Dori Scores More Sales for uMan Format

TEL AVIV: Dori Media Group has signed a deal with Ongoing Group and CTN to produce its interactive cross-platform reality format uMan for Brazil, Portugal, Angola and Mozambique in Portuguese.

uMan has been sold to 13 countries since its July 2009 debut. The series originated in Israel, with the local name Megudalim, based on an idea developed by Dori New Media and produced by Dori Media Darset with Cellcom, for cell phones, Internet and TV.

Nadav Palti, the president and CEO of Dori Media Group, commented: "We are delighted with the signing of this important contract with Ongoing Group at MIPTV 2010. The deal underlines the continuing success and momentum uMan has recently been gathering. CTN’s expertise in the identification, creation and development of multiplatform content, combined with the uniqueness and innovation of the uMan format, the Portuguese uMan is sure to attract a wide range of audiences in Brazil, Portugal, Angola and Mozambique.”

Nuno Vasconcellos, the president and CEO of Ongoing Group, said: "This deal is the first TV contract of its kind that has been made entirely for the Global Portuguese speaking population. The deal is also an important step towards the fulfillment of Ongoing Group’s objective of becoming a distinctive player in the production and distribution of quality news and entertainment in Portuguese. To reach this goal, CTN, an Ongoing Group company specialized in multiplatform content, has teamed up with José Eduardo Moniz and Fernando Maia Cerqueira who have a great deal of experience in the television business.”

“Our purchase of the uMan format demonstrates the strategic focus of Ongoing Group in bringing together the potential of telecommunications, media and technology (TMT), unleashing a new world of creativity in new services and new capabilities,” he added.

Adi Cohen, the VP of marketing at Cellcom, continued: "We are very pleased with the continuing global interest in uMan. More and more content is being made available on cellular devices and online, reflecting a general trend among younger viewers in particular to switch to more flexible means of viewing content. We are delighted to be partnered with Dori Media to bring innovative content such as uMan to consumers around the world."