LONDON — May 19, 2009 — Pilat Media, a leading provider of business management software to the media industry, today announced that ESPN STAR Sports, Asia's No.1 sports content provider, has reengineered its entire broadcasting sales operation based on Pilat Media's Integrated Broadcast Management System (IBMS).
IBMS replaces ESPN STAR Sports' legacy system with a business solution that offers a seamless integration of program acquisition, content management, airtime planning and scheduling, advertising sales, and media trafficking while also delivering unique value-added functionality for live sports programming.
ESPN STAR Sports showcases an unparalleled variety of premier live sports from around the globe 24 hours a day across 24 countries throughout Asia and offers 17 networks of sports programming to more than 310 million viewers throughout Asia, with each network localized to deliver differentiated world-class sports programming to Asian viewers.
"With live sports broadcasting, the multiple changes that occur and affect the way we operate our business, from planning to sales and accounting, are our biggest challenge. IBMS provides a single integrated solution throughout our organization that enables us to manage processes further upstream, eliminating errors and allowing better control and management of airtime," said Gloria Dunn, executive vice president and CEO, ESPN STAR Sports. "This is one of the most comprehensive systems-related undertakings ESPN STAR Sports has embarked on since its inception, and I am very happy to note that IBMS also provided us with the flexibility to grow and evolve our business cost-effectively and efficiently. We are now able to develop wider offerings for our business partners and consumers. For example, we can launch new channels and present more customized choices to our clients quickly by developing a variety of different ad sales models, including product-based and event-based selling, across our broad channel and geographic universe."
To meet the specific needs of live programming, IBMS easily handles overruns, preemptions, and flexible advertising scheduling. Sports-specific features have been added recently, including support for tag promotions and the ability to classify sports events according to predefined criteria such as sports type, venue, competitors, season, etc. — dramatically facilitating programming, promotion, and reporting. IBMS also integrates the multiple ad sales models supported across the various territories to which programming is delivered.
Building on the success of its IBMS installation, ESPN STAR Sports is now implementing Pilat Media's new Business Intelligence module. This powerful reporting and analysis tool will enable senior management to interrogate critical business and sales data for intelligent analysis and informed decision-making, to detect and pin down anomalies, identify trends, and provide accurate sales forecasting and planning.
"ESPN STAR Sports is a premier example of the tremendous strategic value that IBMS can offer a broadcasting operation throughout the content and sales lifecycle," said Avi Engel, chief executive officer, Pilat Media. "Whether supporting sports-specific or live programming, IBMS is uniquely equipped to help our customers streamline their business operations and respond to change."
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About ESPN STAR Sports
ESPN STAR Sports is a 50:50 joint venture between two of the world's leading cable and satellite broadcasters. As Asia's definitive and complete sports broadcaster and content provider, ESPN STAR Sports combines the strengths and resources of its ultimate parent companies — Walt Disney (ESPN, Inc.) and News Corporation Limited (STAR) — to deliver a diverse array of international and regional sports to viewers via its encrypted pay and free-to-air services.
ESPN STAR Sports showcases an unparalleled variety of premier live sports from around the globe 24 hours a day to a cumulative reach of more than 310 million viewers in Asia. ESPN STAR Sports has 17 networks covering 24 countries, each localized to deliver differentiated world-class premier sports programming to Asian viewers. This includes ESPN SEA, ESPN China, ESPN Hong Kong, ESPN India, ESPN Malaysia, ESPN Philippines, ESPN SEA 2, ESPN Taiwan, MBC-ESPN (Korea), STAR Sports Asia, STAR Sports Hong Kong, STAR Sports India, STAR Sports Malaysia, STAR Sports SEA, STAR Sports SEA 2, STAR Sports Taiwan, and STAR Cricket.
On the ground, the ESPN STAR Sports Event Management Group manages and promotes premier sporting events around Asia. ESPN STAR Sports aims to reach consumers at any time, any place and through all new media platforms, both Internet and mobile. The multilingual, online platforms espnstar.com, espnstar.com.cn and espnstar.com.tw, and footballcrazy.tv interact with millions of users, providing them with in-depth sports news, results, and competitions. Developed for the sports fan that is constantly on the move, mobileESPN and STAR Sports Mobile deliver differentiated mobile content targeted at various audiences. mobileESPN enables serious sports fans to follow their favorite sports more closely than ever before with a combination of specially produced video news clips, in-depth news coverage, and analysis. STAR Sports Mobile aims to provide interactive and entertaining opportunities to engage with sports, delivering exclusive video excerpts from leading football clubs Arsenal and Liverpool, as well as highlights from STAR Sports original programs covering opinions, instructional tips, and the latest online game reviews. www.espnstar.com
About Pilat Media
Pilat Media Global plc [AIM: PGB] develops, markets, and supports business management software solutions for content and service providers in the media industry. Designed with the direct involvement of top-tier broadcasters, Pilat Media's systems improve business performance, accelerate time to market, and enable diversification and growth of content programming, advertising sales, traffic, and media operations for multiplatform linear and on-demand services. More than 50 blue-chip media companies around the world use Pilat Media solutions, including FOX, AT&T, CTV, Virgin Media, Discovery, SABC, Chellomedia, the BBC, Media General, Sky Italia, ESPN STAR Sports, Network Ten, TVNZ, Southern Cross, and Foxtel. These and other deployments represent the management of billions of dollars in advertising revenue and programming that reaches hundreds of millions of viewers. More information is available at www.pilatmedia.com.
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