jkd,
"i always thought this was about kids stuff. not any more."
From 09 October 2006:
"Galleon's CEO Stephen Green said 'This is a landmark deal for Galleon, and has
the potential to transform the company's entertainment business in a quantum
way. Sony BMG's expertise in music talent, rights management and its global
infrastructure for exploitation makes them the perfect partner for us. This
strategic alliance represents a huge endorsement of the project which will add
momentum to discussions with broadcasters, sponsors and other strategic and
commercial partners."
http://moneyam.uk-wire.com/cgi-bin/articles/200610090700281344K.html
From 25 January 2007:
For many years the entertainment industry has been watching media convergence
and considering its impact on entertainment consumption habits. In 2006 online
media came of age as an entertainment channel and TV broadcasters are reacting
to this new trend. For the first time, TV broadcasters are insisting on
properties being created with multi-channel consumption built into the content
as opposed to being an afterthought. The industry is referring to this as a '360
degree' or 'multi-platform' approach to entertainment. As a company in the
entertainment IP business this has led to us spending more time on development,
considering multiple channels of access for consumers, such as TV, online,
mobile, live events and retail when creating IP. For some demographics, such as
the 16-24 year old market, online has overtaken TV as the main channel of
entertainment consumption. This means that the traditional TV-led route to
market is being challenged as other opportunities and partnerships arise.
As such, during 2006, we have focused on developing in-house entertainment IP
that allows the consumer to interact with the IP through all key channels. This
means that we have looked at not only creating entertainment that can be
consumed through multiple channels but we are also considering the assets that
may be needed to facilitate this consumption.
Apollo's Pad
Apollo's Pad is the first example of a successful application of our skills to
this new way of thinking. The consumer most affected by convergence is the 16-24
year old. They have a voracious appetite for music, comedy and other
entertainment that can be snacked across multiple platforms. Apollo's Pad is
effectively a business that takes your all-time favourite music and, by applying
the latest in animation and comedy, delivers these great tracks to today's
multimedia consumer as branded entertainment across all channels and platforms:
online, TV, radio, mobile and retail. It was critical that in development we not
only created the content but also the web portal that will allow consumers to
access this content on a global basis. As a business it allows traditional TV
partners to participate in the brand on a regional basis, but is not dependent
on them as means of accessing the consumer. This means that we can launch
Apollo's Pad directly to the global online music market, benefiting from
direct-to-consumer revenue streams from day one of launch. This direct dialogue
also allows our consumers to directly participate in the creating and shaping of
the content that they consume. This integrated two-way dialogue allows us to
constantly be in touch with our audience and effectively create 'Organic
Content' that evolves according to their needs.
This new business model has already resulted in a global deal with Sony BMG who
will be our music partner providing access to music rights and catalogue as well
as the best artists and producers. Sony BMG will also be our partner in the
sales and marketing of the music videos we create on a global basis.
Conversations with TV, mobile and online partners are continuing on a territory
basis. The first content will be launched in quarter four 2007.
http://moneyam.uk-wire.com/cgi-bin/articles/200701250700281019Q.html