Solutions
Media and Entertainment | September 14, 2023
Entertainment technology industry leader IMAX Corporation® (NYSE: IMAX) and PFT, the creator of AI-powered technology solutions for the Media and Entertainment (M&E) industry, today announced plans to expand their strategic relationship beyond theatrical and into the streaming ecosystem.
Under the arrangement, IMAX will expand access to its Stream Smart™ technology to PFT customers across Europe, Asia, and Australia. The expanded partnership will dramatically increase the global availability of Stream Smart™, which helps streaming platforms deliver maximum picture quality while significantly reducing distribution and storage costs.
"We are thrilled to deepen our partnership with IMAX, an industry trailblazer with a remarkable legacy of revolutionizing the global entertainment industry," said Ramki Sankaranarayanan, Global CEO of PFT. "For over a decade, CLEAR®, our flagship product, has spearheaded digital packaging and delivery services for prominent streaming platforms worldwide. CLEAR® & Stream Smart will help optimize our customers' encoding pipeline, so they deliver better streaming quality while optimizing CDN & storage costs."
"Many of Hollywood's biggest streaming platforms use Stream Smart™ to ensure quality and reduce costs, and we're excited to work with our partners at PFT to extend the reach of our technologies throughout key markets in Europe, Asia, and Australia," said Vikram Arumilli, General Manager of Streaming and Consumer Technology at IMAX. "Our suite of streaming technology products, including Stream Smart™, provides a best-in-class service for direct-to-consumer broadcast and streaming companies, and PFT's' ability to leverage this for their customers is a win-win for both organizations."
PFT and its parent company, DNEG, are industry leaders providing a full suite of technology and creative solutions, including IMAX post-production and 3D mastering.
IMAX and DNEG joined forces in 2022 for post-production, which included Indian films like Jawan, Pathaan, and RRR. This extended partnership will build upon the established theatrical relationship between IMAX and DNEG to develop a comprehensive video optimization solution. Stream Smart™ is an enterprise software product designed to deliver the best image quality and optimize delivery to unlock cost savings. This product was built from cutting-edge scientific advancements, state-of-the-art engineering, trusted studio relationships, and rooted in a real-world at-scale Emmy®-winning collaboration with Disney Streaming Services and SSIMWAVE.
Stream Smart™ will be the centerpiece of the IMAX showcase at IBC 2023. Sign up to meet with PFT and IMAX Streaming & Consumer Technology group at IBC:
About IMAX Corporation
IMAX, an innovator in entertainment technology, combines proprietary software, architecture, and equipment to create experiences that take you beyond the edge of your seat to a world you've never imagined. Top filmmakers and studios are utilizing IMAX systems to connect with audiences in extraordinary ways, making IMAX's network among the most important and successful theatrical distribution platforms for major event films around the globe.
IMAX is headquartered in New York, Toronto, and Los Angeles, with additional offices in London, Dublin, Tokyo, and Shanghai. As of June 30, 2023, there were 1,718 IMAX systems (1,638 commercial multiplexes, 12 commercial destinations, 68 institutional) operating in 87 countries and territories. Shares of IMAX China Holding, Inc., a subsidiary of IMAX Corporation, trade on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange under the stock code "1970."
About Prime Focus Technologies
Prime Focus Technologies (PFT) is the creator of CLEAR® and CLEAR® AI. It offers streaming platforms, studios, and broadcasters transformational AI-led technology and media services powered by the cloud that help them lower their Total Cost of Operations (TCOP) by automating their content supply chain. PFT works with major companies like Walt Disney-owned Star TV, Channel 4, ITV, Sinclair Broadcast Group, A&E Networks, Warner Media, PBS, CBS Television Studios, 20th Century Fox Television Studios, Lionsgate, Showtime, HBO, NBCU, TERN International, Disney+ Hotstar, BCCI, Indian Premier League and more.
About DNEG
DNEG (www.dneg.com) is a world-leading visual entertainment services company for the creation of feature film, television, and multiplatform content, with worldwide offices and studios across North America, Europe, Asia, and Australia.
