FremantleMedia Makes Gaming Play

LONDON, September 18:
FremantleMedia has set up a new division to roll out cash-prize games based on
its stable of properties, kicking it off with agreements with NextGen and
Electracade.

NextGen and Electracade,
leading developers of cash-prize-based online games, will now develop titles
around FremantleMedia’s stable of game shows, including Price is Right, Play Your Cards Right, Blankety Blank and Sale of the Century. Further titles will be released later in the
year. The deals with NextGen and Electracade are the first to be secured by
FremantleMedia Gaming, a new business unit led by Paul Kanareck, also the head
of FremantleMedia Ventures. FremantleMedia Gaming is also looking to take on
third-party titles.

Kanareck said: “These new
deals enable FremantleMedia to create a more consistent experience across its
brands. There is a huge demand for gaming online so this is a natural step. Our
remit is to explore opportunities further up the value chain. Online gaming
offers one of the few digital models to combine mass audience usage with
commercial returns. We are working closely with FremantleMedia Enterprises on
this initiative, a deliberate move to expand our licensing capability.”

David Ellender, the CEO of FremantleMedia Enterprises, said: “The games market is an
exciting place for entertainment rights holders. This is a chance to completely
refresh our approach and give new life to our brands, in the face of changing
technology and changing consumer behavior. We are building FremantleMedia into
a bigger, broader entertainment company and are always looking opportunities to
scale up the business. Developing a greater presence and capability in gaming
is a good demonstration of that.”

The newly unveiled
FremantleMedia Ventures will develop new revenue and investment opportunities
throughout the company’s global footprint and brand extension capabilities and
across the distribution and production businesses.

Christian
Schneider-Sickert, the director of operations and strategy, said: “Our success
speaks for itself, but it is vital for a company such as ours to find ways to
stay nimble and innovative. The new FremantleMedia Ventures initiative does
just that. With Paul Kanareck at the helm we are looking right across the
company to create new business models that will develop our brands, by
enhancing the consumer experience and driving new revenue streams. Online
gaming is a natural extension of our terrestrial gaming experience but there
are many more potential ventures beyond the creation of FremantleMedia Gaming,
exploiting our expertise and developing our capabilities.”

—By Mansha Daswani