BRAVO ANNOUNCES BRAVO MEDIA, A GLOBAL COMPANY ENCOMPASSING TALENT MANAGEMENT, PUBLISHING, MERCHANDISING, DIGITAL, WIRELESS, FAN EXPERIENCE, TELEVISION, RADIO AND INTERNATIONAL DIVISIONS
Bravo Media to Form Alliance with Management Company; Publishing Division Develops "Top Chef" Cookbook; Merchandising Division to License "Top Chef" Knives; and Bravo To Go Launches first Mobile Game
NEW YORK - June 14, 2007 - Bravo today announced the formation of Bravo Media, a new global, multimedia content company that will broaden its focus to program and market to every consumer touch point. Bravo will expand its current television and digital content offerings under the newly formed title Bravo Media, creating an all-encompassing group of divisions - talent management alliance, publishing, merchandising, Bravo To Go (wireless), Bravo Experience, digital, television, radio, and international. The announcement was made by Lauren Zalaznick, President, Bravo.
Included in the Bravo Media announcement, was the formation of an alliance with Pangea Management Group to help facilitate the burgeoning careers of the Bravo talent and personalities from the network's popular docu-dramas and competition reality franchises (chefs, interior designers, stylists, etc.); the development of a cookbook based on the network's hit reality competition food series "Top Chef" with partner Melcher Media; branded "Top Chef" knives from Master Cutlery and the first "Top Chef" mobile game from LimeLife, one of the premiere mobile gaming companies.
"We've evolved into a multimedia company with a strong, clear brand, and are organizing our business for the future," said Zalaznick. "While television is at our core and will always be the heart of what we do, Bravo Media extends that content and brand to every platform to suit our passionate consumers' lifestyles."
With Bravo's television content serving as a blueprint for the multiplatform business, Bravo Media's divisions are organic extensions, providing the network's highly-engaged fans with a menu of options to experience the network in a four-dimensional manner:
ALLIANCE WITH PANGEA MANAGEMENT GROUP
Known for break-out personalities and stars and discovering new creative talent, Bravo has formed a business alliance with Pangea Management Group, the successful talent management division of RDF USA. Pangea will help manage the network's roster of new talent from Bravo's hit franchise series including future season's of "Top Chef," "Real Housewives," "Work Out," "Top Design," "Shear Genius," among others.
BRAVO PUBLISHING
Leveraging the success of Bravo's television and digital assets, Bravo goes "old school," expanding into the traditional medium of books. The network plans to build a series of books based on its franchises. The first release (tentatively set to launch in 2008) will be a cookbook based on the hit series "Top Chef," the No. 1 food show on cable. Produced by Melcher Media (Sex in the City), the book will feature the best recipes from all three seasons of the series, with commentary from "Top Chef's" favorite personalities and chefs.
BRAVO MERCHANDISING
Working with licensing agent Joy Tashjian, JTMG, Inc., the exclusive consumer products agency of NBC Universal Television Distribution, Bravo Merchandising will produce Bravo licensed product for the network's passionate consumer base. The first product set for release in the fourth quarter at various retailers across the country will be "Top Chef" knives from Master Cutlery, professional quality blades worthy of a Top Chef. From "Top Chef" kitchenware to "Work Out" gym apparel, Bravo fans will have the opportunity to buy goods related to their favorite shows in retail and online.
BRAVO TO GO
The network continues to expand in the wireless landscape when this year Bravo To Go launches the Top Chef Mobile Game with LimeLife, Inc., a premiere mobile media company. This marks the first mobile game for the network, which plans to introduce additional games in the future. Currently on MobiTV, Amp'd and Media Flo carry the Bravo channel bringing original content to wireless on the network's most popular shows.
BRAVO EXPERIENCE
For Bravo fanatics that can't get enough, Bravo Experience will provide firsthand interaction with the pop culture brand. In December, the network will hold its first Bravo Fan Fest at Universal City Walk in Los Angeles, where visitors can meet the network's favorite personalities face-to-face. Additionally, the network is in development on a Bravo Travel group that would create fun unique experiences reflective of Bravo for the everyday consumer: a Bravo Camp, Bravo Cruises, Bravo Food Tour.
BRAVO TV
With television at its core, Bravo brings viewers programming that pushes the envelope and plugs people into arts, entertainment and pop culture. Soon to boost its original programming to three nights (beginning June 28 with the series premiere of "Hey Paula," and with an eye towards four nights a week in the future), the network will continue to invest in shows that get people talking.
BRAVO RADIO
Emerging beyond television, Bravo plans to launch a Bravo Radio division to further maximize the network's successful shows and talent on the terrestrial, digital and satellite radio.
BRAVO DIGITAL
Bravo's robust digital suite - BravoTV.com, BrilliantButCancelled.com, OUTzoneTV.com, getTRIO.com and TelevisionWithoutPity.com -- will continue to grow and expand. Last month, BRAVO Digital had over three million unique visitors and over 90 million pageviews. Later this month, BRAVO Digital will launch a food portal to coincide with the network's food category killer Top Chef, the No. 1 food show on cable. With recipe finders, drink blogs, food blogs, video cooking tips and more, topchefonline.com delivers a 365 day a year destination for the food obsessed. The division plans to roll out similar portal extensions around its biggest series.
This Fall, BRAVO Digitak will reintroduce Television Without Pity, the recently acquired top site for all things television. Adding blogs, interactivity, video and more, the site is expected to realize double-digit growth across all metrics.
BRAVO INTERNATIONAL
Bravo's slate of original programming will continue to be licensed internationally by NBC Universal International Television Distribution, with a new focus on driving pre-sales and co-productions for Bravo's popular unscripted series. Bravo's original series "Top Chef," has been licensed to more than 100 territories worldwide and, most recently, a co-production deal was signed with E! UK for "Kathy Griffin: My Life On My D-List." In addition to original produced episodes, NBC Universal International Television Distribution will also continue licensing Bravo's original programming formats to broadcasters around the world. "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy" has had local versions produced in more than ten countries, including France, Germany, Italy, the UK, Australia, Denmark, Norway and Sweden.
Bravo is the cable network that plugs people into arts, entertainment and pop culture with original programming, acclaimed drama series, movies, comedy and music specials, and by showing a whole different side of celebrities. Currently available in more than 84 million homes, Bravo is known for breaking exciting new personalities, shaking up the way we look at style, media, fame and Hollywood, pulling back the curtain on the creative process, and making influential and inventive original programming. Its critically acclaimed original programming includes the Emmy-nominated "Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List," 12-time Emmy-nominated "Inside the Actors Studio," "The Real Housewives of Orange County," "Top Chef," "Celebrity Poker Showdown," as well as the 2004 Emmy winner for Outstanding Reality Program, "Queer Eye," and the four-time Emmy-nominated hit competition series, "Project Runway."
Bravo is a program service of NBC Universal Cable Entertainment, a division of NBC Universal 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. Bravo has been an NBC cable network since December 2002 and was the first television service dedicated to film and the performing arts when it launched in December 1980. For more information, visit www.BravoTV.com.
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