DNEG's critically acclaimed work has earned the company seven Academy Awards® for Best Visual Effects and numerous BAFTA and Primetime EMMY® Awards for its high-quality VFX work. Current and upcoming DNEG projects on behalf of its Hollywood and global studio and production company partners include Spy Kids Armageddon (September 2023), No One Will Save You (September 2023), The Gilded Age S2 (October 2023), Nyad (November 2023), Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom (December 2023), Lift (January 2024), Dune: Part Two (March 2024), Mickey 17 (March 2024), Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire (April 2024), Garfield (May 2024), Borderlands (August 2024), Furiosa (2024), That Christmas, Coyote vs. Acme, The Gorge, and Animal Friends.
Read More
Applications
businesswire | July 04, 2023
Alliance Entertainment Holding Corporation, a distributor and wholesaler of the world’s largest in stock selection of music, movies, video games, electronics, arcades, and collectibles, today announced the pricing of a public offering of 1,335,000 shares of Alliance Entertainment’s Class A common stock at a price to the public of $3.00 per share for aggregate gross proceeds of approximately $4.0 million, prior to deducting underwriting discounts and offering expenses. The Company has granted the underwriter a 45-day option to purchase up to 200,250 additional shares of Class A common stock to cover over-allotments at the public offering price, less the underwriting discount.
The Company expects to use the net proceeds from this offering for working capital and general corporate purposes.
ThinkEquity is acting as sole book-running manager for the offering.
Alliance Entertainment also announced that, concurrent with this offering, its Class A common stock and warrants have been approved for listing on the Nasdaq Capital Market. The Company’s Class A common stock and warrants will begin trading on the Nasdaq Capital Market on Friday, June 30, 2023, under the existing ticker symbols “AENT” and “AENTW”, respectively. The offering is expected to close on July 5, 2023, subject to satisfaction of customary closing conditions.
A registration statement on Form S-1 (File No. 333-271219) relating to the securities was filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) and became effective on June 29, 2023. This offering is being made only by means of a prospectus. Copies of the final prospectus, when available, may be obtained from ThinkEquity, 17 State Street, 22nd Floor, New York, New York 10004. The final prospectus will be filed with the SEC and will be available on the SEC’s website.
About Alliance Entertainment
Alliance Entertainment is a wholesale distributor of music, consumer electronics and movies, including home entertainment video and audio software, SKUs, compact discs, vinyl LP records, video games, Blu-rays, and DVDs, and hardware and related accessories like toys and collectibles. Headquartered in Sunrise, Florida, it provides services to retailers and resellers, serving huge customers worldwide. Its processing and seller tools reduce administrative complications and costs with multiple vendors, providing a single automated channel of retailers, more product selection and goal fulfillment. In addition, it offers services for eCommerce fulfillment (CDF), vendor-managed inventory systems, traditional retail distribution, category captain analysis and processes and 3PL functions.
Read More
Media and Broadcasting
prnewswire | July 25, 2023
Galaxy Commanders, an upcoming, competitive web3-based mobile/PC game founded by Electronic Arts, NCSoft, and Nexon veterans, has teamed up with Immutable, the leading web3 gaming platform, to build out its vision for the Interstellar odyssey via Immutable zkEVM.
Galaxy Commanders is a competitive Player-versus-Player (PvP) game with immersive space battles and cooperative planetary conquests where gamers can collect unique battleships to build their own customized fleet. By leveraging countless inventive tactics and strategies, players will need to outsmart their opponents during fast-paced battles to take down their adversary's main ship.
The game will feature a plethora of unique battleships — each with its own unique visuals, specifications, and upgradable skills — and a variety of other types of upgrades in the form of fully ownable digital NFTs while remaining accessible to a wide range of gamers and sci-fi enthusiasts. Meanwhile, Galaxy Commanders' main in-game currency, Dimensium, will play a key role in supporting the game's internal economy by creating a solid economic foundation and providing value to users through gameplay.
The partnership with Immutable will allow MagmaByte to leverage the full power of Immutable zkEVM, a next-gen Ethereum Layer-2 scaling solution, purpose-built for game development that offers low cost, massive scale, enterprise-grade security, and Ethereum smart contract compatibility.
"Immutable zkEVM was developed from the ground up to tackle the most pressing issues in the web3 gaming industry, including scaling and user onboarding, and we are excited that our studio partners are choosing it for their projects," said Andrew Sorokovsky, VP of Global Business Development at Immutable. "We are delighted to welcome MagmaByte, which touts decades of combined experience in AAA projects, to the Immutable family of games, and we can't wait to see Galaxy Commanders develop and take flight."
