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BET Networks, a unit of Viacom Media Networks (NASDAQ: VIAB, VIA), and Tyler Perry Studios today unveiled a new joint venture to launch BET+, a premier subscription video-on-demand service focused on the African American audience. Available to consumers this fall, BET+ will feature more than 1,000 hours of premium content including exclusive new original programming and fan-favorite series, movies, and specials from BET Networks, world-renowned creator Tyler Perry, and a host of leading African American content creators.

BET+, the new online streaming service, will launch with more than 1,000 hours of premium content including beloved hit movies and TV shows, new exclusive originals, and recent seasons of current shows from top black creators and talent.

“African Americans are the leading consumers of streaming services, with higher SVOD adoption rates than other consumers, which is why we’re so excited to launch a premium product for this underserved audience. BET+ is a natural extension of BET’s linear network, which has been the leading home of black culture for decades. Our curated catalog and original programming will keep the BET+ content offering fresh, fueling subscriber growth, viewership and retention,” said Scott Mills, President of BET Networks. “Tyler Perry is the perfect partner for BET+. The combination of new, original shows and his giant library of popular movies, series and stage plays that Tyler brings to our joint venture creates an amazing product for his large and passionate fan base.”

“In our industry, the way people consume content is constantly evolving. I’ve paid attention to my audience and what works for them and, for that reason, I’m very excited not only about the idea of partnering with BET to create new and exciting content, but also about the idea of giving people a personalized experience through the ability to curate the content they love to consume. On a personal level, this will also be the first time I’ll be working in areas like unscripted and variety television, which will afford me the opportunity to work in fresh, creative ways with new voices and to discover new talent,” said Tyler Perry.

BET+ will offer consumers a comprehensive collection of premier African American-focused dramas, sitcoms, films and specials in the streaming universe. Itwill be the official home of Tyler Perry’s collected works across film, television and the stage. The service will feature Tyler Perry’s box office-topping theatrical films, including films from the “Madea” series; original series “House of Payne” and “Meet the Browns” and a selection of Perry’s stage plays.

In addition, the first BET+ original — “First Wives Club,” a new 10 episode scripted drama from acclaimed “Girls Trip” screenwriter Tracy Oliver — will debut on the service in the fall. The modern television remake of the classic 1996 revenge comedy starring Goldie Hawn, Bette Midler and Diane Keaton now stars an all-star African American cast including Jill Scott (“Why Did I Get Married”), Ryan Michelle Bathe(“This is Us,” “Empire”) and Michelle Buteau (“Isn’t It Romantic”). “First Wives Club” kicks off BET+’s slate of exclusive original programming that includes the premiere of a new series from blockbuster hit-maker Will Packer(“Ride Along,” “Think Like a Man”) and new original series from Tyler Perry and more.

The service will also feature a deep library of beloved series, films, and documentaries from BET Networks and the Viacom portfolio — including “Real Husbands of Hollywood,” “The New Edition Story,” “The Quad,” “College Hill,” “Comic View,” “Hell Date,” and more — most of which have not previously been available on streaming platforms.

BET+ will be available at launch on Android devices such as Samsung Galaxy, iOS devices such as the Apple iPad and iPhone, as well as other streaming devices.

BET’s new and current-window programming will continue to be available on BET’s linear network, including the newly-announced Tyler Perry original drama, “The Oval,” which will debut on BET as the first series under Perry’s multi-year content partnership with the network. With over 75 hours of new original content slated to premiere on BET over the next year, Perry’s line-up will also include another drama series, two comedy series, and a live holiday-themed production. BET fans will have additional access points to BET content on BET.com and the BET Now app for TV Everywhere users.

In addition, BET’s recently launched channel on Pluto TV, the leading free streaming television service in the U.S., will continue to feature hundreds of hours of classic films and box office hits from the best of black Hollywood.

For more information on BET+ visit bet.com/betplus.

ABOUT BET NETWORKS
BET Networks, a subsidiary of Viacom Inc. (NASDAQ: VIA, VIA.B), is the nation’s leading provider of quality entertainment, music, news and public affairs television programming for the African-American audience. The primary BET channel is in nearly 85 million households and can be seen in the United States, Canada, the Caribbean, the United Kingdom, sub-Saharan Africa and France. BET is the dominant African-American consumer brand with a diverse group of business extensions including BET.com, a leading Internet destination for Black entertainment, music, culture, and news; BET HER (formerly CENTRIC), a 24-hour entertainment network targeting the African-American woman; BET Music Networks – BET Jams, BET Soul and BET Gospel; BET Home Entertainment; BET Live, BET’s growing festival business; BET Mobile, which provides ringtones, games and video content for wireless devices; and BET International, which operates BET Networks around the globe.

ABOUT TYLER PERRY STUDIOS
Tyler Perry Studios is a state-of-the art film and television production facility founded in 2006 by actor, producer, filmmaker, playwright and philanthropist Tyler Perry. Located in Atlanta, Georgia on the historic grounds of the former Fort McPherson army base, the new 330-acre campus is one of the largest production studios in the country. It boasts a variety of shooting locations including 40 buildings on the national register of historic places, 11 purpose-built sound stages, 200 acres of green space and an expansive backlot.

ABOUT VIACOM
Viacom creates entertainment experiences that drive conversation and culture around the world. Through television, film, digital media, live events, merchandise and solutions, our brands connect with diverse, young and young at heart audiences in more than 180 countries.

NEW YORK – Apr. 25, 2019– FOX, NBCUniversal, and Viacom today unveiled OpenAP 2.0, expanding the advanced audience platform into a centralized premium video marketplace with workflow automation for national linear and long-form digital video, developed in collaboration with Accenture and FreeWheel. This major development will go live in time for Fall 2019 campaigns.

In a joint statement, Meredith Brace, Executive Vice President of Client Solutions and Portfolio Marketing, FOX; Krishan Bhatia, Executive Vice President of Business Operations and Strategy, NBCUniversal; and John Halley, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, Ad Solutions, Viacom, said: “We’re thrilled to bring to market our latest iteration of OpenAP, which fundamentally transforms the way that advertisers can transact to deliver holistic advanced audience campaigns from start to finish on both linear and long-form digital platforms, in collaboration with Accenture and FreeWheel. OpenAP was the TV industry’s first open platform for cross-publisher audience targeting and independent third-party posting, and this is a major step in furthering our mission to bring the industry together to make audience buying more transparent, consistent, and effective.”

With OpenAP 2.0, buyers will now be able to build consistent, cross-publisher audience segments for both national linear and long-form digital video, and submit orders to activate these segments through a centralized cross-publisher marketplace. Built in collaboration with Accenture and FreeWheel, OpenAP 2.0 will be accessible at OpenAP.tv and via APIs for agency planning systems and approved DSPs. In addition, OpenAP 2.0 will provide cross-publisher analytics for a unified view of advanced audience campaigns, with comprehensive pre-campaign performance projections and post-campaign delivery metrics, including total unduplicated reach, overall tCPM, and total audience impressions.

“Advanced targeting, transparency and simplicity are critical to our clients. OpenAP enables advertisers access to advanced audiences at scale with the highest quality TV content available across screens. FOX and the other members of OpenAP are committed to driving open standards that are essential to the success of our brand and agency partners,” said Marianne Gambelli, President, Advertising Sales, FOX.

“With competition rising in every industry, marketers need new ways to define their audience and engage viewers across all platforms. Expanding OpenAP can help turn that vision into a reality. Krishan Bhatia and a group of industry leaders are creating solutions that will benefit the entire advertising ecosystem, and that should be commended,” said Linda Yaccarino, Chairman, Advertising and Client Partnerships, NBCUniversal.

“We’re incredibly proud of the pioneering work that our team and OpenAP partners have accomplished in unifying and standardizing the television business. OpenAP’s evolution into a transactional platform is intended to simplify activation for our brand and agency partners, which we believe will significantly impact the scale of advanced advertising moving forward. We couldn’t be more excited,” said Sean Moran, Head of Ad Solutions, Viacom.

Launched in 2017, OpenAP was founded to make it easier for advertisers to reach unified custom audience segments across TV publishers by delivering consistency and standardization with secure segment sharing and independent measurement. Members of OpenAP include FOX, NBCUniversal, Viacom, and Univision.

About OpenAP
Founded by a consortium of television publishers and operated by a leading, neutral third-party auditor, OpenAP simplifies audience-based media buying. Within our respective companies, we are at the forefront of the evolution of TV, creating advanced, data-driven products that help advertisers move beyond basic demographics and into advanced audience targeting. However, while demand for audience targeting has grown significantly, adoption has been limited by the industry’s failure to make audience buying as transparent and easy as traditional guarantees. OpenAP was our response to a clear industry need that required collective action. For more information, visit www.openap.tv.

About Fox Corporation
Fox Corporation produces and distributes compelling news, sports and entertainment content through its iconic domestic brands including: FOX News, FOX Sports, the FOX Network, and the FOX Television Stations. These brands hold cultural significance with consumers and commercial importance for distributors and advertisers. The breadth and depth of our footprint allows us to deliver content that engages and informs audiences, develops deeper consumer relationships and creates more compelling product offerings. FOX maintains an impressive track record of news, sports, and entertainment industry success that will shape our strategy to capitalize on current strengths and invest in new initiatives. For more information about Fox Corporation, please visit www.FoxCorporation.com.

About NBCUniversal
NBCUniversal is one of the world’s leading media and entertainment companies in the development, production, and marketing of entertainment, news, and information to a global audience. NBCUniversal owns and operates a valuable portfolio of news and entertainment television networks, a premier motion picture company, significant television production operations, a leading television stations group, world-renowned theme parks, and a suite of leading Internet-based businesses. NBCUniversal is a subsidiary of Comcast Corporation. To learn more, visit: www.nbcuniversal.com.

