Full scoop below:
LOS ANGELES–(BUSINESS WIRE)– Cinedigm (NASDAQ: CIDM) and 4K Media Inc. have partnered to bring the worldwide franchise Yu-Gi-Oh! into the home entertainment marketplace for the first time in five years. Plans include a strategic rollout of all 600+ episodes of the popular series onto DVD and BluRay in the US and Canada, followed by distribution on digital and VOD platforms. This marks an ongoing resurgence of the brand in the past year including expanded TV distribution and a renewed licensing program.
Cinedigm and 4K Media officially launched the home entertainment program for Yu-Gi-Oh! during Comic-Con International: San Diego. The first DVD release, Yu-Gi-Oh! Classic Season 1 Boxset, will be available September 10, 2014.
The Yu-Gi-Oh! anime series originated from the Yu-Gi-Oh! manga series created by Kazuki Takahashi. The Japanese collectible trading card game, developed and distributed by Konami, has sold more than 25 billion cards. The game and television series, features a strategic play pattern that incorporates a combination of monsters, spells and traps to defeat opponents, and is acknowledged by Guinness World Records™ as the best-selling trading card game of all time.
A long-running success on TV throughout the world, Yu-Gi-Oh! has aired domestically and internationally in more than 90 countries over the past 12 years.
Mr. Sinichi Hanamoto, 4K Media, Chairman and President Corporate Officer, said, “This deal continues an exciting year for the Yu-Gi-Oh! brand. Cinedigm is the perfect partner to bring the Yu-Gi-Oh! brand back into the home entertainment market.”
“We are pleased to be partnering with Cinedigm to reach Yu-Gi-Oh! fans and support our other licensee partners by extending the brand’s reach. The DVD announcement at Comic-Con International is the first of many to come,” said Mark Kirk, 4K Media, Senior Vice President, Digital Operations.
“There is no bigger name in the world of anime than Yu-Gi-Oh! and we are excited to bring this series to both its avid existing fan base and new viewers,” said Mark Kashden, Senior Vice-President, Acquisitions, Cinedigm Entertainment Group. “The popularity of the series, both in broadcast and in the marketplace, speaks volumes about its quality storytelling and brilliant animation. We know we’ll find success in expanding its reach into home entertainment platforms, in addition to, digital, VOD and SVOD. We are thrilled to work with Kristen Gray, SVP, Operations and Business & Legal Affairs, Mark Kirk and the entire 4K Media team to bring this series to an all new audience.”
This most recent acquisition continues Cinedigm’s aggressive focus on bolstering its 20,000 title library. As the largest aggregator of digital content in the world, Cinedigm works with the existing and emerging digital platforms including iTunes, Netflix, Hulu, Amazon and others to fulfill the appetite for diverse and plentiful programming.
ABOUT 4K MEDIA INC.
4K Media Inc. is a wholly owned subsidiary of Konami Digital Entertainment, Inc., created to manage the Yu-Gi-Oh! franchise outside of Asia. 4K Media is responsible for brand management, licensing, and marketing of Yu-Gi-Oh!, as well as production and distribution of the Yu-Gi-Oh! television series. The Yu-Gi-Oh! animated franchise, with nearly 600 episodes, consists of the original Yu-Gi-Oh!, Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D’s, Yu-Gi-Oh! GX and Yu-Gi-Oh! ZEXAL, has been translated and broadcast in 90 countries on many of the top leading networks.
ABOUT CINEDIGM:
Over the past decade, Cinedigm has led the digital distribution revolution that continues to transform the media landscape. In addition to its pioneering role in transitioning movie theatres from traditional film prints to digital distribution, Cinedigm continues to advance worldwide cinema modernization with its suite of software products allowing exhibitors and distributors to manage their newly digital businesses with efficiency, insight and certainty. And, as the leading distributor of independent content in the world, Cinedigm collaborates with producers and the exhibition community with unequalled transparency to market, source, curate and distribute quality content across all digital platforms to targeted and profitable audiences. The company’s library of over 5,000 titles includes award-winning documentaries from Docurama Films®, next-gen indies from Flatiron Film Company® and acclaimed independent films and festival picks through partnerships with the Sundance Institute and Tribeca Film. Cinedigm is proud to distribute many Oscar®-nominated films including THE INVISIBLE WAR, HELL AND BACK AGAIN, GASLAND, WASTE LAND and PARADISE LOST 3: PURGATORY.
Current and upcoming Cinedigm releases include Destin Daniel Cretton’s SHORT TERM 12, Godfrey Reggio’s VISITORS, Penny Lane’s OUR NIXON and Shaul Schwarz’s NARCO CULTURA.
Cinedigm™ and Cinedigm Digital Cinema Corp™ are trademarks of Cinedigm Digital Cinema Corp www.cinedigm.com. [CIDM-G]
Cinedigm Corporate:
Maggie Begley Communications
Maggie Begley, 310-390-0101
[email protected]
or
4K Media Inc.:
Freeman Public Relations
Ellie Bagli, 973-470-0400, x17
[email protected]Source: Cinedigm
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