Sunday, June 15, 2014

Nickelodeon India Acquires "Extreme Football"; To Premiere Show In August 2014; Reliance Industries Takes Over Network18

The animation news website Animation World Network (AWN) is reporting in the following article that Zodiak Kids, a global independent leader in kids entertainment, has announced the exciting Nickelodeon International News that Nickelodeon India has picked up the broadcast rights to "Extreme Football", a brand-new 39 x 26' CG-animated series produced by Tele Images Productions, and will start to premiere and show the series in August 2014.


"Extreme Football" has also been acquired by broadcasters in the UK, Israel, India, Finland and China.

Zodiak Kids is also delighted to announce the launch of the "Extreme Football Runner" app in France, where "Extreme Football" is currently airing on public channel France 3 and ranks as the channel's #1 new kids' show of the year. Fans of the series and extreme football alike can now also download the dedicated app designed by Happy Blue Fish on iOs and android devices. In "Extreme Football Runner", the player needs to help Samy race his opponents and overcome a series of hurdles whether in a parking lot, outdoors, on a construction site or in a greenhouse.

"Extreme Football" is an urban spin-off of traditional five-a-side incorporating elements of free running and acrobatics. Created by and for children, as soon as Samy discovers it he is determined to captain a team. He sets about recruiting his closest friend Greg and Mediterranean girl Ines as defenders, quick-witted Luna as the star striker and hyperactive Joey as goalkeeper. Together they form The Team. Competing in a shopping mall still under construction, rivalries are based on players' dedication to creativity, craft and skill. The Team's sworn enemies are The Dark Sides, who use dirty tactics – provocation, trickery and hoaxes. Trained by Samy's stepbrother Tag, can The Team win with style? "Extreme Football" is co-produced with Italian studio Maga Animation, in partnership with XYZ Digital Animation in China.

In additional Nickelodeon India news, the entertainment news website C21Media is reporting in a separate article, also below, that the Indian conglomerate Reliance Industries has acquired a controlling stake in Network18 Group, Viacom's joint venture partner in India, for US$680m. The deal will give Reliance, which is backed by India's richest man, Mukesh Ambani, a 78% stake in the Indian media giant, which runs news and entertainment channels and an e-commerce business. It also has a local joint venture with US media conglomerate Viacom called Viacom18, which includes channels such as MTV India, Nickelodeon India and Comedy Central.

From AWN:
Zodiak Kids Scores New Territories for 'Extreme Football'

CGI animated series 'Extreme Football,' produced by Tele Images Productions, is sold to a raft of territories ahead of the 2014 World Cup.

[...]

Zodiak Kids announces that Extreme Football, the 39 x 26' CGI animated series produced by Tele Images Productions, has been sold to raft of territories ahead of the 2014 World Cup.

New agreements have been concluded with broadcasters in the UK, Israel, India, Finland and China.

In Israel, Extreme Football has already kicked off on Talit (Junior Channel) where the show launched on 8th June.

In China, Extreme Football will be available on the highly popular youth VOD platforms IQiYi, Tencent and Youku throughout the World Cup. Nickelodeon India has also acquired Extreme Football and will launch the series shortly after the competition ends in August.

Extreme Football will make its UK debut on BBC Alba in early July and will air on MTV Oy Finland later this year.

In France, Extreme Football is currently airing on public channel France 3 and ranks as the channel's #1 new kids' show of the year.

Zodiak Kids is also delighted to announce the launch of the Extreme Football Runner app in France. Fans of the series and extreme football alike can now also download the dedicated app designed by Happy Blue Fish on iOs and android devices. In Extreme Football Runner, the player needs to help Samy race his opponents and overcome a series of hurdles whether in a parking lot, outdoors, on a construction site or in a greenhouse.

Extreme football is coproduced with Italian studio Maga Animation, in partnership with XYZ Digital Animation in China.

Extreme Football is an urban spin off of traditional five-a-side incorporating elements of free running and acrobatics. Created by and for children, as soon as Samy discovers it he is determined to captain a team. He sets about recruiting his closest friend Greg and Mediterranean girl Ines as defenders, quick-witted Luna as the star striker and hyperactive Joey as goalkeeper. Together they form The Team. Competing in a shopping mall still under construction, rivalries are based on players' dedication to creativity, craft and skill. The Team's sworn enemies are The Dark Sides, who use dirty tactics – provocation, trickery and hoaxes. Trained by Samy's stepbrother Tag, can The Team win with style?

Source: Zodiak Kids
Also, from C21Media:
Reliance takes over Network18

Indian conglomerate Reliance Industries has acquired a controlling stake in Network18 Group, Viacom’s joint venture partner in India, for US$680m.

The deal will give Reliance, which is backed by India’s richest man, Mukesh Ambani, a 78% stake in the Indian media giant, which runs news and entertainment channels and an e-commerce business.

It also has a local joint venture with US media conglomerate Viacom called Viacom18, which includes channels such as MTV India, Nickelodeon India and Comedy Central.

The acquisition follows Reliance’s investment in Network18 in 2012, which allowed it to acquire smaller local rival ETV’s channel assets in a deal worth nearly US$400m.

Reliance, which is also a major player in the oil and gas industries, will now target the 4G business with Network18′s digital properties, including websites moneycontrol.com and firstpost.com.

“This acquisition will differentiate Reliance’s 4G business by providing a unique amalgamation at the intersection of telecoms, web and digital commerce via a suite of premier digital properties,” the company said in a statement.

Reliance previously had a joint venture with CBS Studios International that operated three channels in India, but the three-year partnership came to an end earlier this year.

Nico Franks
30-05-2014
©C21Media

TAGS: Mergers and Acquisitions
COMPANIES: Network18 Group, Reliance Industries, Viacom
SECTIONS: C21Drama, C21Factual, Formats Lab
COUNTRIES: India, US

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