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Korea Herald
05-08-2025
- Business
- Korea Herald
ACE Doubles Down on Anti-piracy in Asia-Pacific, Adding Broadcasting Powerhouse Astro as its Newest Member
Malaysia's Leading Content and Entertainment Company Becomes Third Asia-Pacific Region Company to Join ACE in Recent Months LOS ANGELES, Aug. 5, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment (ACE), the world's leading antipiracy coalition, today welcomed Malaysia-based Astro as its newest member. Astro, a leading content and entertainment broadcasting company in Malaysia, was established in 1996 and has since built a comprehensive entertainment ecosystem that includes both pay and free-to-access TV services and OTT platforms. Currently, Astro reaches approximately 64% of Malaysian households. Astro holds an extensive library of more than 100,000 VOD titles, ranging from exclusive Astro Originals to major live sports events, while also offering over 147 live channels featuring both local and international brands. "Bringing Astro into ACE reaffirms our commitment to detect, deter, and dismantle criminal piracy throughout the Asia Pacific region and around the world," said Charles Rivkin, Chairman and CEO of the Motion Picture Association and Chairman of ACE. "Astro is already a key player and partner in the fight against piracy – educating Malaysian consumers, advancing landmark legal precedents, and fostering effective collaboration between industry and government. Now, Astro's work will grow in Malaysia and ACE's leadership will expand across the globe, delivering even greater safety and security to content creators and consumers everywhere." Astro is part of the Malaysian Cybercrime Task Force, chaired by the Deputy Prime Minister of Malaysia, where it leads efforts on tackling digital piracy within the task force. "For us at Astro, fighting piracy is not just to safeguard our bottom line but rather to protect the value of creativity and the people who bring stories to life," said Euan Smith, Group CEO of Astro. "We have seen how damaging piracy can be, which is why we have taken real action: over 26,000 listings of illegal streaming devices and services removed, 327 Telegram piracy groups with 12 million subscribers shut down, and significant legal wins to set strong precedents. By joining ACE, we're stepping into a larger arena. This collaboration gives us the strength of a global alliance while ensuring local voices and creators are safeguarded. We want to ensure audiences have a better, safer, and more rewarding way to enjoy the content they love." Astro's addition to the alliance marks the third APAC region member to join ACE since the start of the year, underscoring the region's importance to the global coalition. The Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment (ACE) is the world's leading coalition dedicated to protecting the legal creative market and reducing digital piracy. Driven by a comprehensive approach to addressing piracy through criminal referrals, civil litigation, and cease-and-desist operations, ACE has achieved many successful global enforcement actions against illegal streaming services and unauthorized content sources and their operators. Drawing upon the collective expertise and resources of more than 50 media and entertainment companies around the world—including sports channels and associations—and reinforced by the Motion Picture Association's content protection operations, ACE protects the creativity and innovation that drives the global growth of core copyright and entertainment industries. The current governing board members for ACE are Amazon, Apple TV+, Netflix, Paramount Global, Sony Pictures, Universal Studios, The Walt Disney Studios, and Warner Bros. Discovery. Charles Rivkin is Chairman and CEO of the Motion Picture Association and Chairman of ACE. About Astro Astro Malaysia Holdings Berhad (Astro) is Malaysia's leading content and entertainment company, serving 5.2 million homes or 64% of Malaysian TV households, 8,900 enterprises, 16.3 million weekly listeners across FM radio and online, and 13.5 million visitors to our digital brands every month. We serve Malaysians with 3 distinct services – Astro Pay-TV, NJOI Prepaid and sooka, our own OTT for the millennials; and Astro Fibre, our own broadband service, offers greater value with its content-broadband bundles. More than a million homes are already streaming the best of home entertainment via our Hybrid 4K UHD Ultra Box and HD Ulti Box, which can be self-installed and run on both satellite and broadband. Today, our customers enjoy streaming our local signatures, Astro Originals, live sports and the best global shows from Netflix, Disney+ Hotstar, HBO GO, iQIYI, TVBAnywhere+, beIN SPORTS CONNECT, BBC Player, Viu, ZEE5, WeTV, Qalbox by MuslimPro, and our own TV companion app Astro GO. Astro Radio, home to the country's highest-rated radio brands across all key languages, and our digital brands including AWANI, SYOK, Gempak, Xuan and Astro Ulagam, connect Malaysians to content and stories that matter.
