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Sony Pictures Television International (SPTI) is looking at further
expanding its presence in Asia by launching its anime channel Animax
in Korea in the second quarter of 2006.
SPTI
formed a joint venture with Korean satellite TV broadcaster SkyLife
to launch the 24-hour Animax Korea. The announcement was made today
by SPTI president international networks Andy Kaplan and SkyLife
CEO and president Dongkoo Surh.
Under
the agreement, Animax Korea will be a local programme provider based
in Korea focusing on animation programming. It will be carried exclusively
on SkyLife’s DTH platform, which has a subscriber base of about
1.9 million in Korea.
"Since
the launch of Animax Asia in January 2004, we have seen exponential
growth – from one million households when it launched to more than
22 million Asian households. I am confident that Animax Korea’s
incredible anime programming, combined with SkyLife’s strong distribution
network, will make Animax Korea a destination for viewers in Korea.
With the expansion to Korea, Animax will be an even more effective
advertising platform for multinational advertisers to extend their
promotional reach," said Kaplan.
"Korea is an important market for us and figures prominently
in our channels expansion strategy. SPTI in Asia provides popular
programming to huge audiences in the region and we’re honoured to
bring Animax to Korean audiences, just as we did with action entertainment
programming with the launch of AXN in July this year. Anime is extremely
popular and Animax has become a favourite among cable and satellite
operators for its advertiser-friendly audience, and judging by its
track record, we hope the channel will also become a destination
for viewers in Korea," said SPTI senior vice president and
managing director Asia Todd Miller.
Surh
added, "We are delighted to have a partnership with SPTI in
providing a high quality animation channel on our platform. With
SPTI’s expertise as a worldwide entertainment group, we are confident
that Animax Korea will help to make SkyLife’s channel line-up even
stronger and more competitive."
The
launch of Animax Korea is part of SPTI’s expansion plans for its
international network portfolio which now includes over 40 channels.
In Asia, SPTI launched AXN in Korea in July 2005. AXN was the first
international general entertainment channel approved for retransmission
in Korea. Outside Asia, Animax has extended its reach to Latin America
with the launch of Animax Latin America in July 2005, and in November
this year, AXN launched in Italy.
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