Galaxy Commanders' developer MagmaByte has brought together a core team of gaming industry professionals with 15-20 years of experience working with major gaming studios and developers, including Nexon, Neowiz, EA, and NCSoft. MagmaByte's seasoned professionals have worked on renowned projects across numerous genres, including MMORPGs, action, and RPG games, including Nexon's hit series MapleStory Mobile, a casual social game with over 20 million accumulated users; I Love Coffee; and Lost Ark, a widely popular action-RPG that has reached a peak of 1.3 million concurrent players on Steam.
Further, MagmaByte Founder John Lee boasts half a decade of experience as a Team Manager of the mobile publishing division at Nexon. He was also the Director of Aiming Korea, the Head of Game Biz at Linekong Interactive Group, and a co-founder of Netblue Games. Similarly, MagmaByte's CSO and co-founder Taewoon Yoon spent nearly five years as Associate Producer leading online initiatives at EA Korea and EA Asia Pacific.
"We at MagmaByte are thrilled to be partnering with Immutable, bringing Galaxy Commanders to their leading blockchain ecosystem," noted MagmaByte Founder John Lee. "Our decision was guided by Immutable's robust focus on gaming and the genuine passion that their team brings to the table. Together, we hope to push the boundaries of Web3 games, making them accessible and exciting for a more expansive gaming community."
By leveraging Immutable zkEVM, MagmaByte will gain access to the full suite and solutions it needs to overcome the scalability challenges of Ethereum while offering higher transaction capacity and lower fees at the same time. After evaluating numerous options, MagmaByte chose Immutable zkEVM as the ideal solution for web3 game development due to Immutable's gaming-centric approach and commitment to making development and onboarding frictionless and easy.
Another powerful tool available to MagmaByte is the Immutable Passport wallet, a game-changer in crypto gaming that epitomizes simplicity and a user-friendly approach, featuring seamless fiat integration and crypto transactions, non-custodial control, and streamlined login with email verification.
"The Immutable team has a deep passion for games and a thorough understanding of the industry, which is evident by the solutions they provide," added MagmaByte CSO and co-founder Taewoon Yoon. "Another aspect that truly sets Immutable apart is their vibrant and engaged community. Being part of the Immutable community means having access to a network of fellow gamers who are passionate about pushing the boundaries of the gaming industry. The impressive track record of Immutable in facilitating over $1 billion in funding for games also further solidifies their strong commitment to the new Immutable zkEVM chain."
MagmaByte is currently conducting a highly anticipated investment round, with renowned early-stage VC firm Shima Capital leading the way. The round has already attracted significant interest from potential investors and partners, such as Neptune Company, METABORA, and Neopin, highlighting the strong appeal and potential of Galaxy Commanders.
About ImmutableGames
ImmutableGames is a global leader in web3 game development and publishing, backed by a world-class team who have proven track records of bringing games to millions of players. As the gaming-focused arm of Immutable, the leading web3 gaming company, Immutable Games has pioneered the world's first blockbuster NFT trading-card game Gods Unchained and is currently building the highly anticipated mobile RPG Guild of Guardians.
Alongside its own high-quality titles, Immutable Games partners with third-party game developers to provide them with best-in-class strategy and execution expertise aimed at ensuring the success of every web3 game deployed within the Immutable ecosystem.
Immutable Games is guided by its mission to redefine gaming for generations to come, by developing innovative and engaging experiences that empower players with true ownership, value, and creative expression.
About Galaxy Commanders
Galaxy Commanders offers a competitive PvP experience set against a sci-fi universe. With a myriad of distinctive battleships and units at players' disposal, they can customize their own fleet and participate in exhilarating space battles. MagmaByte, the developer behind Galaxy Commanders, aims to lead the industry by seamlessly integrating competitive games with new technologies and ideas that redefine the boundaries of traditional gaming.
Read More
Applications
businesswire | August 03, 2023
Yuvod, the 100% cloud-based, end-to-end OTT and IPTV solutions provider, today announced a new partnership with Red Bee Media, a leading global media services provider, to integrate the most up-to-date metadata, allowing Yuvod to offer the most affordable, pre-integrated TV solution for providers of all sizes.
