Los Angeles based SWIG Global Mobile Entertainment Network, the emerging market leader in Entertainment Network access from a single App, Anytime & Anywhere, announced at NAB the launch of the Youku Original Channel on SWIG along with Linksus Media Channel, both in Chinese, joining Noise 11, Australia's number one Music News and Interview Channel and other early channel partners. SWIG’s founder and CEO, Ivan Gulas, who during the late 1990's digital revolution was named by WIRED MAGAZINE as ‘one of 20 people reinventing Hollywood,’ emphasized SWIG’s international orientation. SWIG is already available in over 200 countries, on over 100 wireless carriers and on over 400 types of devices, with global access, second to none, comprising of over 100,000 distributed servers.
Gulas lauded wireless as the future of entertainment distribution, noting that "Today there are 6.2 billion people on our planet, with 5.2 billion who own smartphones and only 4.2 billion own toothbrushes. This is a remarkable statistic that underscores the potential wireless holds for access to entertainment from anywhere on the globe, anytime.” During an extensive beta phase, SWIG Mobile App, was enhanced to ‘best of breed’ standard by the Company’s technology partner Blue-Wave Media. SWIG’s TV App, scheduled to go live in 60 days, also created by Blue-Wave Media using proprietary technologies is empowered with ‘sync’ capabilities which, with a single swipe of a finger moves shows started in SWIG mobile to be continued on any broadband enabled TV set. Once moved, the streaming quality is automatically enhanced to help insure a quality viewing experience on the larger TV screen.
“Offering our viewers the very best viewing experience is an essential starting point," states Gulas, “but in the long run, it will be our content selection that will insure our success.” "Launching the Youku ORIGINAL Channel on SWIG with the Miss Puff is extremely exciting for us,” stated Mark Byers, Managing Director for SWIG Asia. The original shortie, which blends live action and animated characters, was viewed more than 5 million times and linked in roughly 2 million tweets, making it the most-tweeted of the 11 Degrees films.
Positioned as a Chinese Sex and the City, the original web series Miss Puff will have weekly dates with Youku's 280 million online viewers. Each episode will revolve around an object in the titular material girl's everyday life, offering Miss Puff a chance to contemplate the vicissitudes of fast-paced Chinese urban life. The series is produced in partnership with General Motors, Sony Ericsson, and Lenovo.
“Youku Original has been quite successful with its original productions in China,” states He Chen, Youku ORIGINAL Manager of Strategic Cooperation “and we are pleased that SWIG has recognized the international appeal of our content, allowing us to reach a worldwide audience.” "I've been based in China and working in Asia for well over a decade, and the most striking thing is the stunning amount of exceptional creative talent here who have had few, if any, opportunities to showcase their work internationally. I am very proud SWIG can fill that gap and provide a global outlet for this talent," remarks Mark Byers.
"The SWIG platform coupled with the Company’s vision and mission is unique, and allows us to reach a truly global mainstream audience with quality films and television series, while at the same time reaching out to the Chinese community at large and giving them pride in these homegrown productions,” added, Nathan Mu, a Chinese Producer, who has played a key role in placing Linksus Media Channel on SWIG.
ABOUT Youku ORIGINAL:
Youku Original, is China’s number one online destination, Youku’s brand of self-produced online video content. Youku Original aims to create content that not only engages viewers, but genuinely moves them -- as with "Old Boys," one of the ten films produced for the “11 Degrees” New Media Film Project, a partnership between Youku Original and the China Film Group and Chevrolet Cruze. Since first beginning production work with viral ads, Youku Original has grown to produce and promote successful web serials like Hip Hop Office Quartet and Natural Born Jock, both industry milestones. Hip Hop Office Quartet, China's first web serial, has won over viewers -- more than 100 million to date -- with storylines and characters taken straight from real life.
ABOUT LINKSUS:
Linksus Media Company is one of the best large scale brand marketing companies in China. Dedicated in the industry of public relation for years, Linksus has entered into Top 20 PR Company as well as a 4A Advertisement Company in China.
By the combination of marketing resources and media, Linksus self-produces a series of micro-films and internet series as a unique marketing tool for its customers compared with other traditional methods. Partners with Linksus include the China Advertising Association of Commerce, KOTLER MARKETING GROUP, China Advertising Associations, China International Public Relations Association, among many other.
ABOUT SWIG (http://swig.tv/):
SWIG is a state-of-the-art, single app-centric global entertainment network, available on both mobile devices and broadband enabled TVs. Swig’s mission is offer a broad selection programming typically not available, or inaccessible for viewing on local major television networks and cinemas. SWIG's concentration is on niche and special interest programing that is underserved by major TV networks and even the leading digital distributors.
SWIG is targeting channel partners who offer; indie and festival films, international channels in their original language, special interest channels, documentaries and history channels, original programming, films and TV shows no longer available on major networks, and live TV channels in any language wishing to expand to a global footprint by offering simultaneous live broadcasts on SWIG.