Saban Joins Lionsgate’s Asian Channel Venture

LOS ANGELES/SANTA MONICA: Saban Capital Group has joined Lionsgate as an equal partner in Tiger Gate, which is rolling the Thrill and Kix channel brands out across Asia.

Tigergate was formed in 2008 by Lionsgate in partnership with William Pfeiffer and Paul Presburger. The thriller/horror channel Thrill and the action channel Kix launched in Indonesia in August 2009 and are set to reach Hong Kong and Singapore later this month. The expanded joint venture will focus on expanding distribution to other markets in the region, including Thailand, Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia and Brunei. Plans for China, India, Taiwan, Korea, Japan and the Middle East are also being discussed for the near future. The partners also plan to launch additional channels and acquire existing media assets in the region.

"We welcome Saban Capital Group as a partner and look forward to the talent and expertise their team will provide as we expand Tiger Gate into the world’s largest and fastest-growing market," said Lionsgate’s co-chairman and CEO, Jon Feltheimer. "They have an accomplished track record of success in the entertainment space. We are doing what we do best—focusing on large niches that play to our strengths. We are very excited to bring the Lionsgate brand to Asia."

"We are thrilled to join Lionsgate in this attractive investment that will allow SCG to expand our global footprint and capitalize on high growth opportunities in the Asian market," added Adam Chesnoff, Saban Capital Group’s president and COO. "Lionsgate’s vast portfolio of branded content, strong marketing skills and experienced leadership make them an ideal partner for this venture. Due to William Pfeiffer and Paul Presburger’s strong leadership, Tiger Gate is off to a strong start, and we are confident that, with the addition of Lionsgate’s content and marketing and our operational experience and financial strength, this venture will achieve sustainable, long-term success."

”We are delighted that Saban Capital Group recognized our potential and has joined us in this exciting new venture," said Pfeiffer, Tiger Gate’s CEO. "The power of the Lionsgate library, brand and content leadership and the track record of our joint venture partner give us confidence that we can realize our vision of quickly becoming one of the premier television channel operators and content distributors in the region. Our branded channels, and the marketing and programming expertise that support them, will distinguish themselves in the marketplace as a rich and diverse source of entertainment excitement across multiple platforms of distribution."

The venture will continue to be run by William Pfeiffer and Lionsgate’s Paul Presburger.