Endemol in Gaming Partnership in Italy

LONDON: Endemol has formed a joint venture with 888 in Italy that will develop online games based on brands like Big Brother and Deal or No Deal.

The joint venture will operate under 888’s license in Italy and is expected to start in the second half of 2010. As part of the deal, 888 will have exclusive online use of Endemol’s global brands in the Italian market.

“Now that online gaming has become an established and hugely popular form of entertainment, strategic partnerships with media companies are critical for growth, especially in newly regulated markets such as Italy," said Gigi Levy, CEO of 888 Holdings. "The combination of our gaming expertise and Endemol’s brands, production capabilities and media assets will create a compelling new gaming offering for Italian consumers. The potential of the Italian market is enormous and this partnership strongly positions us to capitalize on this.”

Paolo Bassetti, president and CEO of Endemol Italy, added: “Endemol has always prided itself at being at the forefront of market evolution. The Italian market represents a huge opportunity for online gaming and Endemol’s brands are ideally suited for this platform. This is an area we have been interested in for some time and as a world leader in online gaming, 888 is the perfect partner.”