About Viacom
Viacom creates entertainment experiences that drive conversation and culture around the world. Through television, film, digital media, live events, merchandise and solutions, our brands connect with diverse, young and young at heart audiences in more than 180 countries. For more information on Viacom and its businesses, visit www.viacom.com. Keep up with Viacom news by following us on Twitter (twitter.com/viacom), Facebook (facebook.com/viacom) and LinkedIn (linkedin.com/company/viacom).

NEW YORK – American Media, LLC today announced that it has reached an agreement in principle with James Cohen, the owner and CEO of Hudson Media, for the sale of its newsprint tabloids, including the National Enquirer (US and UK editions), Globe and National Examiner. The agreement also includes a multi-year service contract that will generate substantial fees for American Media to provide publishing, financial and distribution services for the tabloid brands.

“The sale of these brands shows their vitality in today’s newsstand marketplace where they continue to generate nearly $30 million in profit annually,” said American Media President and CEO David J. Pecker. “James and his team at Hudson have a proven history in publishing and have the market-based knowledge and long-term vision needed to ensure the growth of these brands.”

“Year after year, the Enquirer has continued to be one of the best-selling and most profitable newsstand titles,” said James Cohen. “But this transaction is about more than a weekly publication, it’s about a brand with extraordinary potential across multiple platforms.”

Mr. Cohen said he plans to accelerate the Enquirer’s current collaborations with Investigation Discovery, as well as the documentary shows it produces for REELZ. In addition, he sees exponential growth and engagement through weekly series podcasts from the tabloid’s archives. The recent 12-part audio documentary podcast, “Fatal Voyage: The Mysterious Death of Natalie Wood,” quickly became the #2 program among all Apple podcasts worldwide with 4+ million downloads in 2018. Expanding the National Enquirer theme parks that recently opened in Branson, Missouri and Pigeon Forge, Tennessee to other markets is another priority.

The result of this transaction is a significant deleveraging for American Media, leaving the company with only $355 million of debt. Interest expense will be reduced by $13 million per year, which will enhance the company’s free cash flow and allow American Media to continue to deleverage.

The agreement between the companies is expected to close as soon as possible once the necessary regulatory approvals have been obtained.

About American Media, LLC
American Media, LLC owns and operates the leading print and digital celebrity and active lifestyle media brands in the United States. American Media’s titles include Us Weekly, Star, OK!, In Touch, Life & Style, Closer, Men’s Journal, Muscle & Fitness, Powder, Snowboarder, Surfer, Bike, Mr. Olympia Contest, National Enquirer and other celebrity and teen titles. American Media also manages nineteen different digital sites including Usmagazine.com, OKmagazine.com, RadarOnline.com, Intouchweekly.com, Lifeandstylemag.com, Closerweekly.com, MensJournal.com, MuscleandFitness.com, Powder.com, Surfer.com and other digital and social properties. American Media’s magazines have a combined total circulation of 5.7+ million and reach approximately 49.4 million men and women each month. American Media’s digital properties reach approximately 65 million unique visitors monthly.

Viacom released the following statement on AT&T-DirecTV today. For more news and information, please visit www.keepviacom.com.

“Viacom is the No. 1 cable family serving key customers and communities on AT&T-DirecTV’s services across kids, teens, 18-49, African Americans and Hispanics. We have made a series of offers that are good for consumers and good for AT&T – giving subscribers more access to the Viacom channels they love, including Nickelodeon, BET, MTV, Comedy Central and Paramount, while enabling AT&T-DirecTV to lower customers’ bills in the process.

Unfortunately, AT&T is abusing its new market position by favoring its own content – which significantly underperforms Viacom’s – to stifle competition. AT&T-DirecTV’s behavior is also consistent with a recent pattern of gouging their customers by charging them higher prices for an inferior product with fewer channels. Especially troubling, AT&T-DirecTV is marginalizing diverse audiences in its new DTV packages and threatening to do the same with their existing products.

Viacom is committed to developing strong relationships with our distribution partners. We have successfully renewed a series of distribution relationships representing more than half our subscriber base over the last two years and have not had a disruption in our service since 2014. While we continue to make every effort to reach a new carriage agreement, AT&T’s unwillingness to engage in constructive conversations unfortunately could force a disruption in service.”

BURBANK, Calif. and NEW YORK, New York – The Walt Disney Company (NYSE:DIS) and Twenty-First Century Fox, Inc. (“21CF”) (NASDAQ: TFCFA, TFCF), in connection with Disney’s acquisition of 21CF (the “Acquisition”), announced today that the per share value of the Merger Consideration (as defined below) has been calculated in accordance with the Merger Agreement (as defined below) to be $51.572626 (the “Per Share Value”. See footnote1). The Acquisition will become effective at 12:02 a.m. Eastern Time tomorrow, March 20, 2019.

At the effective time of the Acquisition, each share of 21CF common stock will be exchanged for $51.572626 in cash (the “Cash Consideration”) or 0.4517 shares of common stock of TWDC Holdco 613 Corp., the holding company that will own both Disney and 21CF following the Acquisition (“New Disney”) (the “Stock Consideration”, and together with the Cash Consideration, the ”Merger Consideration”), subject to election, proration and adjustment procedures set forth in the Amended and Restated Agreement and Plan of Merger(the “Merger Agreement”), dated as of June 20, 2018, by and among 21CF, Disney, New Disney, and certain of Disney’s other subsidiaries. The number of shares of New Disney common stock comprising the Stock Consideration was determined by dividing the Per Share Value by $114.1801, which was the volume weighted average trading price of a share of Disney common stock on the New York Stock Exchange over the fifteen consecutive trading day period ending on (and including) March 15, 2019.

“This is an extraordinary and historic moment for us—one that will create significant long-term value for our company and our shareholders,” said Robert A. Iger, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, The Walt Disney Company. “Combining Disney’s and 21st Century Fox’s wealth of creative content and proven talent creates the preeminent global entertainment company, well positioned to lead in an incredibly dynamic and transformative era.”

The acquisition of 21st Century Fox’s iconic collection of businesses and franchises will allow Disney to provide more appealing high-quality content and entertainment options to meet growing consumer demand; increase its international footprint; and expand its direct-to-consumer offerings, which include ESPN+ for sports fans, the highly-anticipated Disney+ streaming video-on-demand service launching in late 2019; and Disney and 21st Century Fox’s combined ownership stake in Hulu.

The acquisition includes 21st Century Fox’s renowned film production businesses, including Twentieth Century Fox, Fox Searchlight Pictures, Fox 2000 Pictures, Fox Family and Fox Animation; Fox’s television creative units, Twentieth Century Fox Television, FX Productions and Fox21; FX Networks; National Geographic Partners; Fox Networks Group International; Star India; and Fox’s interests in Hulu, Tata Sky and Endemol Shine Group. Disney and 21st Century Fox entered into a consent decree with the U.S. Department of Justice last year under which Disney will divest 21st Century Fox’s Regional Sports Networks.

Earlier today, 21st Century Fox completed the spin-off of a portfolio of 21st Century Fox’s news, sports and broadcast businesses, including the FOX News Channel, FOX Business Network, FOX Broadcasting Company, FOX Sports, FOX Television Stations Group, and sports cable networks FS1, FS2, Fox Deportes and Big Ten Network, and certain other assets and liabilities, into Fox Corporation.

Disney is also acquiring approximately $19.8 billion of cash and assuming approximately $19.2 billion of debt of 21st Century Fox in the acquisition. The acquisition price implies a total equity value of approximately $71 billion and a total transaction value of approximately $71 billion.

The acquisition is expected to be accretive to Disney earnings per share before the impact of purchase accounting for the second fiscal year after the close of the transaction, and to yield at least $2 billion in cost synergies by 2021 from operating efficiencies realized through the combination of businesses.

1On March 19, 2019, 21CF distributed to holders of shares of 21CF common stock (other than holders that are subsidiaries of 21CF) all of the issued and outstanding common stock of Fox Corporation (“FOX”) on a pro rata basis (the “Distribution”). As a result of the Distribution, 0.263183 of each share of 21CF common stock outstanding immediately prior to the Distribution was exchanged for 1/3 of one share of FOX common stock of the same class, and holders continued to hold the remaining 0.736817 of each share of 21CF common stock. The 0.736817 of each share of 21CF common stock remaining outstanding following the Distribution will be exchanged for the amount of consideration in the Acquisition that a whole share of 21CF common stock would have been exchanged for before giving effect to the Distribution. To accomplish this, the consideration that holders will receive in the Acquisition is automatically adjusted pursuant to the Merger Agreement to take the Distribution into account by multiplying the value of such consideration ($38.00) by the Distribution Adjustment Multiple (1.357190).

About Disney

Disney, together with its subsidiaries, is a diversified worldwide entertainment company with operations in four business segments: Media Networks; Parks, Experiences and Products; Studio Entertainment; and Direct-to-Consumer and International. Disney is a Dow 30 company and had annual revenues of $59.4 billion in its Fiscal Year 2018. For more information about Disney, please visit www.thewaltdisneycompany.com.

NEW YORK– Viacom Inc. (NASDAQ: VIAB, VIA) today announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Pluto TV, the leading free streaming television service in U.S., for $340 million in cash.

Founded in 2013, Pluto TV streams more than 100 channels and thousands of hours of on-demand content spanning television and movies, sports, news, lifestyle, comedy, cartoons, gaming and trending digital series. The ad-supported, internet-based TV service features world-class programming sourced from over 130 partnerships with media networks, major film and television studios and a wide range of digital content producers.

Today, Pluto TV has more than 12 million monthly active users, 7.5 million of which are on connected TVs. Its audience streams billions of minutes of content each month across devices such as Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Android TV, Apple TV, Chromecast, and Sony PlayStation consoles, as well as built-in integrations on smart TVs from Samsung and Vizio, and mobile apps on Android and iOS. Pluto TV has also secured new distribution deals that will make the service available on tens of millions of additional devices in the coming months.

