WarnerTV Set to Launch in Asia

HONG KONG: WarnerTV, featuring Warner Bros. Entertainment shows like The Mentalist, Fringe and Gossip Girl, is set to roll out in Asia next year, with distribution to be handled by HBO Asia.

Announcing the Asian expansion, Malcolm Dudley-Smith, the executive VP of business management at Warner Bros. International Branded Services, noted: “Following in the footsteps of the highly successful Warner Channel in Latin America, WB India and numerous WarnerTV–branded on-demand zones around the world—including the U.K., France, Germany, Japan and Italy—the addition of this new WarnerTV channel in Asia is expected to bring our total number of branded services to more than 30 in over 60 countries around the world."

The slate will include shows like The Mentalist, Fringe, Gossip Girl and The Big Bang Theory, as well as Dark Blue and Southland, which will make their Asian television premieres on WarnerTV in Asia. “Our new service for Asia, WarnerTV, will feature an unprecedented mix of hit television series and theatrical motion pictures from the studio,” said Greg Drebin, the senior VP of programming and marketing at Warner Bros. International Branded Services. “Never before has there been a single source for viewers in Asia to experience Warner Bros. Entertainment’s long-standing tradition as the world’s preeminent storytellers.”

HBO Asia is handling distribution of the general-entertainment service and is currently in talks with cable operators region-wide. The launch is targeted for the first quarter of 2010.

“WarnerTV is a fresh and exciting addition to our channel lineup," said HBO Asia’s CEO, Jonathan Spink. "As a basic service featuring the very best of hit television series, it is the perfect complement to our premium bouquet. We believe WarnerTV will spark exceptionally high demand from both operators and viewers, and we look forward to the launch next year.”