FOX Latin America Channels and Stan Lee Media Enter Strategic Alliance To Develop and Distribute Content for the Internet and Television
Source: Yahoo
June 19, 2000
New Alliance to Launch Licensing and Consumer Products Initiatives Throughout the Region
LOS ANGELES, June 19 /PRNewswire/ -- FOX Latin America and FOX Kids Latin America have formed a strategic alliance with Stan Lee Media (Nasdaq: SLEE - news), the multimedia production, marketing and licensing company founded by pop-culture icon Stan Lee, co-creator of such classic characters as Spider-Man, The Incredible Hulk, and The X-Men, to create original branded content for distribution on the Internet and television outlets throughout the Latin American region.
The announcement was made today by Stan Lee, Co-Founder and Chief Creative Officer of Stan Lee Media, Inc., and Mary Ann Halford, Senior Vice President & General Manager, Canal FOX and FOX Kids Latin America.
More than a collaboration to produce content for online ventures, the strategic alliance agreement will span sponsorship and advertising opportunities as well as licensing, merchandising and the development of consumer product platforms and initiatives throughout Latin America. FOX will work with Stan Lee Media in two specific areas of development -- localizing existing Stan Lee Media content for Latin American audiences and co-creating new properties for the region. The agreement also provides for the inclusion of third-party advertising and promotional partners participation on a variety of levels, including the full exploitation of a multitude of business opportunities for the newly created content.
Among its first projects, FOX will localize content already available on the Stan Lee web portal (www.stanlee.net). Localizing such popular programs as Stan Lee's ``7th Portal,'' ``The Accuser,'' and ``The Drifter'' series, and the Backstreet Project (a collaboration with the world's most popular singing group, the Backstreet Boys), the content will be made available in Spanish and Portuguese as well as offered throughout the FOX Latin American websites.
For all the new Internet and television programming initiatives, FOX will act as the exclusive agent for Latin America, launching sponsorship, publishing, licensing and merchandising platforms and marketing campaigns. These programs will also be used by FOX with extensive grass root promotional activities.
In making the announcement, Stan Lee said: ``We have a global strategy to associate partners in each strategic region for branded content development and localization. We are enthusiastic about establishing our first regional alliance with FOX for the entire Latin American region. The prospect of joining the FOX and Stan Lee brands for Spanish and Portuguese speaking fans on the Internet, television, new media, magazine publishing and related licensing and merchandising activities will set a new standard for the evolution of global branded Internet content.''
Halford of FOX, stated: ``This agreement brings together the most successful storyteller of all time with the FOX organization, a major content provider with its cable channels and Internet sites throughout Latin America. With numerous untapped opportunities available to both partners, this alliance is really about identifying ways of finding new business through a true convergent experience.''
``The partnership combines the deep-rooted marketing and multimedia distribution expertise and media infrastructure of FOX with Stan Lee Media's creativity in one of the strongest emerging Internet markets of the world where it is estimated that 10.6 million Internet users in 1999 will grow to 66.66 million in the next five years according to Jupiter Communications,'' stated Devendra Mishra, President of Stan Lee Media - International Division.
Launched in August 1993, Canal FOX was the first FOX channel launched in Latin America and ranks today as the number one pan-regional general entertainment channel. The 24-hour service currently reaches more than 11 million households in 19 Latin American countries via cable and satellite distribution. The channel is transmitted in Spanish, Portuguese and English. Canal FOX features award-winning popular movies, original programming, musical specials, outstanding dramas and comedy series. FOX Kids Latin America, launched in November 1996, is a 24-hour children's channel transmitted in Spanish, Portuguese and English, reaching more than 10 million households in 19 countries throughout the region via cable and satellite distribution. The pan-regional channel features exclusive, first-run series from its U.S. counterpart FOX Kids Network.
Stan Lee Media, Inc. (www.stanleemedia.com) is a publicly traded Internet-based, multimedia branded content creation, production, marketing, and licensing company founded by pop-culture icon Stan Lee, co-creator of such classic characters as Spider-Man, The Incredible Hulk, and The X-Men. More than two billion copies of books featuring characters Lee co-created have been published in 100 countries and 27 languages. The company has partnered with a range of globally branded talent and content creators, including one of the most popular singing groups in the world, the Backstreet Boys, to establish the largest independent creator and aggregator of globally branded entertainment franchises on the Internet. The company's two hit animated series, the ``7th Portal'' and ``The Accuser,'' are currently featured on its distribution partner, shockwave.com. Currently, the Mark Canton Company is co-developing with Stan Lee Media a major live-action motion picture based upon the ``7th Portal'' franchise.
This release contains statements that constitute ``forward-looking statements'' within the meaning of Section 21E of the Exchange Act and Section 27A of the Securities Act. The stockholders of Stan Lee Media are cautioned not to put undue reliance on such forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve risks and uncertainties. Actual results may differ materially from those projected in this release resulting from the following reasons (among others): the timing of sales and deliveries under existing contracts, general economic conditions, costs of sales and the ability of the company to maintain pricing levels necessary to maintain gross profit margins, the level of selling, general and administrative costs, the performance by the company under existing purchase contracts and the ability to obtain new contracts, the success of the company's strategy, and the effects of competition. In addition, the company's shareholders are urged to carefully review the risk factors discussed in the documents the company files from time to time with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
CONTACT: Jeff Pryor of Pryor & Associates, 818-382-2233; or Sylvia Cisneros de Palma of Canal FOX, 310-447-7322; or Lynda Dorf, 310-248-6105, or Robin Weitz, 310-248-6107, or Jennifer Frederick, 310-248-6160, all of Stan Lee Media.
SOURCE: FOX Latin America