Strategic Highlights
The acquisition of Pluto TV will advance Viacom’s key strategic priorities, including expanding its presence across next-generation distribution platforms and growing its advanced advertising business. Additionally, access to Viacom’s global reach, leading brands and vast, unencumbered library will help solidify Pluto TV as the leader in the free streaming video market in the U.S., and accelerate Pluto TV’s global growth. The benefits of this transaction include:

CREATES A SCALED D2C OFFERING
Provides Viacom with direct access to millions of consumers
Serves as a very important marketing engine to acquire and retain consumers for Viacom’s targeted subscription products, including Noggin and Comedy Central Now
Provides a new distribution outlet for Viacom Digital Studios’ content, beyond the existing AwesomenessTV channel on Pluto TV
Promotes Viacom brands and content that live on other platforms, such as pay-TV, theaters and beyond
MEANINGFULLY ENHANCES ADVANCED MARKETING SOLUTIONS BUSINESS
Immediately adds billions of high-quality addressable advertising impressions, which will further strengthen Viacom’s ability to serve advertisers and their agencies
Brings an additional audience that is young, gender-balanced and hard to reach

ADDS IMPORTANT OFFERING FOR DISTRIBUTION PARTNERS
Further expands Viacom’s ability to partner with distributors by adding a premium, free service for broadband-only and other subscribers
Serves as a customer acquisition and retention tool for certain tiers of pay-TV packages
Represents a significant opportunity for all types of distributors, including mobile operators

UNLOCKS VIACOM LIBRARY VALUE
Creates an incremental opportunity to monetize Viacom library product; importantly, Viacom’s current-window programming will remain in the pay-TV ecosystem on its branded networks
Benefits from Viacom’s strategic decision to curtail the licensing of large library packages to SVOD over the last two years

CREATES GLOBAL OPPORTUNITY
Leverages Viacom’s international reach, infrastructure and capabilities
In particular, Viacom sees a very compelling near-term opportunity to create a Spanish language offering, capitalizing on Viacom International Media Networks’ library, in both the U.S. and Latin America

ACCELERATES PLUTO TV’S LEADERSHIP IN FREE STREAMING TV
Strengthens key areas of Pluto TV’s offering for consumers by including Viacom’s content across kids, African-American, reality and comedy
Gives Pluto TV access to Viacom’s brands and marketing capabilities to grow audience and usage
Delivers incremental value to Pluto TV’s existing content and distribution partners
“Today marks an important step forward in Viacom’s evolution, as we work to move both our company and the industry forward. Pluto TV’s unique and market-leading product, combined with Viacom’s brands, content, advanced advertising capabilities and global scale, creates a great opportunity for consumers, partners and Viacom,” said Bob Bakish, Viacom President and CEO. “As the video marketplace continues to segment, we see an opportunity to support the ecosystem in creating products at a broad range of price points, including free. To that end, we see significant white space in the ad-supported streaming market and are excited to work with the talented Pluto TV team, and a broad range of Viacom partners, to accelerate its growth in the U.S. and all over the world.”

Viacom’s global footprint, portfolio of entertainment brands, deep content library and additional marketing resources will further enrich Pluto TV’s product and consumer experience and provide a clear roadmap for international expansion.

“Since our launch less than five years ago, and particularly over the past year, Pluto TV has enjoyed explosive growth and become the category leader in free streaming television,” said Pluto TV CEO and Co-Founder Tom Ryan. “Viacom’s portfolio of global, iconic brands and IP, advanced advertising leadership and international reach will enable Pluto TV to grow even faster and become a major force in streaming TV worldwide. Viacom is the perfect partner to help us accomplish our mission of entertaining the planet.”

Mr. Ryan will continue to serve as CEO of Pluto TV, which will operate as an independent subsidiary of Viacom upon closing of the transaction. The transaction is expected to close in the first quarter of 2019 and is subject to customary closing conditions and regulatory approval.

Paul Hastings, Covington & Burling and Shearman & Sterling served as legal counsel to Viacom. Gunderson Dettmer and Hogan Lovells served as legal counsel to Pluto TV, and LionTree Advisors served as financial advisor to Pluto TV.

About Viacom
Viacom creates entertainment experiences that drive conversation and culture around the world. Through television, film, digital media, live events, merchandise and solutions, our brands connect with diverse, young and young at heart audiences in more than 180 countries.
For more information on Viacom and its businesses, visit www.viacom.com. Keep up with Viacom news by following us on Twitter (twitter.com/viacom), Facebook (facebook.com/viacom) and LinkedIn (linkedin.com/company/viacom).

About Pluto TV
Pluto TV is the leading free streaming television service in America, delivering 100+ live and original channels and thousands of on-demand movies in partnership with major TV networks, movie studios, publishers, and digital media companies. Pluto TV is available on all mobile, web and connected TV streaming devices and millions of viewers tune in each month to watch premium news, TV shows, movies, sports, lifestyle, and trending digital series. Headquartered in Los Angeles, Pluto TV has offices in New York, Silicon Valley, Chicago and Berlin.

Woodcliff Lake, NJ – MINI USA announced today they are expanding their Western Region Tier 2 media efforts with Crossmedia to include all Regional Tier 2 media starting in January 2019. The first campaign will launch in March.

The selection of Crossmedia follows the conclusion of a Regional Tier 2 Media agency review conducted by the MINI USA National and Regional Marketing teams with the support of The Burnett Collective that began in May. Crossmedia will manage Regional Tier 2 media across the four Regional teams to promote tactical offers in an efficient manner to the right audience and ultimately drive showroom traffic to help drive sales for local MINI dealers. The four finalists in the pitch included Affinitiv, Empower, Merkle and Crossmedia, with Crossmedia ultimately winning the business.

IPG Mediabrands’ UM will continue to be the national media agency for brand and product advertising. MINI USA advertising creative will continue to be provided by Pereira & O’Dell.

“We had some great agencies participate in the pitch for MINI’s Regional Tier 2 business and each brought different perspectives.” said Patrick McKenna, Department Head, MINI Brand Communications. “Crossmedia ended up on top based on their media targeting approach, team dynamic, and campaign performance.”

“They’ve come up with innovative media solutions to find the right audience for our products while localizing our tactical Tier 2 messaging.” McKenna continued. “We look forward to expanding the partnership with them in 2019 across all of our regional teams,”.

Participants in the decision also included two dealer representatives, Michael Vadasz from Otto’s MINI in Exton, PA and Regina Dahm from Motor City MINI in Detroit, MI, along with the MINI USA National and Regional Marketing teams.

About MINI in the US
MINI is an independent brand of the BMW Group. In the United States, MINI USA operates as a business unit of BMW of North America, LLC, located in Woodcliff Lake, New Jersey and includes the marketing and sales organizations for the MINI brand. The MINI USA sales organization is represented in the U.S. through a network of 128 MINI passenger car dealers in 39 states. MINI USA began selling vehicles in the U.S. in 2002 with the introduction of the MINI Cooper and MINI Cooper S Hardtops. Since then, the MINI Brand in the U.S. has grown to encompass a model range of five unique vehicles.

Since its founding in 2007, Tumblr has always been a place for wide open, creative self-expression at the heart of community and culture. To borrow from our founder David Karp, we’re proud to have inspired a generation of artists, writers, creators, curators, and crusaders to redefine our culture and to help empower individuality.

Over the past several months, and inspired by our storied past, we’ve given serious thought to who we want to be to our community moving forward and have been hard at work laying the foundation for a better Tumblr. We’ve realized that in order to continue to fulfill our promise and place in culture, especially as it evolves, we must change. Some of that change began with fostering more constructive dialogue among our community members. Today, we’re taking another step by no longer allowing adult content, including explicit sexual content and nudity (with some exceptions).

Let’s first be unequivocal about something that should not be confused with today’s policy change: posting anything that is harmful to minors, including child pornography, is abhorrent and has no place in our community. We’ve always had and always will have a zero tolerance policy for this type of content. To this end, we continuously invest in the enforcement of this policy, including industry-standard machine monitoring, a growing team of human moderators, and user tools that make it easy to report abuse. We also closely partner with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children and the Internet Watch Foundation, two invaluable organizations at the forefront of protecting our children from abuse, and through these partnerships we report violations of this policy to law enforcement authorities. We can never prevent all bad actors from attempting to abuse our platform, but we make it our highest priority to keep the community as safe as possible.

So what is changing?
Posts that contain adult content will no longer be allowed on Tumblr, and we’ve updated our Community Guidelines to reflect this policy change. We recognize Tumblr is also a place to speak freely about topics like art, sex positivity, your relationships, your sexuality, and your personal journey. We want to make sure that we continue to foster this type of diversity of expression in the community, so our new policy strives to strike a balance.

Why are we doing this?
It is our continued, humble aspiration that Tumblr be a safe place for creative expression, self-discovery, and a deep sense of community. As Tumblr continues to grow and evolve, and our understanding of our impact on our world becomes clearer, we have a responsibility to consider that impact across different age groups, demographics, cultures, and mindsets. We spent considerable time weighing the pros and cons of expression in the community that includes adult content. In doing so, it became clear that without this content we have the opportunity to create a place where more people feel comfortable expressing themselves.

Bottom line: There are no shortage of sites on the internet that feature adult content. We will leave it to them and focus our efforts on creating the most welcoming environment possible for our community.

So what’s next?
Starting December 17, 2018, we will begin enforcing this new policy. Community members with content that is no longer permitted on Tumblr will get a heads up from us in advance and steps they can take to appeal or preserve their content outside the community if they so choose. All changes won’t happen overnight as something of this complexity takes time.

Another thing, filtering this type of content versus say, a political protest with nudity or the statue of David, is not simple at scale. We’re relying on automated tools to identify adult content and humans to help train and keep our systems in check. We know there will be mistakes, but we’ve done our best to create and enforce a policy that acknowledges the breadth of expression we see in the community.

