SPTI Launches SET, Animax in Portugal

LONDON, April 11: Sony
Pictures Television International (SPTI) will launch the general-entertainment
channel SET and the Japanese anime network Animax in Portugal tomorrow via IPTV
and DTH operator MEO, part of Portugal Telecom.

In addition to making SET
and Animax available over MEO, SPTI also confirmed that it is in advanced
negotiations with other Portuguese operators for carriage of the channel. This
most recent deal follows the announcement that Animax would launch in Spain on
April 12. The arrival of Animax and SET completes the lineup of SPTI channel
brands available on pay-TV in Portugal, alongside AXN, which has aired since
2002.

Animax broadcasts 24 hours
a day in 41 million homes across 49 countries and in 14 languages. Offering a
mix of anime programming such as action, sci-fi, comedy, drama and romance, the
channel in Portugal will be targeted at teens and young adults in the 15-to-35
demo. Animax launches in Portugal with anime series such as Nana and Peach Girl, along with classics like Detective Conan and Lupin and adventure and crime investigation series that include Samurai
Champloo and The Knight of Eon. The launch also includes the anime movie Ghost
in the Shell as well as Appleseed and Kai Doh Maru.

SET is a
family entertainment channel that features a mix of programming genres that
appeal to a broad spectrum of people in the 16-to-49 group. SET is available in
74 million households in 100
countries. The Portuguese feed of the channel will debut with a combination of
diverse genres across TV series and movies, including comedy, drama, adventure,
reality and more. These include series like Friends, Sex and The City and Everyone Loves Raymond, as well as other acclaimed shows such as The
Big Bang Theory, Joan of
Arcadia and Medical
Investigation.

Ross Hair, the senior VP
of international networks at SPTI, commented: “We are delighted to be expanding
our business in Portugal with the launch of two more ground-breaking TV
channels. I would like to thank Portugal Telecom for their faith in our ability
to launch and program multiple channels for their pay-TV platform. Both Animax and SET will
deliver a fresh, innovative entertainment experience to Portuguese viewers as
well as present advertisers with wider opportunities to reach a family audience
in the case of SET, and connect with those hard to reach teens and young adults
in the case of Animax.”

Added Juan Maria Romeu,
the senior VP and general manager of SPTI Networks
Iberia: “Bringing Animax, a dedicated anime channel to Portugal presents
exciting new opportunities for our business and a viewing experience with a
difference to the Portuguese market. SET is also an exciting proposition with a
wide range of programs that will suit a diverse range of viewers. With our vast
experience in launching and marketing these channels around the world, I know
that viewers in Portugal will be delighted with the programming on offer on
Animax and SET.”

—By Irene Lew