Gizmodo
10-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Gizmodo
How Hollywood is Trying to Handle Trump's Potential Movie Tariffs
The US film industry is looking at different options to mitigate or prevent the damage of the looming tariffs. Earlier this week, the American movie industry was thrown out of whack when president Donald Trump revealed his tariffs for international film productions. Reactions to this news was met with negativity and concern from Hollywood and movie fans, even as the president himself argued this would greatly benefit the local industry. But without any real idea of how he intends to enforce or even enact this, Hollywood is taking matters into its own hands. According to a recent Variety story, leaders of major studios—Universal Pictures, Disney, and Warner Bros. Discovery, to name a few—gathered on a Zoom call with Motion Picture Association chief Charles Rivkin to find a 'delicate way' of telling the White House how the film business works, and the difficulty of applying tariffs onto a movie. As many will tell you, films are a group endeavor. Most blockbusters are shot, financed, or made by teams outside the United States, often for tax credits or other financial benefits. The studio heads hope that when Trump eventually speaks with them, they can make clear the US film industry is 'net positive,' and that his concerns about productions leaving the country mainly affect the state of California. Speaking of California, the state's Attorney General Rob Bonta told the Hollywood Reporter he thinks these tariffs could mean 'a First Amendment basis for action.' He argued president is intentionally went after 'a blue state that doesn't seem to be supportive of him.' Shortly after he announced the tariffs, Trump deemed state governor Gavin Newsom 'a grossly incompetent man. [The industry] has been decimated by other countries taking them out…he's just allowed it to be taken away from.' For his part, both the governor and the Stay in LA organization have separately proposed ideas to the public on how to keep productions in the state (and America more broadly), but the president has yet to meet with either about a potential solution. The second Trump administration has a history of going after groups they don't like, or who push back against its orders, like the current dispute against Harvard when the university refused to comply with its demands. Bonta said his office is exploring legal action on the basis of a First Amendment violation, and hopes to 'defend our state and our people, including Hollywood.' It's unclear if such an argument against the tariffs would hold up in court, but at the moment, this is (currently) the only play Bonta and his office has. As for the studio heads, many are keeping quiet to avoid any financial penalties. They're also still unclear on what falls under tariff jurisdiction: does it only apply to Hollywood productions, or are TV shows and streaming films also caught up in this? It remains unclear, as does the response from international countries should the administration go through with its decision.
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Hollywood Studio Heads to Address Trump's Tariff Proposal With MPA Chief Charles Rivkin (Exclusive)
Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience. Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience. Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience. Generate Key Takeaways Top Hollywood studio execs are scheduled to hold a call with Motion Pictures Association chair-CEO Charles Rivkin on Friday to discuss President Donald Trump's surprise proposal to impose tariffs on movies shot outside of the United States, The Hollywood Reporter has learned. The film industry was left reeling over the weekend after Trump took to social media on Sunday to proclaim that it's time to 'make Hollywood great again' and that shooting films in other countries is nothing short of a threat to national security. More from The Hollywood Reporter The very next morning, however, the White House seemed to downplay Trump's decree when issuing a statement clarifying that 'no final decisions have been made' regarding such tariffs. So far, the MPA — which is the main trade organization representing movie studios and their parent companies — has yet to officially respond to Trump's comments regarding tariffs. (Also on Sunday, he suggested reopening Alcatraz as a working federal prison after watching Escape From Alcatraz.) Those expected to take part in Friday's call with Rivkin include Disney Entertainment co-chairman Alan Bergman, who oversees the conglomerate's film empire, Amazon MGM Studios' chief Mike Hopkins, longtime Universal Pictures chair and NBCUniversal Entertainment & Studios chief Donna Langley, Paramount Global co-CEO Brian Robbins, Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group chair Tom Rothman, Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos and Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav. Numerous sources say such tariffs, depending upon how they were calculated, could devastate the film industry, along with television, considering how many shows and movies are shot overseas because of more lenient tax breaks and production incentives. Production budgets could be subject to a crippling rise of 25 percent or more at a time when the industry has yet to fully recover from the pandemic and the labor strikes. That could result in fewer films, which would in turn could pose further economic strain on theater chains both in the U.S. and overseas. Rivkin has been a staunch advocate of increasing production incentives in the U.S. on behalf of his studio members, as have union leaders. (His organization also tracks how many production jobs the industry creates around the world.) There are numerous other unanswered questions as to how it would work to impose tariffs on a service that is made from a U.S.