Most importantly, we’re going to be as transparent as possible with you about the decisions we’re making and resources available to you, including more detailed information, product enhancements, and more content moderators to interface directly with the community and content.

Like you, we love Tumblr and what it’s come to mean for millions of people around the world. Our actions are out of love and hope for our community. We won’t always get this right, especially in the beginning, but we are determined to make your experience a positive one.

Jeff D’Onofrio
CEO

CHICAGO and NEW YORK, Tribune Broadcasting, a subsidiary of Tribune Media (NYSE: TRCO), and Altice USA (NYSE: ATUS) today announced that they have reached a comprehensive agreement on carriage and retransmission consent. The agreement enables Altice USA to continue carrying Tribune local televisions stations across the country and provides for carriage of Tribune’s cable entertainment network WGN America. Specific terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

Tribune Media Company (NYSE: TRCO) is home to a diverse portfolio of television and digital properties driven by quality news, entertainment and sports programming. Tribune Media is comprised of Tribune Broadcasting’s 42 owned or operated local television stations reaching approximately 50 million households, national entertainment cable network WGN America, whose reach is more than 77 million households, and a variety of digital applications and websites commanding 54 million monthly unique visitors online. Tribune Media also includes Chicago’s WGN-AM and the national multicast networks Antenna TV and THIS TV. Additionally, the Company owns and manages a significant number of real estate properties across the U.S. and holds a variety of investments, including a 31% interest in Television Food Network, G.P., which operates Food Network and Cooking Channel. For more information please visit www.tribunemedia.com.

ALTICE USA (NYSE: ATUS) is one of the largest broadband communications and video services providers in the United States, delivering broadband, pay television, telephony services, Wi-Fi hotspot access, proprietary content, and advertising services to approximately 4.9 million residential and business customers across 21 states through its Optimum and Suddenlink brands. For more information please visit www.alticeusa.com.

NEW YORK– Viacom Inc. (NASDAQ: VIAB, VIA) today announced a new, simplified structure for Viacom Media Networks (VMN). Effective immediately, VMN will consist of four brand groups:

Comedy Central, Paramount Network and TV Land
MTV, VH1, CMT and Logo
BET Networks
Nickelodeon

The new structure will streamline VMN’s operations, enhancing the ability of Viacom’s network teams to coordinate scheduling and programming, share production and other resources, and leverage important talent relationships.

The Comedy Central, Paramount Network and TV Land group will be led by Kent Alterman, President, and Chris McCarthy will expand his current role of President of MTV, VH1 and Logo to now include CMT. Alterman and McCarthy will continue to report to CEO Bob Bakish. There are no changes to BET Networks or Nickelodeon.

“These changes mark the next step in the ongoing evolution of our company as we continue to ensure we’re making the most of our great assets and resources, and operating as nimbly and efficiently as we can,” said Bakish. “Comedy Central, Paramount Network and TV Land share an original content strategy anchored in scripted programming, and CMT – with its deep roots in music and unscripted programming – is a natural partner for MTV and VH1. Kent and Chris have been driving forces behind Viacom’s flagship strategy, re-energizing and growing two of our most iconic brands, and I can’t wait to see what they do next.”

With these changes, Kevin Kay will step down as President, Paramount Network, TV Land and CMT after a transition period. Kay’s achievements during his tenure at Viacom include overseeing a string of hits for Nickelodeon, such as All That, Kenan & Kel and The Adventures of Pete & Pete, as well as developing and greenlighting SpongeBob SquarePants. During his tenure at Spike, he oversaw the launch of fan-favorites like The Ultimate Fighter, Lip Sync Battle, Bar Rescue and Ink Master, as well as the expansion of Bellator.

More recently, Kay and his team successfully launched Paramount Network in January 2018. Paramount Network has achieved early critical and ratings success through the cinematic original series Waco and Yellowstone, the latter of which is the second-most-watched cable series of 2018. In addition, since Kay gained oversight of TV Land and CMT in 2017, the networks have continued to grow their devoted audiences through acclaimed original series such as Younger, Teachers and CMT Crossroads.

“Over the course of his career at Viacom, Kevin’s creative vision and gift for telling great stories have made a lasting impact,” Bakish added. “Thanks to the efforts of Kevin and his team, we have successfully established Paramount Network as a home for premium content, and TV Land and CMT continue to be dominant forces in the audiences they serve. I’m so grateful for the many contributions they have made in evolving and strengthening these world-class brands for their next chapter.”

Alterman has served as President of Comedy Central since 2016 after previously holding the position of President, Original Programming at the network. Since his return to Comedy Central in 2010, Alterman has prioritized attracting and nurturing top comedic talent, launching with his team some of the most-acclaimed comedies across the past decade, including Emmy Award-winning series such as Inside Amy Schumer, Key & Peele, Broad City, Drunk History and The Daily Show with Trevor Noah. Under his leadership, Comedy Central has greatly extended the brand across new platforms and experiences, including the launch of a global podcast network and a 24-hour satellite radio station, along with Clusterfest, a three-day comedy and music festival. Bucking industry trends, Comedy Central was one of only three Top 20 networks to maintain or grow ratings among Adults 18-49 across the recently-concluded fiscal year and has maintained or grown share for 18 consecutive months. Comedy Central streamed nearly 4.7 billion videos across digital and social platforms in FY2018, a year-over-year increase of +63%.

McCarthy was elevated to President of MTV, VH1 and Logo in October 2016 after serving as President of VH1 and Logo. In his tenure, MTV now is the fastest growing network in cable and number one with its 18-34 audience, while VH1 is riding three consecutive years of ratings growth. Together MTV and VH1 boast 19 of the top 25 unscripted series on cable. At MTV, McCarthy has engineered the network’s longest streak of ratings growth in seven years with new hits like Siesta Key and Ex on the Beach, and reimagined iconic franchises like Jersey Shore and Floribama Shore. Under his leadership, MTV has built its social footprint to more than 350 million followers and doubled video streams in 2018, while launching the transformative MTV Studios initiative to develop original series for partners across SVOD and premium TV. McCarthy is the recipient of multiple Emmys and a Peabody Award.

About Viacom
Viacom is home to premier global media brands that create compelling entertainment content – including television programs, motion pictures, short-form content, games, consumer products, podcasts, live events and social media experiences – for audiences in 183 countries. Viacom’s media networks, including Nickelodeon, Nick Jr., MTV, BET, Comedy Central, Paramount Network, VH1, TV Land, CMT, Logo, Channel 5 (UK), Telefe (Argentina), Colors (India) and Paramount Channel, reach approximately 4.3 billion cumulative television subscribers worldwide. Paramount Pictures is a major global producer and distributor of filmed entertainment. Paramount Television develops, finances and produces original programming for television and digital platforms.

New York, NY – News Corp announced today that its subsidiary Move Inc., operator of realtor.com®, has successfully completed its acquisition of Opcity, the market-leading real estate technology platform that matches qualified home buyers and sellers with real estate professionals in real time.

The acquisition broadens realtor.com®’s lead generation product portfolio to include Opcity’s concierge-based model. With its broker-centric model, Opcity has grown its U.S. client base to over 5,000 brokerages and more than 40,000 agents since 2015.

“Real estate is an increasingly significant part of the News Corp portfolio, and the acquisition of Opcity deepens our engagement with agents and homebuyers alike,” said Robert Thomson, Chief Executive of News Corp.

“Realtor.com® and Opcity share a consumer-first philosophy that is focused on keeping real estate professionals at the center of the transaction,” said Ryan O’Hara, CEO of Move, Inc. “Our combination will enable us to more effectively bring buyers, sellers and agents together, improving the consumer experience and providing our industry partners with more opportunities to connect with clients and grow their businesses.”

Opcity, with headquarters in Austin, Texas, will continue to operate under its current brand. The acquisition purchase price is $210 million, subject to adjustments.

Digital real estate services is News Corp’s fastest growing segment. Move, Inc. has nearly doubled its revenues since News Corp’s acquisition in 2014 to $452 million in fiscal 2018. News Corp, the most global digital property company, also owns 61.6 percent of REA Group Limited, the operator of the leading Australian residential property website, realestate.com.au.

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About News Corp
News Corp (Nasdaq: NWS, NWSA; ASX: NWS, NWSLV) is a global, diversified media and information services company focused on creating and distributing authoritative and engaging content. The company comprises businesses across a range of media, including: news and information services, book publishing, digital real estate services, and subscription video services in Australia. Headquartered in New York, News Corp operates primarily in the United States, Australia, and the United Kingdom, and its content is distributed and consumed worldwide. More information is available at: http://www.newscorp.com.

About Move, Inc.
Move, Inc. provides access to unsurpassed real estate information, tools and professional expertise across a family of websites and mobile experiences for consumers and real estate professionals through all stages of the home journey. It has a perpetual license to operate realtor.com® from the National Association of REALTORS®.

The Move network includes realtor.com®, The Home of Home Search℠, as well as Doorsteps®, Moving.com™ and SeniorHousingNet℠. Realtor.com® pioneered the world of digital real estate 20 years ago, and today helps make all things home simple, efficient and enjoyable. Move also offers a complete solution of software products and services to help real estate professionals serve their clients and grow their business in a digital world, including ListHub™, the nation’s leading listings syndicator and centralized intelligence platform for the real estate industry; Top Producer® Systems; FiveStreet℠ and Reesio as well as many free services. For more information, visit realtor.com®.

About Opcity Inc.
Based in Austin, Texas, Opcity is modernizing the real estate industry by matching top real estate professionals with transaction-ready home buyers and sellers in real-time. Using proprietary data sets and applied analytics, Opcity’s unique technology and matching algorithm turn online inquiries into transactions, drive increases in conversion, and provide real estate professionals with centralized insights to effectively manage their pipelines. Opcity’s growth has been fueled by investment from Silicon Valley-based Icon Ventures, with participation from artificial intelligence-focused Georgian Partners, and Texas-based LiveOak Venture Partners. For more information, visit http://www.Opcity.com.

