MUMBAI: Sony Pictures Television Networks, Asia and Hong Kong-based Legend have sealed an agreement to broadcast Legend Fighting Championship (LFC), the Asia-Pacific Championship of Mixed Martial Arts, on AXN in 21 territories across the region.

The deal grants AXN the first and exclusive rights to broadcast all Legend Fighting Championship events from October 2012 through August 2013. In addition, four of the most recently concluded Legend Fighting Championship tournaments will premiere first and exclusively on AXN in the coming months.

Sony Pictures Television executive VP, GM Networks, Asia Ricky Ow said, "We are very excited to be partnering with Legend to showcase some of the best and most established Asian MMA fighters. Many of these fighters are already household names in Japan, Korea and China, where LFC has a huge following. We have no doubt that our broadcast of these thrilling fights on AXN will further enhance the popularity of LFC, especially amongst our viewers across South East Asia".

Legend MD Chris Pollak said, "This partnership with AXN begins an exciting new chapter in the Legend story. Since Legend was established, we have dedicated ourselves to growing the sport of MMA here in the Asia-Pacific and giving fighters from this region the opportunity to compete in a world-class organization. AXN is Asia‘s premiere platform for entertainment, and we are excited to bring the best in Asia-Pacific MMA to their audience, particularly since so many of Legend‘s elite fighters hail from AXN‘s key broadcast markets".

Founded in Hong Kong, Legend Fighting Championship invites exclusively the highest-level professional martial artists throughout China and Asia-Pacific to compete in a freestyle tournament using interdisciplinary martial arts skills including boxing, Brazilian jiujitsu, judo, Muay Thai, Sambo, Sanda, Taekwondo and wrestling in supervised matches under a strict set of rules designed to promote athlete safety.

The series focuses on the multi-faceted, tactical nature of mixed martial arts where athletes are armed with a well-rounded skill-set in striking, grappling, and submissions to compete. Since January 2010, 10 Legend Fighting Championship events have been completed. The most recent event included 20 fighters from several countries including India, Australia, China, Indonesia and New Zealand.

MUMBAI: Sony Pictures Television will join PricewaterhouseCoopers at the television trade event Mipcom 2012 to discuss the future of media, entertainment and broadcasting.

PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) global leader entertainment, media practice Marcel Fenez will present the annual PwC Global Entertainment & Media Outlook at Mipcom on 8 October, outlining forecasts in the media and leisure industries. This industry report will be followed by interviews conducted by Fenez with Sony Pictures Television president of International Production and Sony Pictures Entertainment president of international Andrea Wong.

In her Mipcom keynote interview, Wong will discuss the PwC Outlook findings and how they are reflected in the production activity that SPT International Production undertakes around the world, as well as international production and commissioning trends.

Wong heads the studio?s international television production business, overseeing the creative teams outside the US as well as the 18 owned and joint venture international production companies around the world.

Organised by Reed Midem, Mipcom will take place in Cannes, France from 8-11 October.

MUMBAI: Sony Pictures Television has acquired a majority stake in Left Bank Pictures for $63.6 million, a move that signals the company‘s significant move into scripted production in the UK.

Left Bank Pictures, the banner behind Wallander - a crime series based on the popular novels by Scandinavian author Henning Mankel, starring Kenneth Branagh - now intends to focus on its international ambitions post the acquisition.

It joins other UK production houses within SPT such as Victory Television, Gogglebox Entertainment and Silver River.

Left Bank CEO Andy Harries and MD Marigo Kehoe will continue to run the company from London and will report to Andrea Wong, SPT?s president of international production.

MUMBAI: Film and television star Michael J. Fox is making his long-awaited return to series television on NBC, the network where it all began for him 30 years ago with ?Family Ties?.

The untitled comedy series, from Sony Pictures Television and Olive Bridge Entertainment, was given a 22-episode commitment and is loosely inspired by people and elements in Fox?s life.

NBC Entertainment chairman Robert Greenblatt said, ?To bring Michael J. Fox back to NBC is a supreme honour and we are thrilled that one of the great comedic television stars is Coming Home again. From the moment we met with Michael to hear his unique point of view about this new show, we were completely captivated and on board. He is utterly relatable, optimistic, and in a class by himself, and I have no doubt that the character he will create ? and the vivid family characters surrounding him ? will be both instantly recognisable and hilarious. Being in business with him is a supreme pleasure.?

NBC Entertainment president Jennifer Salke said, "We have all been such huge fans of Michaels and hoped one day he would return to television with his own show. He had us at hello with his warmth, humor and incredible charisma. The fact that he pitched us a show that was funny, heartwarming and personal was the icing on the cake! We are over the moon and thankful Michael, Will (Gluck) and Sam (Laybourne) will be a cornerstone of our NBC comedy brand."

Fox said, ?I?m extremely pleased to be back at NBC with a great creative team and a great show. Bob Greenblatt and all the folks at the network have given me a warm welcome home, and I?m excited to get to work.?

The series will begin filming this year and will air next year. It features Fox as a husband and father of three from New York City dealing with family, career, and challenges -- including Parkinson?s -- all loosely drawn from Fox?s real life.

MUMBAI: Sony Pictures Television Networks, Asia has named James Dumlao as head of its operations in the Philippines.

Designated as director business operations, Dumlao will be based in the company?s Manila office to lead its local team across all strategic operations and brand-building aspects of the business.

Dumlao comes with 13 years of experience in the Filipino pay-TV industry and in his new role, will drive distribution, marketing strategies, and advertising sales for SPT?s networks in the Philippines including AXN, Animax and beTV.

Dumlao is also charged with developing new business opportunities for the company and will report to Sony Pictures Television Networks, Asia Sr VP, business operations and head of Asian content Hui Keng Ang.

"We are delighted to welcome James on board to spearhead the growth of our business in the Philippines. His in-depth local knowledge and experience will prove invaluable in leading the team in an exciting marketplace where we continue to focus and invest significantly in," said Sony Pictures Television Networks, Asia EVP and GM Ricky Ow.

Dumlao was earlier with Pilipino Cable Corp (PCC) where he served as director of marketing and program acquisitions as well as director of advertising sales from 2000 to 2007. Before that, he was manager of PCC?s business in the region of Visayas, and he was with cable network start-up, Telemondial Holdings, Inc. prior to joining PCC.

Following his PCC tenure, Dumlao joined as managing director of the Asiaphil group of companies which is engaged in manufacturing, trading, project management, project financing and energy efficiency solutions. From 2010, Dumlao became an independent management consultant providing consultancy to clients from trading, manufacturing and energy industries including Macondray & Co. Inc. and Asiaphil Management Resources, Inc.