Cellcast News
Cellcast launches new subsidiary in Brazil
28 September 2006
Cellcast plc (AIM:CLTV), the global interactive digital broadcaster, is adding an important territory to its international operations with the launch of a new, wholly-owned subsidiary, Cellcast do Brasil, based in Sao Paulo.
At the same time, the Company today announces that media contracts have been signed with three major Brazilian television and radio networks, and billing agreements have been completed with the country's two major telecom providers, Brasil Telecom and Telefonica.
An agreement to produce a telephony-based interactive game show for insertion in football programming has been signed with Rede TV, the country's fourth largest terrestrial TV network. An interactive sports show and a new game show are under development with the leading public broadcaster TV Cultura. Additionally, Cellcast's successful TV format Bid2Win is being adapted for prime time radio under a new deal with Radio Metropolitana, Brazil's leading radio network with about three million listeners.
Cellcast's international strategy is to concentrate on the world's fastest growing mobile markets, and its entry into Brazil follows the Company's successful launches in India and China, and recent initiatives to bring its interactive entertainment to audiences in the USA and Russia.
Commenting on the launch of Cellcast do Brasil, Andrew Wilson, CEO of Cellcast plc, said: "Brazil is South America's largest media market, and with the new telecom billing infrastructure in place, the country promises to become a leading world market for Cellcast's convergent entertainment services."
Ricardo Rocha, a director of Cellcast do Brasil, said: "Brazil will overtake Japan and become the world's fourth largest mobile market next year, with under 25s responsible for the majority of the new subscriptions. In a population of 190 million, 90% of households have television. This is a fast-growing market for media that fully engage audiences through innovative interactive entertainment and multi-platform applications. We are extremely excited about the significant opportunities in Brazil for Cellcast's proven formats and programmes."
Sal De Parres, Cellcast plc's Head of Programming for Cellcast Americas, said: "The Company's continued roll-out in South America, with the addition of Brazil to our Argentine and Ecuador operations, and the consistent demand for our telephony-based interactive programming, continues to validate our regional strategy."
For further information:
Cellcast plc |
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Andrew Wilson, CEO |
Tel: +44 (0) 20 7190 0300 |
| andrew@cellcast.tv | www.cellcast.com |
Daniel Stewart & Company Plc |
|
Marc Young, Corporate Finance |
Tel: +44 (0) 20 7776 6550 |
Media enquiries:
Abchurch |
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Henry Harrison-Topham / Gareth Mead |
Tel: +44 (0) 20 7398 7700 |
Notes to Editors:
Cellcast plc
Cellcast plc is a leading international provider of participation television applications and interactive mobile content in the fast-growing multi-platform digital entertainment sector. Headquartered in London, with associated operations in Paris, Beirut, Mumbai, Hong Kong and Buenos Aires, Cellcast's applications and programming are distributed on the Sky Digital platform in the UK and broadcast partners include Canal+ in France; STB in Ukraine; Future TV, Dubai Television and Rotana TV in the Middle East; Zee TV and Star TV in India; TVS-3 in China; Telefe in Argentina; and TeleAmazonas in Ecuador.
Cellcast's revenues streams are independent of both advertising and subscription fees. With a network of revenue sharing agreements with telecommunications carriers and aggregators across five continents, Cellcast receives a share of the call revenue every time a consumer uses a mobile or fixed-line phone to participate in its interactive entertainment, revenue which is retained or shared with its broadcast partners. Cellcast's programme formats and proprietary Interactive Platform (CIP) also facilitate delivery of content to mobile phones, the internet and broadband-delivered IPTV. This enables viewers to continue participating in a programme away from the TV, generating 24/7 revenue opportunities. In May 2006, Cellcast announced the launch of a range of new interactive entertainment services on Freeview's digital terrestrial television (DTT) platform in the UK which included a breakthrough in interactive TV technology.
Cellcast plc joined the AIM market (AIM) of the London Stock Exchange on 21 September 2005.