NEW YORK and OAKLAND, Calif., Sept. 24, 2018 — Sirius XM Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ: SIRI) and Pandora Media, Inc. (NYSE: P) today announced a definitive agreement under which SiriusXM will acquire Pandora in an all-stock transaction valued at approximately $3.5 billion. The combination creates the world’s largest audio entertainment company, with more than $7 billion in expected pro-forma revenue in 2018 and strong, long-term growth opportunities.

This strategic transaction builds on SiriusXM’s position as the leader in subscription radio and a critically-acclaimed curator of exclusive audio programming with the addition of the largest U.S. audio streaming platform. Pandora’s powerful music platform will enable SiriusXM to significantly expand its presence beyond vehicles into the home and other mobile areas. Following the completion of the transaction, there will be no immediate change in listener offerings.

The combined company will drive long-term growth by:

Capitalizing on cross-promotion opportunities between SiriusXM’s base of more than 36 million subscribers across North America and 23 million-plus annual trial listeners and Pandora’s more than 70 million monthly active users, which represents the largest digital audio audience in the U.S.
Leveraging SiriusXM’s exclusive content and programming with Pandora’s ad-supported and subscription tiers to create unique audio packages, while also utilizing SiriusXM’s extensive automotive relationships to drive Pandora’s in-car distribution.
Continuing investments in content, technology, innovation, and expanded monetization opportunities through both ad-supported and subscription services in and out of the vehicle.

Supporting and strengthening Pandora’s highly relevant brand.
Creating a promotional platform for emerging and established artists, curated and personalized in ways to deliver the most compelling audio experience that connects artists to their fan bases, as well as new listeners.
Jim Meyer, Chief Executive Officer of SiriusXM, said, “We have long respected Pandora and their team for their popular consumer offering that has attracted a massive audience, and have been impressed by Pandora’s strategic progress and stronger execution. We believe there are significant opportunities to create value for both companies’ stockholders by combining our complementary businesses. The addition of Pandora diversifies SiriusXM’s revenue streams with the U.S.’s largest ad-supported audio offering, broadens our technical capabilities, and represents an exciting next step in our efforts to expand our reach out of the car even further. Through targeted investments, we see significant opportunities to drive innovation that will accelerate growth beyond what would be available to the separate companies, and does so in a way that also benefits consumers, artists, and the broader content communities. Together, we will deliver even more of the best content on radio to our passionate and loyal listeners, and attract new listeners, across our two platforms.”

Roger Lynch, Chief Executive Officer of Pandora, said, “We’ve made tremendous progress in our efforts to lead in digital audio. Together with SiriusXM, we’re even better positioned to take advantage of the huge opportunities we see in audio entertainment, including growing our advertising business and expanding our subscription offerings. The powerful combination of SiriusXM’s content, position in the car, and premium subscription products, along with the biggest audio streaming service in the U.S., will create the world’s largest audio entertainment company. This transaction will deliver significant value to our stockholders and will allow them to participate in upside, given SiriusXM’s strong brand, financial resources and track record delivering results.”

Transaction Details
Pursuant to the agreement, the owners of the outstanding shares in Pandora that SiriusXM does not currently own will receive a fixed exchange ratio of 1.44 newly issued SiriusXM shares for each share of Pandora they hold. Based on the 30-day volume-weighted average price of $7.04 per share of SiriusXM common stock, the implied price of Pandora common stock is $10.14 per share, representing a premium of 13.8% over a 30-day volume-weighted average price. The transaction is expected to be tax-free to Pandora stockholders. SiriusXM currently owns convertible preferred stock in Pandora that represents a stake of approximately 15% on an as-converted basis.

The merger agreement provides for a “go-shop” provision under which Pandora and its Board of Directors may actively solicit, receive, evaluate and potentially enter negotiations with parties that offer alternative proposals following the execution date of the definitive agreement. There can be no assurance this process will result in a superior proposal. Pandora does not intend to disclose developments about this process unless and until its Board of Directors has made a decision with respect to any potential superior proposal.

Approvals
The transaction has been unanimously approved by both the independent directors of Pandora and by the board of directors of SiriusXM.

The transaction is expected to close in the first quarter of 2019. It is subject to approval by Pandora stockholders, expiration or termination of any applicable waiting period under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act and certain competition laws of foreign jurisdictions and other customary closing conditions.

SiriusXM Reiterates Full Year 2018 Outlook

SiriusXM reiterated its full-year 2018 guidance provided on July 25, 2018, with self-pay net subscriber additions of approximately 1.15 million; revenue over $5.7 billion; adjusted EBITDA of approximately $2.175 billion, and free cash flow of approximately $1.5 billion.

Advisors
Allen & Company LLC and BofA Merrill Lynch are serving as financial advisors to SiriusXM and Baker Botts LLP and Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP are serving as its legal counsel. Centerview Partners LLC, LionTree Advisors LLC and Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC are serving as financial advisors to Pandora and Sidley Austin LLP is acting as legal counsel.

About SiriusXM
Sirius XM Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ: SIRI) is the world’s largest radio company measured by revenue and has approximately 33.5 million subscribers. SiriusXM creates and offers commercial-free music; premier sports talk and live events; comedy; news; exclusive talk and entertainment, and a wide-range of Latin music, sports and talk programming. SiriusXM is available in vehicles from every major car company and on smartphones and other connected devices as well as online at siriusxm.com. SiriusXM radios and accessories are available from retailers nationwide and online at SiriusXM. SiriusXM also provides premium traffic, weather, data and information services for subscribers through SiriusXM Traffic™, SiriusXM Travel Link, NavTraffic®, NavWeather™. SiriusXM delivers weather, data and information services to aircraft and boats through SiriusXM Aviation™ and SiriusXM Marine™. In addition, SiriusXM Music for Business provides commercial-free music to a variety of businesses. SiriusXM holds a minority interest in SiriusXM Canada which has approximately 2.6 million subscribers. SiriusXM is also a leading provider of connected vehicles services, giving customers access to a suite of safety, security, and convenience services including automatic crash notification, stolen vehicle recovery assistance, enhanced roadside assistance and turn-by-turn navigation.

About Pandora
Pandora is the world’s most powerful music discovery platform—a place where artists find their fans and listeners find music they love. We are driven by a single purpose: unleashing the infinite power of music by connecting artists and fans, whether through earbuds, car speakers, or anywhere fans want to experience it. Pandora’s team of highly trained musicologists analyze hundreds of attributes for each recording which powers our proprietary Music Genome Project®, delivering billions of hours of personalized music tailored to the tastes of each music listener, full of discovery, making artist/fan connections at unprecedented scale. Founded by musicians, Pandora empowers artists with valuable data and tools to help grow their careers and connect with their fans.

DES MOINES, Iowa and SAN FRANCISCO, – Meredith Corporation (NYSE:MDP; www.meredith.com) – the leading media and marketing company reaching 175 million American consumers each month – including 80 percent of U.S. millennial women – announced today it has entered into a definitive agreement to sell the TIME media brand to Marc and Lynne Benioff for $190 million in cash. The transaction is subject to customary closing conditions and regulatory approval and is expected to close within 30 days.

The Benioffs are purchasing TIME personally and the transaction is unrelated to Salesforce.com, where Mr. Benioff is Chairman, co-CEO and founder. Mr. and Mrs. Benioff will not be involved in the day-to-day operations or journalistic decisions, which will continue to be led by TIME’s current executive leadership team.

TIME is a global, breaking news multimedia brand that reaches a combined audience of more than 100 million readers in print and online, including over 50 million digital visitors and 40 million social followers each month. An essential destination for reporting on the people, places and issues that matter, TIME captures the events that shape our lives through exceptional reporting, writing and photography. TIME’s major franchises include the TIME 100 Most Influential People, Person of the Year, Best Inventions, Genius Companies, World’s Greatest Places, and more.

“We’re pleased to have found such passionate buyers in Marc and Lynne Benioff for the TIME brand,” said Meredith President and CEO Tom Harty. “For over 90 years, TIME has been at the forefront of the most significant events and impactful stories that shape our global conversation. We know TIME will continue to succeed and is in good hands with the Benioffs. We thank the TIME team for its ongoing hard work and passionate commitment.”

Meredith acquired TIME as part of its purchase of Time Inc., which closed on January 31, 2018. Shortly thereafter, Meredith announced it was selling Time Inc.’s news and sports brands – TIME, Sports Illustrated, Fortune and MONEY – to focus on brands serving its core audience of American women. Meredith expects to announce agreements for the remaining asset sales in the near future.

“We are honored to be the caretakers of one of the world’s most important media companies and iconic brands,” said the Benioffs. “TIME has always been a trusted reflection of the state of the world, and reminds us that business is one of the greatest platforms for change.”

“On behalf of the entire TIME team, we are very excited to begin this next chapter in our history,” said TIME Editor-in-Chief Edward Felsenthal. “We can’t imagine better stewards for TIME than Marc and Lynne Benioff. The team is inspired by their commitment to high-quality journalism and by their confidence in the work we have done to transform and expand the brand in new directions.”

As part of the transaction, Meredith will provide short-term business continuity services and has entered into a multi-year agreement with the Benioffs to provide services such as consumer marketing, subscription fulfillment, paper purchasing and printing. Meredith will also be able to include the TIME brand in large corporate advertising buys.

Meredith plans to use proceeds from the transaction to pay down debt. Meredith expects to reduce its debt by $1 billion during fiscal 2019. Meredith is targeting a net debt-to-EBITDA ratio of 2.0x to 1 or better by the end of its fiscal 2020. This includes generating $1 billion of EBITDA and having net debt below $2 billion by the end of fiscal 2020.

