Warner Bros. International Branded Services Launches WarnerTV For The First Time In Korea, Via KT’s IPTV Service QOOK TV
(April 2, 2010 - Seoul, Korea and Burbank, CA) – Warner Bros. International Branded Services is launching its on-demand WarnerTV branded service for the first time ever in Korea via an agreement with KT’s IPTV provider QOOK TV. The announcement was made today by Suk-Chae Lee, CEO, KT, and Malcolm Dudley-Smith, Executive Vice President–Business Management, Warner Bros. International Branded Services.
WarnerTV will launch as a video-on-demand service within QOOK TV at no extra charge for consumers who purchase QOOK TV’s subscription video-on-demand programming package. Each week, WarnerTV will deliver new blockbuster theatrical motion pictures as well as popular American television sitcoms and dramas to QOOK TV viewers. At launch, QOOK TV subscribers will be able to enjoy over 150 blockbuster movies and more than 500 episodes of American television series titles through WarnerTV.
Theatrical motion pictures titles available on WarnerTV include:
• The global hit “Harry Potter” franchise
• “300,” from “Watchmen” director Zack Snyder
• “The Polar Express,” starring Tom Hanks and directed by Robert Zemeckis Television series featured on WarnerTV are, among others: • “Friends,” the worldwide comedy hit starring Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc, Matthew Perry and David Schwimmer
• “The Mentalist,” starring Simon Baker and which was the #1 new series among Total Viewers during the 2008–09 U.S. TV season
• “The Closer,” starring Golden Globe Award winner and Emmy® nominee Kyra Sedgwick
• “Gossip Girl,” the trend-setting one-hour drama from the executive producers of “Chuck” and “The O.C.,” recently renewed for a fourth season in the U.S.
• “Nip/Tuck,” the long-running hit series which just hit its 100th episode at the conclusion of its seventh and final season As part of the deal, the complete first four seasons of “Friends” will be available for the first time in Korea on WarnerTV through QOOK TV. Additionally, each episode of “Friends” will be offered with both English and Korean subtitles. Jong-Ryeol Suh, KT’s head of Media Business Unit, said, “I am happy that WarnerTV will offer content from one of the best and largest entertainment studios in the world. For Korean fans of movies and American television series, QOOK TV will be their favorite new playground. Also, it will offer additional value to the viewers who like to study English by offering favorite American TV series such as ‘Friends’ with English subtitles.” “The launch of WarnerTV on QOOK TV marks our first branded service launch in the highly important Korean market, and we couldn’t be happier to have KT, the country’s number one provider of IPTV services, as our partner,” said Dudley-Smith. “This deal continues a strategic relationship that the Studio has had with KT as our video-on-demand licensing partner since 2007.” In addition to the episodic programming, WarnerTV will also offer special exclusive content such as star interviews and behind-the-scenes footage. This deal continues Warner Bros. International Branded Services’ strategic expansion into branded SVOD (subscription video-on-demand) and AVOD (advertiser-supported video-on-demand) branded services around the globe. About WarnerTV WarnerTV features around-the-clock, on-demand access to drama, comedy and sci-fi television series. WarnerTV has previously launched on Top Up TV, Talk Talk TV, Virgin Media and BT Vision in the U.K.; FASTWEB in Italy; Maxdome in Germany; Telekom Austria in Austria; Ziggo in the Netherlands; vod.onet.pl in Poland; Free in France and USEN Corporation’s GyaO in Japan. Additionally, Warner Bros. International Branded Services operates the highly successful linear Warner Channel throughout Latin America, debuted WB India in 2009, and is launching a WarnerTV-branded 24-hour, linear general entertainment channel throughout Asia, with distribution handled by HBO Asia. About KT and QOOK TV KT (formerly Korea Telecom, NYSE:KTC) is a leading integrated wired/wireless telecommunication service provider in South Korea. KT has an information & communications business and holds the biggest market share of the South Korean fixed line and high-speed Internet Business. QOOK TV is an IPTV service launched by KT in July 2007, which carries 89 linear channels, 80,000 VOD contents and advanced Interactive services. Currently, QOOK TV is provided to KT’s broadband service subscribers and reaches 1.25 million households. For more information, please visit the QOOK TV website at www.qook.co.kr.# # #
• “300,” from “Watchmen” director Zack Snyder
• “The Polar Express,” starring Tom Hanks and directed by Robert Zemeckis Television series featured on WarnerTV are, among others: • “Friends,” the worldwide comedy hit starring Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc, Matthew Perry and David Schwimmer
• “The Mentalist,” starring Simon Baker and which was the #1 new series among Total Viewers during the 2008–09 U.S. TV season
• “The Closer,” starring Golden Globe Award winner and Emmy® nominee Kyra Sedgwick
• “Gossip Girl,” the trend-setting one-hour drama from the executive producers of “Chuck” and “The O.C.,” recently renewed for a fourth season in the U.S.
• “Nip/Tuck,” the long-running hit series which just hit its 100th episode at the conclusion of its seventh and final season As part of the deal, the complete first four seasons of “Friends” will be available for the first time in Korea on WarnerTV through QOOK TV. Additionally, each episode of “Friends” will be offered with both English and Korean subtitles. Jong-Ryeol Suh, KT’s head of Media Business Unit, said, “I am happy that WarnerTV will offer content from one of the best and largest entertainment studios in the world. For Korean fans of movies and American television series, QOOK TV will be their favorite new playground. Also, it will offer additional value to the viewers who like to study English by offering favorite American TV series such as ‘Friends’ with English subtitles.” “The launch of WarnerTV on QOOK TV marks our first branded service launch in the highly important Korean market, and we couldn’t be happier to have KT, the country’s number one provider of IPTV services, as our partner,” said Dudley-Smith. “This deal continues a strategic relationship that the Studio has had with KT as our video-on-demand licensing partner since 2007.” In addition to the episodic programming, WarnerTV will also offer special exclusive content such as star interviews and behind-the-scenes footage. This deal continues Warner Bros. International Branded Services’ strategic expansion into branded SVOD (subscription video-on-demand) and AVOD (advertiser-supported video-on-demand) branded services around the globe. About WarnerTV WarnerTV features around-the-clock, on-demand access to drama, comedy and sci-fi television series. WarnerTV has previously launched on Top Up TV, Talk Talk TV, Virgin Media and BT Vision in the U.K.; FASTWEB in Italy; Maxdome in Germany; Telekom Austria in Austria; Ziggo in the Netherlands; vod.onet.pl in Poland; Free in France and USEN Corporation’s GyaO in Japan. Additionally, Warner Bros. International Branded Services operates the highly successful linear Warner Channel throughout Latin America, debuted WB India in 2009, and is launching a WarnerTV-branded 24-hour, linear general entertainment channel throughout Asia, with distribution handled by HBO Asia. About KT and QOOK TV KT (formerly Korea Telecom, NYSE:KTC) is a leading integrated wired/wireless telecommunication service provider in South Korea. KT has an information & communications business and holds the biggest market share of the South Korean fixed line and high-speed Internet Business. QOOK TV is an IPTV service launched by KT in July 2007, which carries 89 linear channels, 80,000 VOD contents and advanced Interactive services. Currently, QOOK TV is provided to KT’s broadband service subscribers and reaches 1.25 million households. For more information, please visit the QOOK TV website at www.qook.co.kr.