• Turner acquires Bleacher Report for $175 million

    Submitted by ITV Production on Aug 07
    indiantelevision.com Team

    MUMBAI: Turner Broadcasting System has acquired San Francisco-based Bleacher Report, one of the fastest growing sports digital properties on the Internet, for an estimated $175 million.

    B/R (bleacherreport.com) and its popular mobile offerings will now operate as part of the Turner Sports division, Turner Broadcasting president of sales, distribution and sports David Levy said.

    Turner Sports currently manages digital properties on behalf of the NBA, NCAA and PGA, oversees ad sales for NASCAR.COM and has a strategic sales relationship with Yahoo! Sports. B/R will complement a preeminent collection of brands within the Turner Digital portfolio spanning entertainment, sports, kids, news and comedy destinations across broadband, mobile and tablet.

    "Bleacher Report is a strategic acquisition that further enhances Turner‘s portfolio of sports offerings, as well as reflects our continuing commitment to bring fans greater content across all screens throughout the entire year," said Levy.

    "As brand builders and content providers, we were attracted to Bleacher Report‘s fast growth to a leading marketplace position and a valued consumer destination. The site will continue to innovate and provide users and sports fans with branded news and information. With our expansive digital rights and resources, Turner will further ensure Bleacher Report‘s continued growth and success."

    Levy added, "With the acquisition of Bleacher Report, we have added another dimension to our portfolio of digital and mobile properties that will enable us to offer our advertising partners integrated opportunities across all screens and demos that will enhance our ability to monetise sports programming throughout the entire year."

    B/R CEO Brian Grey will continue to oversee B/R‘s day-to-day operations out of its San Francisco offices and will report directly to Lenny Daniels, executive vice president and chief operating officer of Turner Sports. Together, Grey and Matt Hong, senior vice president and general manager of operations for Turner Sports, will partner in the overall management and integration of the Bleacher Report operations into the Turner Sports portfolio.

    Dave Finocchio, founder and chief content & product officer, Bleacher Report & vice president, Turner Sports; Sam Parnell, chief technology officer, Bleacher Report & vice president, Turner Sports and Rich Calacci, Chief Revenue Officer, Bleacher Report & senior vice president, Turner Digital Ad Sales will all stay on board within their expanded roles.

    "Bleacher Report was created to put fans first, and we are excited to integrate our innovative content publishing model and engaging multi-platform consumer digital media experience within Turner Sports‘ world-class television and digital content portfolio," said Brian Grey, in his newly-expanded role as chief executive officer, Bleacher Report & senior vice president, Turner Sports.

    "Together the portfolio will define how content creators, consumers and marketers come together around the sports team and topic content experience that fans will consume across every screen."

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    Turner
  • Turner Content Solutions unveils diverse slate for MipTV

    Submitted by ITV Production on Mar 29
    indiantelevision.com Team

    MUMBAI: Turner Broadcasting?s branded syndication arm, Turner Content Solutions, is bringing a raft of new programming and a wide variety of entertainment genres to this year?s MipTV and MipDoc.

    Turner?s diverse slate includes drama, comedy, kids, reality, lifestyle, movies and documentaries, featuring quality homegrown shows from around the globe.

    Kids? TV highlights for MipTV include the current Ben 10 series and the latest cycle new for 2012: Ben 10: Omniverse. Also available for intergalactic syndication is Ben 10?s first made-for-television CGI-animated movie-length feature, Ben 10TM ? Destroy All Aliens.

    Other highlights on offer are the multi award-winning The Amazing World of Gumball, which is into a second season, following the global success of the first. The much-anticipated new series of LazyTown is also under way, with the show?s creator, Magnus Scheving, spearheading the project and a new series of Adventure Time, currently in production. All the other Cartoon Network Original favourites are also on offer at MipTV 2012.

    Turner International Asia Pacific Executive Director, Syndication ? Asia Pacific Grace Chan said, "The market has been crying out for more good quality productions that tell great stories ? whether that be an edge-of-your-seat made-for-TV movie adapted from a New York Times bestseller ? or an award-winning documentary that gives us deep insight. And we now have an even bigger library of these stories to share."

    On Turner?s general entertainment slate at MipTV is Mystery Night Movies? a collection of movie mystery thrillers from TNT, featuring A-list stars such as Anne Heche, Bill Pullman and John Corbett and based on best-selling crime novels.

    Drama from Turkey features highly on the MipTV slate ? Memoli is based on the hero from the most popular Turkish police serial Yikan Hikayesi, while Valley of the Wolves is set in the dark world of gambling, drugs and weapon smuggling and the turbulent romantic drama series I Met a Woman features a woman forced to run from her past.

    MIPDoc entries from Turner include programming from Asia Pacific ? Tokyo Luxury Guide which explores how Tokyo?s traditional culture fits in with the luxurious modern city; AFI Masterclass: the Art of Collaboration which looks at the exciting partnership between Spielberg and composer John Williams. A Night at the Movies also features at MipDoc ? Turner Classic Movies? fascinating look behind the scenes of Hollywood?s top cinematic genres.

    From Latin America there are two new documentaries also available to screen at MipDoc ? Confessions of a Hit Man, a one-hour EMMY-nominated film detailing the shocking realities of the narcotraffic world in Mexico, and Traces, a series in which Diego Luna explores the ?underworld? of Latin America.

    NonStop Sales, part of Turner Content Solutions, profiles Jussi Bj?rling at MipDoc, a film based on much-loved world-famous tenor, as well as new titles for MipTV ? Magic Silver 2: the Quest for the Mystic Horn, a feature-length sequel, Nymphs, a fantasy drama series based on the spirits featured in Greek mythology set in a futuristic world, and Simon and the Oaks based on the novel by one of Sweden?s most renowned authors, Marianne Fredriksson.

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    MipTV
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