Citigroup Global Markets Inc. served as financial advisor to Meredith and Cooley LLP served as legal advisor. BDT & Company served as financial advisor to the Benioffs and Goodwin Procter LLP served as legal advisor.

ABOUT MEREDITH CORPORATION
Meredith Corporation (NYSE: MDP; meredith.com) has been committed to service journalism for more than 115 years. Today, Meredith uses multiple distribution platforms – including broadcast television, print, digital, mobile and video – to provide consumers with content they desire and to deliver the messages of its advertising and marketing partners.

Meredith’s National Media Group reaches more than 175 million unduplicated American consumers every month, including over 80 percent of U.S. millennial women. Meredith is a leader in creating content across media platforms and life stages in key consumer interest areas such as entertainment, food, lifestyle, parenting and home. Meredith is the No. 1 magazine operator in the U.S., and owner of the largest premium content digital network for American consumers. Meredith’s leading national brands include PEOPLE, Better Homes & Gardens, InStyle, Allrecipes, REAL SIMPLE, Southern Living, EatingWell and Martha Stewart Living. Meredith also features robust brand licensing activities including more than 3,000 SKUs of branded products at 4,000 Walmart stores across the U.S. and at walmart.com. Meredith’s National Media Group also includes leading affinity marketer Synapse, and The Foundry, the company’s state-of-the-art creative lab and content studio.

Meredith’s Local Media Group includes 17 television stations reaching 11 percent of U.S. households. Meredith’s portfolio is concentrated in large, fast-growing markets, with seven stations in the nation’s Top 25 markets — including Atlanta, Phoenix, St. Louis and Portland — and 13 in the Top 50. Meredith’s stations produce more than 700 hours of local news and entertainment content each week, and operate leading local digital destinations. Meredith also owns MNI Targeted Media, which delivers targeted advertising solutions to more than 1,200 clients on a local, regional or national level.

New York, NY – Storyful, the leading provider of validated social media intelligence, announced today the relaunch of its Newswire flagship product. The Storyful Newswire now provides newsroom customers with faster discovery of content and deeper intelligence on news and digital trends around the globe.

“Over the last eight years, social media evolved into a complex and vital source of video and news,” said Sharb Farjami, CEO of Storyful. “Eyewitness social video footage is now standard for reporting on breaking news, political disruption, dramatic weather events and emerging cultural trends. The rise of disinformation and new technologies make it difficult for publishers to authenticate video or separate fact from fiction. Our unique combination of trained journalists and adaptable technology power the Newswire to make sense of social media for partners.”

First built to help editorial teams utilize verified social content in broadcast and digital publishing, the Storyful Newswire is the first social media newswire. The platform provides users deeper intelligence about breaking news events and trends, more content and video around emerging stories, and better search functionality to improve the speed of discovery. The goal is to help partners reduce the time and resources necessary to gather content and news from social media for use in publishing.

The new Storyful Newswire enhances the ability to discover relevant content with accurate keyword match results, location-tagged content and suggested stories to surface related content and video. In addition, new filters allow users to tailor their experience to fit their editorial agenda. Content can be clustered by region or area of interest, clearance (licensed, cleared, public), date, category and keyword.

Content options are also expanding. Storyful’s newsroom will guide partners to top content and developing stories through Collections, which offer greater depth of insight and range of video options to inform coverage. A new story type called “FYIs” provides investigative background around complex news events such as the Syrian civil war, election disinformation campaigns and weather events.

About Storyful
Storyful, a division of News Corp (Nasdaq: NWS, NWSA; ASX: NWS, NWSLV), is the world’s social media intelligence agency, combining award-winning journalism with comprehensive data access and agile technology to find insights and content for media and brand partners. Their expertise allows them to verify and contextualize social data, conversations and content to find the truth in the vast landscape of social noise.

New York, NY – Ben Berkowitz has been named Editor-in-Chief of Storyful, the leader in discovering, validating and acquiring social media and insights for global media organizations. Mr. Berkowitz was previously Vice President, Digital at WNBC and has two decades of news experience with NBC, Thomson Reuters, the Associated Press and more.

“I’m thrilled to be joining a team on the cutting edge of data-driven projects while also maintaining a top-rate, globally recognized standard for its journalism,” Berkowitz said. “I can’t wait to learn more about the business and begin working with all of our great partners.”

Mr. Berkowitz will take over responsibility for Storyful’s global editorial operation starting in August. As Editor-in-Chief, he will drive long term strategy and maintain day-to-day oversight of Storyful’s newsroom including offices in Dublin, New York, London, Hong Kong and Sydney. He will also lead new initiatives such as News Intelligence, an investigative research service for newsrooms, and training programs designed to combat misinformation on social media for the world’s largest media companies.

The Storyful editorial team are expanding their News Intelligence work – mapping and monitoring the flow of information as it moves across closed, semi-closed and open platforms – while also planning an upcoming set of significant upgrades for its core Newswire product. These initiatives all build toward the team creating more consultative partner relationships and expanding its footprint internationally.

“Now is the perfect time for us to bring in an editor with Ben’s pedigree”, said chief executive Sharb Farjami. “Social media is more complex than it has ever been and more vital to newsrooms. With Ben at the helm, we’ll help partners meet the challenges of this environment, go deeper in their reporting and cover the most important stories in the world.”

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About Storyful
Storyful, a division of News Corp (NASDAQ: NWS, NWSA; ASX: NWS, NWSLV), is the world’s social media intelligence agency, combining award-winning journalism with comprehensive data access and agile technology to find insights and content for media and brand partners. Their expertise allows them to verify and contextualize social data, conversations and content to find the truth in the vast landscape of social noise.

New York, NY – News websites help drive sales for brands and create value for advertisers through quality journalism, according to a new Nielsen study commissioned by News Corp.

The 2018 Nielsen Media Lab survey and white paper highlights the power of news websites to positively impact consumer behavior and brand perception. Key findings include:

News sites drive a significantly higher increase in both purchase intent and recommendation than other publishing categories such as sports, travel, food, and entertainment.
News content helps increase positive brand perception and brand affinity.
Negative or political news content is no more likely to adversely impact consumer attitude towards a brand than any other publisher category.
“Authenticity and actuality are precious qualities in an age of the artificial and the asinine. It is important that advertisers have adjacencies to reporting of the utmost integrity and verified veracity, and not have the brands tarnished by exposure in unsafe spaces and polluted places. Gilt by association is far preferable to guilt by association,” said Robert Thomson, Chief Executive of News Corp. “This significant survey underscores the lasting power of news to engage, inform and enhance.”

“There is a common misconception among marketers that news is bad for brands, but as this survey shows: that’s simply not true,” said Jesse Angelo, News Corp’s Chief of Advertising Solutions and CEO of the New York Post. “News has always been and continues to be an effective place to advertise because of its ability to inform and engage its audience.”

For some marketers, today’s political climate or catastrophes can make the news space seem perilous to navigate. However, millions of consumers see tremendous value in staying informed and actively engage with news every day. The Nielsen data shows that this value to consumers drives what marketers seek most—positive connections that ultimately lead to sales.

Nielsen gathered and analyzed data from nearly 6,000 real consumers, resulting in new, evidence-based insights into how news, compared to other publisher categories, performs for brands. The survey, which was commissioned by News Corp’s advertising solution NewsIQ, found that while brands experienced an increase in purchase intent across all publisher categories, news content was a clear leader in this metric with a 44% increase — significantly ranking above all other content categories.

The survey also showed that respondents were 42% more likely to recommend a brand to a friend when viewing content on news publisher sites, nearly 10% percent higher than the combined average of the other publisher sites.

In measuring brand affinity, business (39%) and news sites (38%) were category leaders – likewise in driving positive brand perception. In fact, even negative news content was no more likely to adversely impact consumer’s brand perception than any other publisher category.

“We’re excited to work with News Corp to explore how the consumer experience is being influenced amidst this dynamic media environment and to help uncover data and insights that help brands connect and resonate with people through their news and media consumption,” said Peter Bradbury, Managing Director of National Client Solutions at Nielsen.

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About the 2018 Nielsen Media Lab Survey
Nielsen Media Lab fielded a survey of 5,833 respondents ages 18 to 64 using a methodology designed to replicate the experience of reading a website article. The goal of the study was to test how a consumer’s brand perception and how their purchasing behavior might be affected by the publication category in which their ad runs. Respondents selected from seven publisher categories – business, news, fashion/beauty, travel, entertainment, and viewed – to view content from both category leaders and smaller websites.

To replicate the diversity of content that falls under the news category, articles that were determined under preset parameters to be positive, negative or neutral content, were served to the respondents. Additionally, five different product and service categories – CPG, auto, finance, retail and tech – were tested against the content to ensure that the findings were generally applicable to the marketing industry as a whole.

To get the report, please email: cgillard@newscorp.com.

About News Corp
News Corp (NASDAQ: NWS, NWSA; ASX: NWS, NWSLV) is a global, diversified media and information services company focused on creating and distributing authoritative and engaging content to consumers throughout the world. The company comprises businesses across a range of media, including: news and information services, book publishing, digital real estate services, and cable network programming and pay-TV distribution in Australia. Headquartered in New York, the activities of News Corp are conducted primarily in the United States, Australia, and the United Kingdom. More information: http://www.newscorp.com.

About NewsIQ
NewsIQ is a precision audience targeting platform powered by News Corp (NASDAQ: NWS, NWSA; ASX: NWS, NWSLV). NewsIQ gives advertisers access to an audience across a suite of News Corp businesses, including Dow Jones, NY Post, Move Inc., HarperCollins Publishers, Storyful, and News America Marketing. NewsIQ leverages News Corp’s proprietary data, custom content studios, social listening technologies and premium brand-safe media inventory to help its partners achieve their marketing goals. For more information, please visit: http://newsiq.net.

