes programming. We focus on what our players are doing in the community and on what our teams are doing day in and day out. We look at contributions teams make in their key markets. It is about capturing what the NBA brand is about in different markets across the US.

     

    Is there interest from other Indian and Asian television broadcasters as well for the NBA content?
    There is significant interest from other Indian and Asian television broadcasters for NBA content. We are in discussions with various local Indian media outlets to distribute our content in different ways to appeal to Indian fans.

     

    Does the NBA do a lot of tie ins for film and TV shows?
    The NBA works with a variety of TV broadcasters and film studios to tie in the League’s content – from product placement to guest appearances by NBA players, etc. The NBA brand and its players are a significant part of pop-culture and films and TV shows leverage the League as a platform to reach its target audiences.

     

    Would this avenue be explored in India?
    Integrating NBA content within TV and film is an important component in creating local relevance for our brand in India. We are developing strong relationships with broadcasters and film studios in India to showcase the lifestyle and pop-culture appeal of our League, teams and players. We have already begun to integrate with Bollywood. This past November, the NBA hosted two Bollywood stars – Lara Dutta and Dino Morea – for an all-access VIP weekend in L.A. NBA Entertainment documented their experience and produced a 30 minute program which aired on ESPN in India on Christmas Day last year.

     

    Are you looking at specials which can serve as value adds?
    In a game played by LA Lakers, Dino Morea and Lara Dutta took part in many activities around the Staples Centre. We produced a half-hour special with ESPN Star Sports. We will do more activities like this down the road. It helps if that many Bollywood celebrities are fans of basketball. We can create shows on the experiences of Bollywood celebrities with the NBA.

     

    In addition, there are opportunities for reality-based content. There could be a talent search contest about finding the next great Indian basketball player. We are talking with ESPN Star Sports in this regard as well as with other platforms.

    What kind of content does NBA offer on the mobile?
    It is crucial in India as there are hundreds of millions of subscribers in India. We need our content using this platform. Photos, ringtones, wallpaper and then as 3G comes in, we would offer highlights. This will all be in addition to standard scores and statistics.
  • BVITV inks mobile content deal with Philippines’ ABS-CBN Interactive

    BVITV inks mobile content deal with Philippines’ ABS-CBN Interactive

    MUMBAI: Buena Vista International Television–Asia Pacific (BVITV-AP) has concluded its first live action series mobile content agreement with ABS-CBN Interactive (ABSi), a division of the ABS-CBN Broadcasting Company in the Philippines. 

    This agreement is in line with Buena Vista International Television–Asia Pacific (BVITV-AP), the international television distribution arm of The Walt Disney Company’s focus on the application of technology to enhance its content and expand its distribution to deliver it anytime, anywhere, according to an official statement.

    For the first time in the Philippines, ABS-CBN Interactive’s mobile customers will be able to enjoy mobile video content from BVITV’s hit series, Desperate Housewives and Grey’s Anatomy, including second season sneak peeks, behind-the-scenes and recaps video clips, plus SMS infotext, wallpaper and WAP sites – to tie in with the television broadcast. 

    Seasons two of Desperate Housewives and Grey’s Anatomy are currently airing on Studio 23, one of ABS-CBN’s television networks, which is currently celebrating its 10 anniversary on-air.

    “We are thrilled to be the first U.S. studio to offer mobile content and clips of live action series content on the recently launched 3G platforms in the Philippines,” says BVITV-AP senior vice president and managing director Steve Macallister. “We look forward to working with ABS-CBN Interactive and clients around the region to deliver our programming in innovative and interactive ways to consumers – one of the key priorities at BVITV – enhancing the entertainment experience for fans of our series’.”

    ”This exciting partnership with BVITV-AP will create a complete viewing experience for Studio 23 audiences, extending their affinity with the shows and allowing them to bring it with them anywhere they go, through their mobile phones,” said ABS-CBN Interactive MD Paolo Pineda.

  • Casbaa & Fifa take legal action against unlicensed airing of World Cup ’06

    Casbaa & Fifa take legal action against unlicensed airing of World Cup ’06

    MUMBAI: The Cable and Satellite Broadcasting Association of Asia (Casbaa) has announced that the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (Fifa) and Hong Kong Cable Television Limited have instituted legal proceedings against a number of public venues for allegedly airing unlicensed pay-TV broadcasts of the World Cup 2006 matches.

    Speaking on behalf of the plaintiffs and 110 companies engaged in the regional pay-TV industry, Casbaa confirmed that writs had been served on five high-profile bars along with cease and desist letters served on an unspecified number of public venues across Hong Kong, informs an official release.

    Thus, Fifa, Hong Kong Cable along with Casbaa are seeking monetary damages for the copyright infringements.

    Casbaa CEO Simon Twiston Davies said, “Although the industry reached out to the Hong Kong food and beverage industry in the run up to the World Cup, stating that pay-TV signal theft is not to be tolerated by government or industry, many bars blatantly screened unlicensed pay-TV broadcasts. We have had no choice but to take the matter to the courts.”

    As an indication of the pay-TV industry’s commitment to the Hong Kong sporting community, Davies noted that the plaintiffs and Casbaa would donate any proceeds received from the defendants after costs to local sports charities. Casbaa believes it is important to return the funds to where they belong – the support of sports development.

    “The issue of intellectual property rights protection requires concerted efforts on all fronts between the government, industry, bar and club owners and the general public, especially as we run up to other global events such as the Beijing Olympics in 2008 and recurring high value events such as the English Premier League. The sports leagues who stage major events need a fair return on their investment,” adds Davies.

    The release also states that under Hong Kong law, bars and clubs may only display pay-TV channels under an appropriate subscription from Hong Kong licensed pay-TV operators such as Hong Kong Cable, now Television and TVB Pay Vision. For several years Casbaa has urged that the distribution of satellite-based pay-TV services from overseas should be given the same criminal protection as signals illegally tapped from local pay-TV operators.

    Overseas pay-TV operators such as Dream of the Philippines, MultiChoice of South Africa and UBC True of Thailand are authorised to offer pay-TV subscriptions in their respective jurisdictions but they cannot, and indeed do not, offer subscriptions in Hong Kong. The display of overseas pay-TV channels in Hong Kong by bars and club owners, using special decoders is illegal, adds the release..