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Keshet turbocharges Asia biz, Pudney leads regional push out of HK
27 October 2015
Keshet International (KI) is turbocharging its Asia business with a new office in Hong Kong and expanded regional ambitions driven on the ground by former Sparks|Eccho Group Asia head Gary Pudney.
Pudney's appointment as head of Asia was officially announced today by KI chief executive, Alon Shtruzman, during his keynote at this year's Casbaa convention in Hong Kong.
Speaking ahead of Casbaa, Pudney said his immediate remit, from a geographical standpoint, "is to get a foothold in as many markets at possible, including Thailand, Indonesia, India, Vietnam, and the Philippines and to expand what's been happening in China, Korea and Cambodia".
Pudney, who made his first appearance in the newly created role at Mipcom earlier this month, reports directly to Shtruzman and will work with Keshet International sales director for Asia and Latin America, Kelly Wright.
Additional hires will be made across Asia, Shtruzman said during Casbaa.
"We’re looking to develop a fruitful, two-way exchange of IP into and out of Asia," he added.
Speaking about the role of content in a fragmented environment, Shtruzman told delegates that "content is king. Without great shows, all those business models and outlets are worth nothing. The more outlets the consumer has to watch shows the more opportunity there is for great creators," he added, highlighting Keshet's commitment to great talent. "Without great talent to develop shows for local markets it's difficult to succeed," he said.
"For us, Asia is a goldmine for content," he said, mentioning China and India, among others. "China for us is a huge horizon," he added.
Keshet formats have aired in six territories and the company has active deals in eight of 15 major Asia markets.
Existing business in Asia includes the recent deal withChina’s Huace-Croton Media to license KI scripted comedies "Traffic Light" and "Loaded". In another recent deal, Keshet Studios, KI’s wholly owned U.S. production entity, optioned Huace-Croton scripted property, "Dating...
Keshet International (KI) is turbocharging its Asia business with a new office in Hong Kong and expanded regional ambitions driven on the ground by former Sparks|Eccho Group Asia head Gary Pudney.
Pudney's appointment as head of Asia was officially announced today by KI chief executive, Alon Shtruzman, during his keynote at this year's Casbaa convention in Hong Kong.
Speaking ahead of Casbaa, Pudney said his immediate remit, from a geographical standpoint, "is to get a foothold in as many markets at possible, including Thailand, Indonesia, India, Vietnam, and the Philippines and to expand what's been happening in China, Korea and Cambodia".
Pudney, who made his first appearance in the newly created role at Mipcom earlier this month, reports directly to Shtruzman and will work with Keshet International sales director for Asia and Latin America, Kelly Wright.
Additional hires will be made across Asia, Shtruzman said during Casbaa.
"We’re looking to develop a fruitful, two-way exchange of IP into and out of Asia," he added.
Speaking about the role of content in a fragmented environment, Shtruzman told delegates that "content is king. Without great shows, all those business models and outlets are worth nothing. The more outlets the consumer has to watch shows the more opportunity there is for great creators," he added, highlighting Keshet's commitment to great talent. "Without great talent to develop shows for local markets it's difficult to succeed," he said.
"For us, Asia is a goldmine for content," he said, mentioning China and India, among others. "China for us is a huge horizon," he added.
Keshet formats have aired in six territories and the company has active deals in eight of 15 major Asia markets.
Existing business in Asia includes the recent deal withChina’s Huace-Croton Media to license KI scripted comedies "Traffic Light" and "Loaded". In another recent deal, Keshet Studios, KI’s wholly owned U.S. production entity, optioned Huace-Croton scripted property, "Dating Hunter" for U.S. audiences.In 2014, KI acquired worldwide rights to Chinese talentshow "Not A Star Yet".
Keshet formats that have aired in Asia include talent show "Rising Star" inIndonesia (RCTI) and China (CCTV) and kids' talent show "Master Class" in China ((Beijing Satellite TV). The company has also sold format rights to dramas "MICE" (KBS) and "Prisoners of War" (Star J Entertainment) in Korea. The local version of "Prisoners of War" is in production; Wright said she was confident the show would be on air in 2016.
Wright said the taste for talent shows – both local versions and finished tape – was far from waning. She also said celebrity entertainment shows remained popular.
How do you make money? "You produce great content and hope someone will buy it," Shtruzman said in his keynote.
Published on 27 October 2015
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