NEW YORK – Matt Murray has been named Editor-in-Chief of The Wall Street Journal and Dow Jones Newswires, succeeding Gerard Baker, who is to take up a new position as the Journal’s Editor-at-Large, which will include regular writing, hosting the paper’s expanding network of conferences and events, and television presenting. Mr. Murray is currently Executive Editor of the Journal.

Under Mr. Baker’s five-and-a-half year tenure, the Journal’s daily circulation has grown by more than a third, led by a rapid digital expansion, and at a time of declining trust in news media the paper has cemented its position as the most trusted newspaper in America. The Journal has consistently led the field with the deepest and most consequential reporting on US and global business, finance and economics news, and it has been the principal contributor to Dow Jones hitting three million memberships this year, creating a firm base for the future of the highest quality journalism. The paper’s technological transformation has resulted in rapid international expansion under Mr. Baker’s leadership and its Conference network is continuing to grow on a global scale.

Robert Thomson, Chief Executive of News Corp, said: “Gerry has been a very successful editor at a time when journalism has been digitally challenged. I have no doubt that Matt is a worthy successor as Editor-in-Chief and will be a leader of the highest commitment and integrity. His strong reporting and editing background and his passion for the Journal are obvious to all who have the privilege of working with him.

“In his new role, Gerry, who is a gifted writer and skillful and intelligent interviewer, will continue to make an important contribution to the Journal’s development.”

William Lewis, Chief Executive of Dow Jones & Company, said: “I thank Gerry for his contribution to the great growth of the Journal in recent years, and look forward to his continuing work with us in his new roles. And I know Matt is the right person to take the reins and help us seize the great, new opportunities before us. We see many fruits from our work in embracing digital transformation and a deeper membership model, and there is much yet to do.”

Mr. Baker will write a regular column in Review, the paper’s weekend section, as well as other articles for the paper. In addition, he will host a WSJ-branded news and interview show on Fox Business Network and be a leading voice of the Journal’s rapidly expanding live journalism and events business, conducting interviews with leading figures from business, politics and culture.

The five-member Dow Jones Special Committee, formed in 2007 to monitor editorial standards and ethics issues at The Wall Street Journal, has unanimously approved the changes. Under the Agreement which established the committee, as well as subsequent amendments, management is required to give the committee timely notice of plans to make changes in top editorial leadership.

Commenting on the changes Gerry Baker said:

“It has been an extraordinary opportunity to have led the world’s greatest and most trusted news organization. I’m enormously grateful to Rupert, Lachlan and Robert for entrusting me with the Journal’s mission and it has been an unsurpassed privilege to have worked with so many talented and dedicated colleagues,” he said.

“There has never been a more important time nor a greater demand for trusted, authoritative, objective journalism and I am very much looking forward to continuing to pursue that mission as a writer, commentator and interviewer. I am honored to hand over the reins of this venerable institution to Matt Murray, an editor of unsurpassed quality and a trusted friend and colleague.”

Matt Murray said:

“I am honored to have been appointed Editor-in-Chief of The Wall Street Journal and it is a privilege to serve our millions of readers in print and digital. Our diverse array of talented journalists, ranging from reporters to graphic artists, video producers to data experts, are the best in the business. Every day, we set out to ensure that we are the most trusted source of news and information. We’re especially proud that the Journal is absolutely the preeminent news organization in business, economics and markets, the forces that shape so much in the modern world, and that Dow Jones Newswires is growing digitally and internationally as it provides business and market insights and analysis to clients around the world.”

“There is little doubt that at a time when journalism faces a host of challenges, readers are hungry for sophisticated, fair, illuminating and fact-based journalism–and see us as a uniquely trusted news source.”

“I especially appreciate the support of Rupert and Lachlan Murdoch, Robert, Will, and the leadership of Dow Jones, and I thank Gerry for his significant contributions to the Journal and his support for me.”

Prior to his appointment as Executive Editor, Mr. Murray was Deputy Editor-in-Chief since 2013, and had been a Deputy Managing Editor since 2008. He joined Dow Jones & Company in 1994 as a reporter for the Pittsburgh bureau. In 1997, he joined the Journal’s Money & Investing section, where he covered banking.

Mr. Murray joined the news desk in 2004, and later served as a deputy national editor and national news editor. He is the author of The Father and the Son and the co-author, with former New York City fire commissioner Thomas Von Essen, of Strong of Heart. He holds Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in journalism from Northwestern University and lives in New York with his wife and daughter.

Mr. Murray will formally take the Editorship of The Wall Street Journal and Dow Jones Newswires on Monday, June 11.

###

About News Corp
News Corp (NASDAQ: NWS, NWSA; ASX: NWS, NWSLV) is a global, diversified media and information services company focused on creating and distributing authoritative and engaging content to consumers throughout the world. The company comprises businesses across a range of media, including: news and information services, book publishing, digital real estate services, and cable network programming and pay-TV distribution in Australia. Headquartered in New York, the activities of News Corp are conducted primarily in the United States, Australia, and the United Kingdom. More information: http://www.newscorp.com.

About Dow Jones
Dow Jones is a global provider of news and business information, delivering content to consumers and organizations around the world across multiple formats, including print, digital, mobile and live events. Dow Jones has produced unrivaled quality content for more than 130 years and today has one of the world’s largest news gathering operations globally. It produces leading publications and products including the flagship Wall Street Journal, America’s largest newspaper by paid circulation; Factiva, Barron’s, MarketWatch, Financial News, Mansion Global, Dow Jones Risk & Compliance, Dow Jones Newswires, and Dow Jones VentureSource. Dow Jones is a division of News Corp (NASDAQ: NWS, NWSA; ASX: NWS, NWSLV).

About Dow Jones Special Committee
The five-person Dow Jones Special Committee operates under an Agreement between the former owners of Dow Jones and News Corp after the purchase in 2007. Its charter gives it the responsibility for monitoring the adherence of The Wall Street Journal and Dow Jones Newswires to the highest journalistic, ethical and professional standards.

Abu Dhabi, UAE; Tokyo, Japan; and New York, USA; — May 22, 2018 – Mubadala Investment Company (“Mubadala”) and Sony Corporation (“Sony”) today announced that they have signed a legally binding memorandum of understanding (“MOU”) for the sale of the Mubadala consortium’s approximately 60% equity interest in EMI Music Publishing to Sony Corporation of America, a wholly owned subsidiary of Sony, based on an enterprise value of $4.75 billion.

As a result of the transaction, Sony will indirectly own approximately 90% of the equity interest in EMI Music Publishing and it will become a consolidated subsidiary of Sony. The closing of the transaction is subject to certain closing conditions, including regulatory approvals.

Kenichiro Yoshida, President and CEO, Sony Corporation said: “We are thrilled to bring EMI Music Publishing into the Sony family and maintain our number one position in the music publishing industry. I would also like to convey my gratitude to Mubadala, our equity partner in EMI Music Publishing, for sharing our long-term perspective on the potential success of music publishing and their support as we grew the business. The music business has enjoyed a resurgence over the past couple of years, driven largely by the rise of paid subscription-based streaming services. In the entertainment space, we are focusing on building a strong IP portfolio, and I believe this acquisition will be a particularly
significant milestone for our long-term growth.”

The original transaction and the investor consortium that partnered with Sony and the Michael Jackson Estate to acquire EMI Music Publishing from a wholly-owned subsidiary of Citigroup Inc. were sourced and assembled by Mubadala Capital’s private equity business, which has controlled and managed EMI Music Publishing on behalf of Mubadala and other third-party investors since 2012.

Hani Barhoush, Head of Mubadala Capital, said: “EMI has been a successful investment for Mubadala and I would like to personally extend my appreciation to the leadership at Sony and Sony/ATV, who have been instrumental in administering the EMI catalog as well as shaping the music landscape on a global basis.
They have been tremendous partners to us.” Adib Mattar, Head of Private Equity for Mubadala Capital and Chairman of EMI Music Publishing, said: “EMI Music Publishing represents one of the world’s largest and most diverse catalog of copyrights with iconic songs that span every decade over the last one hundred years. Writers and artists only stand to benefit under consolidated ownership and should feel proud to be part of the Sony family. The sale of our consortium’s interest in EMI Music Publishing represents a
milestone for Mubadala and our private equity business.”

While the final purchase price to be paid by Sony for all of Mubadala’s equity interest in EMI Music Publishing is subject to customary closing adjustments, the total cash consideration Sony expects to pay to consolidate EMI Music Publishing is approximately $2.3 billion. Sony will assume EMI Music Publishing’s existing gross indebtedness, which was approximately $1.359 billion as of March 31, 2018. Upon closing of the transaction, Sony expects to record in operating income a non-cash step-up gain of approximately 100 billion yen for the equity interest in EMI Music Publishing it currently owns. The step-up gain and the consolidation of EMI Music Publishing has not been included in Sony’s forecast of
consolidated financial results for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2019, and Sony is currently assessing the impact of this step-up gain and the consolidation of EMI Music Publishing on its consolidated financial results for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2019.

Over the past six years, Mubadala and Sony have worked together as partners to create value alongside Sony/ATV Music Publishing (“Sony/ATV”), Sony’s music publishing arm, which has been administering the EMI Music Publishing catalog’s legacy of iconic writers and artists, reinvesting in existing writer relationships and growing the catalog by signing new writers on a 50/50 basis with Sony/ATV.

These actions, coupled with the global rise of streaming and paid streaming services, have led to an appreciation in value of the EMI Music Publishing catalog as millions of consumers have been provided access to innovative distribution channels to enjoy music like never before.

EMI Music Publishing owns or administers over two million songs that include classics by Queen, Carole King and the Motown catalog along with contemporary songs from Kanye West, Alicia Keys, Drake, Sam Smith, Pink, Pharrell Williams, Calvin Harris, Fetty Wap, Hozier and Sia.

