EM.Entertainment in Distribution Alliance with Studio100

UNTERFOEHRING, February
26: With its Sparrowhawk Distribution partnership ending next month,
EM.Entertainment has entered into a distribution co-operation deal with
Studio100 Media.

Studio100 Media, a
division of the Belgian-based Studio100 Holding, is led by former EM.Entertainment
executive Patrick Elmendorff. The deal, which runs till the end of this year,
covers the international distribution of the EM.Entertainment portfolio across
TV, home entertainment and VOD worldwide, with the exception of Germany,
Austria, Switzerland, the U.S., Australia, New Zealand and Canada.
EM.Entertainment previously had a similar arrangement with Sparrowhawk
Distribution, which has now been integrated into NBC Universal.

The new distribution team
handling the EM.Entertainment properties will be drawn from both companies and
will be managed by Elmendorff, who is general manager of Studio100 Media and,
until the end of 2006, was managing director of EM.Entertainment and Junior.TV.

Werner E. Klatten, the CEO
of EM.Sport Media, noted: “Aside from the divestment process, we will continue
to drive forward not only development and production activities at
EM.Entertainment, but also its distribution activities. In view of the
increasing shift away from classic free- and pay-TV distribution platforms over
to VOD and mobile devices, we must also continue to optimize our distribution
structures and expertise. With Patrick Elmendorff, we are pleased to welcome
back an internationally renowned name within the children’s and youth
entertainment sector, whose knowledge of the distribution potential of our
library will be hugely beneficial to this initiative.”

Elmendorff added: “This
co-operation with EM.Entertainment is hugely promising both for Studio100 Media
and for me personally, due to my lengthy experience with the distribution of
this extensive and attractive program library. Both parties can look forward to
significant opportunities. One key factor is that, alongside the library’s
well-known titles, the high-quality new formats have a great deal of potential
for excellent international placement across all media platforms.”

—By Mansha Daswani