News & Press
Screenvision and National Amusements, Inc. Forge Groundbreaking Agreement to Enhance Preshow Movie Experience
New York - (Sept. 6, 2006)
Leading Cinema Advertising Company to Bring Its High- Definition Digital Network to More Than 1,000 National Amusements Screens
Screenvision, the world's leading cinema advertising company, has signed a new, exclusive multi-year agreement with Massachusetts-based National Amusements Theatres, Inc., a world leader in the motion picture exhibition industry, the parent of Viacom and CBS Corporation, and an equal partner in MovieTickets.com. Screenvision, which represents National Amusements for national, regional and local preshow advertising on its U.S. screens, will install its high-definition digital projection system on more than 1,000 of National Amusements' domestic screens. The expansion will significantly enhance Screenvision's nationwide digital network in the top 50 DMAs, including New York, Philadelphia, Boston, Washington D.C., and Detroit. Further, under the agreement, Screenvision and National Amusements will collaborate in developing state-of-the art movie preshow programs which contain high-quality consumer entertainment, and offer advertisers unique promotional opportunities.
"This deal demonstrates how Screenvision can meet the challenging financial, technological, and preshow entertainment needs of the exhibition community," said Matthew Kearney, chief executive officer of Screenvision. "By funding and overseeing a high-definition digital network capable of enhanced cinema preshow entertainment, advertising and alternative content services, we contribute significantly to the revenue and digital cinema objectives of our exhibitor partners."
"National Amusements is focused on reinventing the movie-going experience," said Shari Redstone, president of National Amusements, Inc. "This partnership is an important step in that process, and allows us to recreate preshow entertainment and advertising. Screenvision's digital platform is also one of the key elements of our strategy for alternative programming, such as simulcasts of Red Sox games, concerts, children's programming, and other unique concepts. We are very excited about the potential that this partnership offers for close collaboration and future business development."
Under the terms of the new agreement, Screenvision also retains long-term exclusive rights to sell all of National Amusements' onscreen advertising for the preshow on U.S. screens. National Amusements Theatres operates cinemas under the brand names Cinema de Lux, Showcase Cinemas, and Multiplex Cinemas in the United States.
Screenvision will invest more than $10 million in high-definition satellite, networking and projection equipment for National Amusements theatres. The Screenvision system delivers its digital entertainment preshow, and can screen entertainment content such as cartoons and shorts, live sports, and a full range of advertising formats. The Screenvision system is also compatible with Digital Cinema Initiatives, LLC (DCI) digital cinema projection systems designed to exhibit feature films. This compatibility enables Screenvision to deliver advertising content through its system or through the exhibitor's DCI-level system, and it enables the Screenvision system to serve as a path to DCI-level projection for exhibitors pursuing this capability.
Screenvision's current digital entertainment preshow features a mix of entertainment content, music and advertising, with an on-camera host who guides consumers through the program and directs attention to key segments. Using this format, Screenvision has produced a variety of themed shows and specials that resonate well with moviegoers, including: "SCREAMvision," for Halloween; December's "Home for the Holidays;" "Screenvision Rolls Out the Red Carpet," celebrating awards season; and the summer music specials "Screenvision's Summer Music" and "Screenvision Brings You the Beat."
"Receptivity levels for our special shows are well over 90%, said Darryl Schaffer, executive vice president of exhibitor relations at Screenvision. "We believe there is value and opportunity in continuing to invest in the development of the cinema advertising preshow and intend to rekindle the positive anticipation movie-goers had decades ago when consumers were treated to a cartoon, a newsreel or other entertainment in advance of the film start."
Screenvision will now collaborate with National Amusements to further enhance its digital entertainment preshow. Under the agreement, the companies plan to increase the production of original entertainment content segments and program specials, many of which will include sponsorship and branded entertainment opportunities for advertisers. Custom preshows targeting specific National Amusements theatre brands will be developed. Entertainment preshows for specific ratings-based audiences are planned to best target entertainment and advertising content based on age demographics of the viewing audience. The two companies will work together to attract A-list talent and entertainment properties to contribute additional entertainment content segments.
About Screenvision
About Screenvision Headquartered in New York, N.Y., Screenvision is the world's foremost cinema advertising company, offering on-screen advertising, in-lobby promotions and integrated marketing programs to national, regional and local advertisers and providing comprehensive cinema advertising representation services for its theatrical exhibitor partners. In the U.S., the Screenvision cinema advertising network is comprised of more than 14,000 screens in over 2,300 theatre locations across all 50 States and 91% of DMAs nationwide, and delivers approximately 700 million consumer impressions annually through more than 140 theatrical circuits, including 10 of the top 15 exhibition companies. Screenvision is a joint venture between ITV plc (LSE: ITV), the UK's largest commercial television network, and Thomson (Euronext Paris: 18453; NYSE: TMS), a global supplier of technology, services, and systems to the media and entertainment industries. For more information: http://www.screenvision.com.
About National Amusements, Inc.
National Amusements, Inc. is a world leader in the motion picture exhibition industry, operating more than 1,500 screens in the U.S., U.K., Latin America, and Russia. National Amusements delivers a superior entertainment experience in theatres around the world under its Showcase, Multiplex, Cinema de Lux, and KinoStar brands. Based in Dedham, Massachusetts, National Amusements is a closely held company operating under the third generation of leadership by the Redstone family. National Amusements is also an equal partner in the online ticketing service, MovieTickets.com, and is the parent company of both Viacom and CBS Corporation.