Together with Sony’s 100%-owned music publishing company, Sony/ATV, and Sony’s 100%-owned music company, Sony Music Entertainment (Japan) Inc., the Sony Group collectively owns more than 2.3 million copyrights, featuring the Beatles, contemporary superstars and the Leiber Stoller catalog.

EMI Music Publishing generated revenue of $663 million, adjusted operating income of $181 million*, and adjusted EBITDA of $249 million* for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2018.

*Adjusted to exclude certain non-recurring warrant expense and management incentive plan accruals.
– Ends –

About Sony Corporation
Sony Corporation is a leading manufacturer of audio, video, game, communications, key device and information technology products for the consumer and professional markets. With its music, pictures, computer entertainment and online businesses, Sony is uniquely positioned to be the leading electronics and entertainment company in the world. Sony recorded consolidated annual sales of approximately $77 billion for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2018. Sony Global Web Site: http://www.Sony.net/

About Mubadala Investment Company
Mubadala Investment Company is a pioneering global investor, deploying capital with integrity and ingenuity to accelerate economic growth for the long-term benefit of Abu Dhabi. As Abu Dhabi’s leading strategic investment company, Mubadala is active in 13 sectors and more than 30 countries around the world, creating lasting value for our shareholder, the Government of Abu Dhabi.

Mubadala’s portfolio includes the development of global industrial champions in sectors such as aerospace, ICT, semiconductors, metals and mining and renewable energy, utilities, and the management of diverse financial holdings. We build on legacy expertise in oil and gas to invest across the hydrocarbon spectrum, and enhance the UAE’s growth potential through investments in healthcare, real estate and defense services. Our investment approach prioritizes partnership with best-in-class organizations and a commitment to the highest standards of governance.
www.mubadala.com

About Mubadala Capital
Mubadala Capital was established in 2011 as the financial investment arm of Mubadala, operating six integrated businesses focused on various asset classes and geographies that include private equity, public equities, credit, venture, sovereign investment partnerships and Brazil. The group invests globally across the capital structure in both public and private securities, whether directly or
through third-party managed funds.

In addition to managing its own balance sheet investments, Mubadala Capital manages third party capital on behalf of institutional investors in three of its businesses, including through two private equity funds and one early stage venture fund. Mubadala Capital is based in the Abu Dhabi Global Market.

About EMI Music Publishing
EMI Music Publishing is the second largest music publishing company by revenue. Through various arrangements, EMI either owns or has rights to publish approximately 2.1 million musical composition from every major genre and period. EMI exploits a comprehensive and diverse collection of copyrights for music and lyrics, sourced from a roster that includes a wide variety of iconic and popular songwriters, to generate revenues. EMI’s catalog is distinguished by its size, sustainability, stability, diversity and longevity. EMI’s catalog contains some of the greatest hits dating from the first half of the 20th century (‘‘Over the Rainbow’’ continues to be a top 10 revenue performer more than 75 years after its initial release) through today (including ‘‘Happy,’’ ‘‘Chandelier,’’
‘‘Summer’’ and ‘‘Take Me to Church’’). EMI has rights to publish musical compositions from current songwriters including Kanye West, Alicia Keys, Drake, Sam Smith, Pink, Pharrell Williams, Calvin Harris, Fetty Wap, Hozier and Sia.

EMI is a global company that obtains rights to musical compositions from songwriters and other rights holders around the world and exploits those rights in 32 countries.

News Corp and Telstra today announced the completion of the transaction to combine Foxtel and FOX SPORTS Australia. The commercial arrangements are unchanged from those announced on March 5, 2018.

About News Corp
News Corp (NASDAQ: NWS, NWSA; ASX: NWS, NWSLV) is a global, diversified media and information services company focused on creating and distributing authoritative and engaging content to consumers throughout the world. The company comprises businesses across a range of media, including: news and information services, book publishing, digital real estate services, and cable network programming and pay-TV distribution in Australia. Headquartered in New York, the activities of News Corp are conducted primarily in the United States, Australia, and the United Kingdom. More information: http://www.newscorp.com.

Unique digital football business Dugout and News Corp today revealed plans for the landmark acquisition by Dugout of News Corp’s mobile and online platform ballball, which delivers near-live highlights of the world’s leading football leagues and other great content to the fastest growing football markets in South-East Asia.

The move highlights Dugout’s focus on expanding its global presence and providing football fans around the world with access to the best content from the biggest football clubs and players in the world.

Dugout represents the first time the world’s biggest clubs have joined forces to create a business – with partners including AC Milan, Arsenal FC, Chelsea FC, FC Barcelona, FC Bayern Munich, Juventus, Liverpool FC, Manchester City FC, Paris Saint-Germain, Real Madrid CF, Inter Milan, Roma, Napoli, Tottenham Hotspur, Atletico Madrid and more.

ballball.com was launched by News Corp in August 2013 and is now one of the leading football video platforms in South-East Asia. The platform distributes an unprecedented collection of short-form highlights from European and other top football leagues to the region – generating 800 million video views during the 2017-18 football season.

The agreement to acquire ballball will see Dugout showcase the mobile and online platform’s unique aggregation of football content in two key territories – Vietnam and Indonesia – through a ballball section on the Dugout platform, with plans to expand into other countries in the region. From today, the best of Dugout’s content will also be showcased on ballball.com.
The acquisition will lead to the creation of a new Dugout entity – Dugout SE Asia – which will be headquartered in Singapore and will lead the expansion of Dugout in the region.

While parent company Dugout will be the majority shareholder of Dugout SE Asia, News Corp will also have a stake in the new business. This strategic partnership will include senior News Corp executive Simon Greenberg sitting on the board of Dugout SE Asia.

Elliot Richardson, Founder and Chairman of Dugout, said: “We are delighted to have agreed the purchase of ballball, which has been hugely successful in bringing great football content from the world’s best leagues to fans in South-East Asia. We’re now looking forward to complementing that platform with Dugout’s unique ingredient: embedded partnerships and access to the best players and clubs in the world.”

“Our aim with Dugout was to make it the digital football destination of choice by aligning clubs/players with brands and fans. We have already created over 15,000 hours of exclusive video content with our partners, and with access to incredible archive and new content themes, this will unlock more stories for fans to view of the clubs and players they love. The purchase of ballball will show the continued momentum behind the business and the chance to work with News Corp as a partner is so exciting. We know that South-East Asia is a hugely important territory for football clubs and the brands we work with, so we look forward to giving football fans in the region a great experience.”

Simon Greenberg, News Corp’s Global Head of Rights and future Dugout SE Asia board member, said: “We are very excited that News Corp is forging this new partnership with Dugout, a unique business that brings with it incredible connections across the world of football. In today’s rapidly changing media environment, it’s essential to work with strong and innovative partners like Dugout that recognise the value of premium content.”

“With football the fastest growing sport in the world – and Asia the fastest growing region – we launched ballball on mobile, the fastest growing platform, in 2013 and we are very proud of all that’s been achieved since. The team has built an unparalleled digital expertise and reputation to make it the go-to mobile destination for football highlights in the region. Dugout recognises the value of that work and together we can use this foundation to create a very compelling mobile offering for the many millions of football fans in SE Asia.”

All 77 clubs (and a growing number of players) on Dugout have a dedicated profile to upload content and interact with fans, meaning that Dugout users get a totally personalised experience based on the clubs and players they follow. The business launched in late 2016 and has already gathered over 67 million unique users and 912 million video views to date. Dugout has a social footprint of 2.1 billion and over 12,500 videos have been posted on the platform by clubs, players and brands.

Dugout has recently announced a number of other strategic partnerships to support the business’ objective of expanding its global presence. For example, in December Dugout launched a partnership with Major League Soccer (MLS) – boosting the brand’s global profile and tapping into the growing popularity of football in North America.

This approach reflects Dugout’s core belief in “localisation of content” – giving partners and brands detailed analytics that enable them to better understand audience behaviour and tastes in specific markets, in order to boost fan engagement.

The company has also signed deals with innovative tech companies like VEWD, SPOTX, Rakuten/Viber and Amazon to reach more users and provide brands advertising on the platform with better engagement, cutting-edge user consumer targeting and detailed analytics.

About ballball
ballball.com was launched by News Corp in August 2013 and is now one of the leading football video platforms in South-East Asia. It distributes short form highlights from Europe and other top football leagues in Indonesia and Vietnam and in the 2017-18 season ballball generated 800 million video views for this content, representing 966% growth FY15-FY17.
ballball is the 4th largest football destination on Facebook in both Indonesia and Vietnam (combined population 340 million+) and has developed partnerships and distribution with a number of regional blue-chip partners from the digital media and telco sectors to further maximise its reach.
ballball is based in Singapore and has a staff of 5, as well as freelancers and in-market translation teams. The rights content agreements are held by ballball.com’s parent company NWS Digital Asia Pte Ltd, which remains a News Corp owned subsidiary.

About Dugout
Dugout represents the first time the world’s biggest clubs have joined forces to support a business. Since launching in December 2016, 77 clubs, one National Football Federation and two Leagues have all signed partnerships with the platform.
Each club and player has a dedicated Dugout profile to upload content and interact with fans and Dugout users get a totally personalised experience based on the clubs and players they follow.
Dugout works with its partners to create high-quality, original content, both using unrivalled social reach and on platform which includes videos from clubs that are exclusive to Dugout, lifestyle and personal updates from players, and original video series featuring ball skills and tricks from players that can’t be seen anywhere else.
For details on b2b offering, please go to http://www.dugoutworldwide.com

About News Corp
News Corp (NASDAQ: NWS, NWSA; ASX: NWS, NWSLV) is a global, diversified media and information services company focused on creating and distributing authoritative and engaging content to consumers throughout the world. The company comprises businesses across a range of media, including: news and information services, book publishing, digital real estate services, and cable network programming and pay-TV distribution in Australia. Headquartered in New York, the activities of News Corp are conducted primarily in the United States, Australia, and the United Kingdom. More information: http://www.newscorp.com.