Through the partnership, direct integration with Red Bee's API services will help accelerate the value and adoption of Yuvod’s end-to-end, cloud-based streaming platform, including positioning Red Bee Media as the main integrated supplier of EPG metadata to be included with Yuvod’s turnkey Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS) solution in the U.S. market. Yuvod plans to demonstrate the benefits of Red Bee, including their flexibility and exemplary customer service, as an integrated metadata supplier in preparation of launching Yuvod’s solution in the U.S. and Canada, offering the enhanced solution for clients to experience the benefits firsthand.
“Video providers big and small must deliver the same flawless, high-quality experience that can be easily accessed without costing a fortune,” said Ricardo Tárraga, co-founder and CEO at Yuvod. “By partnering with Red Bee, we can provide easily implemented access to advanced yet cost-effective streaming solutions that deliver an unbeatable viewing experience for end users, all entirely in the cloud.”
Yuvod offers a comprehensive OTT solution that is quick and easy to deploy, rapidly scaled and entirely customizable to meet the individual needs and budget of any video service provider, streamer, broadcaster or communication service provider (CSP). The use of Red Bee’s metadata will create a more personalized and enriched white-label offering for providers as well as end-users, as Yuvod’s solution provides all the advanced technology, tools and services needed to effortlessly deliver and manage flawless, high-quality streaming experiences.
“We’re excited to partner with Yuvod as they expand their offerings in North America,” said Jason Marchese, Head of Sales, Market Area Americas at Red Bee Media. “By pre-integrating Red Bee’s rich metadata, Yuvod’s cloud-based model can provide video service providers the ability to scale their operations and adjust resources to meet the evolving demands of the market while still reducing costs.”
By using Red Bee, which powers robust user experiences through rich, informative metadata along with dynamic imagery for engaging and personalized viewing experiences across any platform, Yuvod can help broadcasters and streaming platforms make smarter decisions, optimize their strategies, and provide their audience with easy access to streaming content regardless of the source. The holistic platform delivers live and on-demand streaming for TV programming and events, as well as time shift streaming, with advanced functionality across multiple devices and applications. It can be deployed in any location and centralizes all operational and technical processes into the streamer’s hands.
Yuvod provides a proprietary video platform, media server, middleware, STB integrations, customizable dashboards, choice of content delivery networks (CDN), IP networking, multi-DRM encryption, CRM and billing systems, customizable app design, 24/7 support – available on Android mobile, Android TV, iOS, Smart TVs and more.
Yuvod strives to deliver the best value with transparent pricing, where costs mirror subscriber growth, offering a complete streaming suite at a fraction of the price of traditional solutions. Customers have saved upwards of 50%.
It’s an ideal solution for any organization delivering video directly to consumers and includes a plethora of unique capabilities that benefit broadcasters, cable operators, and other content providers. This includes advanced tools and features to help monetize sports content, such as customizable subscription models and advanced analytics, and keep fans highly engaged with integrations for real-time stats from live or past events.
Additionally, Yuvod requires no new hardware to deploy or manage, eliminating significant costs and challenges when operating a streaming service and app. Yuvod makes streaming as simple as plug-and-play.
About Yuvod
Since its founding in 2015 in Valencia, Spain, Yuvod has provided customized OTT solutions that enable content providers and distributors of any size to launch and monetize high-quality streaming services. Covering the entire streaming value chain, Yuvod has worked with over 100 clients and partners in telecommunications, cable, broadband, sports, broadcasting, and hospitality across the United States, Latin America and Europe, including Vodafone, La Liga Tech, Grupo Hotusa, Rakuten TV, DAZN, among others.
About Red Bee Media
Red Bee Media is the leading global media services partner for innovation and growth. Every day, millions of people across the globe discover, enjoy and engage with content prepared, managed, broadcast and streamed using Red Bee’s services. The company empowers some of the world’s strongest media brands, broadcasters and content owners to instantly connect with audiences anywhere at any time. Headquartered in London, with 2300 media experts in Europe, Asia Pacific and North America, Red Bee provides innovative solutions across the entire content delivery chain including Playout, Distribution, MCR, Media Management, Access Services, Content Discovery, and Post-Production.
Read More