02-10-2000
Extreme Group announces new Chief Operating
Officer
for the Asia Pacific region
Formerly an entertainment finance banker with the Long Term Credit Bank of Japan, Kelly moved over to Turner Broadcasting International in 1991 to open Turner's first sales office for the Asian region based in Tokyo. In 1994 Kelly was named President of Turner North Asia. His main role was overseeing the creation, launch, sale and distribution of CNN Intl, TNT and The Cartoon Network in the region.
Kelly moved from Turner at the end of 1997 to consult both in Japan and Ireland his native country. After a year he joined NBC International as Vice President of distribution Asia-Pacific / South Asia for CNBC Asia based in Singapore. In July 2000, Kelly was transferred to NBC Internet headquartered in San Francisco where he was named Vice President of Business Development for Entertainment, E-Commerce and Core Products.
Alistair Gosling, Founder and CEO of Extreme Group said, "I am very pleased that Billy has agreed to join Extreme. His knowledge of the media industry, his relationships and proven international development skills will be a huge asset as we pursue our rapid international expansion strategy".
William Kelly said, "The Extreme Sports Channel is a unique channel which has already proven hugely successful in Europe. I am thrilled to join Al and his team at such an exciting time when both the Extreme Group and the extreme sports sector are enjoying very rapid growth. I am looking forward to helping build the business and bringing the channel to audiences in key Asia-Pacific markets in the coming months "
The engagement will take effect immediately.
EXTREME GROUP LTD
The Extreme Group Limited is the holding company for the Extreme Sports Channel,
Extreme.com, Extreme International, and the World Extreme Games. The Board currently
comprises of Chris Akers (35) Executive Chairman, Alistair Gosling (29) CEO
and founder, Adam Oliver (30) Director of Business Affairs and Ben Barrett (29)
Director of International Sales. Extreme was formed in 1995, with the aim of
supplying the world's broadcasters with quality Extreme Sports television programming.
Today Extreme is a very fast growing, global media group with significant interests
in a globally expanding television network, an internet business, an international
television production and distribution company and an events business, all detailed
below. The Extreme Group has offices in the UK, The Netherlands and USA.
THE EXTREME SPORTS CHANNEL
The Extreme Sports Channel is a globally expanding, 24 hour 7 day a week, sports
network that features programmes and live events from the action, adventure
and alternative sports genres. It is a joint venture between the Extreme Group
and United Pan-European Communications Plc - UPC - the largest cable operator
in Europe, with 9million subscribers. Delivered via a network of satellites,
the channel, initially launched in Amsterdam May 1999, is now broadcasting in
4 languages across 16 countries in Europe culminating in the UK launch this
week. Initially the channel will be available in the UK on Sky Digital EPG number
422 between Eurosport and MTV and will roll-out on cable networks over the next
6 months. Extreme's global channel strategy is to launch the Extreme Sports
Channel world wide and this is being developed by creating joint ventures with
the leading cable or satellite operator in a territory or continent thus guaranteeing
distribution for the global roll out of the Channel. Having very successfully
done this in Europe with UPC, Extreme are close to announcing other deals with
operators in the rest of the world. The majority of the Channel's programming
is also cleared for Broadband and Internet broadcast and this is being developed
via www.extreme.com (see below) which will launch this month.
WWW.EXTREME.COM
www.extreme.com is the web site address for the worldwide Extreme Sports Channel,
also a joint venture with UPCtv, and is currently in development and will be
run as a separate company. It will enhance the viewers' experience of the broadcast
channel and act as the portal for the online extreme sports community. The majority
of the Extreme Sports Channel content is cleared for Broadband and narrow band
streaming and www.extreme.com will be the focal point for this. www.extreme.com
is also being developed as a fully interactive internet channel, which will
be supplied to all new carriage platforms globally thus extending and exposing
the brand very rapidly around the world.
EXTREME INTERNATIONAL
www.extremeinternational.com Extreme International has been specialising in
the distribution of Extreme Sports programmes for five years and is now the
world leader in this area. Extreme International takes stands at all the major
television shows and is focused upon the production, distribution, packaging
and marketing of Extreme Sports, Adventure Travel, Nature & Wildlife and Technology
programming to the television stations world wide.
Extreme International also has an internet division which also supplies current video content to websites and portals worldwide. As live streaming has developed, Extreme International has secured exclusive internet, Broadband and ADSL distribution rights on individual programmes and live events, preparing for the full development of convergence. It is also building an extensive network and database of organisations and web sites looking for channels and video content.
The World Extreme Games
The World Extreme Games (WEG). WEG will be staged as the alternative
Olympics in London - dates to follow . The World Extreme Games will be a
truly global event, providing the best event programming for the Extreme
Sports Channel and broadcasters worldwide. The event will include the top
extreme sports stars in the world competing for serious prize money
Extreme Pie - The Shop
Extreme Retail Ltd trading under the name Extremepie (www.extremepie.com)
is the first in a new breed of multi channel retailers utilising t-commerce
(coming soon), e-commerce (extremepie.com), and mail order (catalogue) to
provide the platform for a Pan-European retail network, servicing the
extreme sports way of life. www.extremepie.com covers all extreme sports
and includes snowboarding, surfing, skating, moto X, body boarding,
mountain biking, and lifestyle wear.
For more information, logos or pictures from the Extreme Group please contact:
EXTREME GROUP
Lynn Seymour, Press Department
Tel: 01787-479000
Fax 01787 479111
e-mail: info@extremeinternational.com
web: www.extremeinternational.com