-based company — and a digital one at that, since most movies are now transferred digitally, versus on physical film reels. And, as of 2023, U.S. movies generated more than $15 billion in trade surpluses. Put another way, Hollywood films dominate the box office in many foreign markets (among major markets, exceptions include China, Japan and South Korea). Trump's pronouncement appears to have emerged from a plan crafted by Jon Voight, who, alongside Mel Gibson and Sylvester Stallone, was named as the new president's Hollywood ambassadors when reelected to the White House. Gibson and Stallone have remained silent so far this week on the subject of tariffs, with one source telling THR that Stallone was taken aback (both he and Gibson have upcoming movies that are set to shoot overseas). Word of Friday's meeting comes as Disney prepares for its earnings call on Wednesday morning. It's virtually guaranteed that Disney chief Bob Iger will be asked about Trump's push for tariffs. Paramount Global earnings follow on Thursday. Best of The Hollywood Reporter Sign up for THR's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Time of India
04-05-2025
- Business
- Time of India
India's screen sector generated more than USD 61 billion in 2024: New MPA report
The film, television, and online video services industry in India generated a total economic contribution of USD 61.2 billion (INR 514K Cr) in 2024, demonstrating the vital importance of the screen sector to the economy, jobs, cultural exports, and India's soft power, according to a new report by the Motion Picture Association (MPA) in collaboration with Deloitte, launched at the inaugural World Audio Visual Entertainment Summit (WAVES) in Mumbai. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The report also found that the industry supported a total of 2.64 million jobs in the country. The Ministry of Information & Broadcasting, MPA, and JioStar launched the industry economic impact report. The report was also supported by the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FICCI), the Producers Guild of India (PGI), and Creative First. MPA Chairman and CEO Charles Rivkin highlighted the vast benefit of the film and television industry to India's economy, the commitment of American studios to the Indian market, and the need for industry leaders and policymakers to work together to facilitate greater investment in India as a hub for creative content and storytelling. 'India is a critical global market for MPA members – and its dynamic film, television, and streaming industry is a powerful driver of jobs, cultural influence, and the country's overall creative economy,' Rivkin said. 'Our members are proud to invest in developing local stories that reflect the unmatched imagination of creators from every corner of India and sharing them with international audiences. With the right policies and continued investment, India can build an even stronger production ecosystem – one that rewards creativity, fuels innovation, and cements India's place as a global hub for media and entertainment,' Rivkin added. The MPA's report estimates that the direct impact of gross output of the screen sector in 2024 equated to USD 16.8 billion (INR 141K Cr), indicating that the industry had weathered the challenges of the pandemic and responded quickly to growing audience demand for films, drama, and sport—on big screens and small. Crucially, the research finds that the local industry will grow at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of six to seven percent over the next four years, reaching combined revenues of approximately USD 17.5 billion (INR 147K Cr) in FY 2029. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now It also projects that, with effective regulatory levers in place, the industry may witness a higher growth trajectory of nine to ten percent CAGR, equating to combined revenues of almost USD 20 billion (INR 165K Cr) in FY 2029. Penning the foreword to the report, Kevin Vaz, Chief Executive Officer, Entertainment, JioStar, and FICCI M&E Chair, considered the steps India should take to become as influential on the global stage as the United States or South Korea. 'To evolve, the next phase of storytelling must reflect the full breadth of India's cultural fabric, expanding our creative ecosystem to embrace voices, stories and talent from regions far beyond the traditional production hubs. Rather than relying solely on the metros, the industry must now channel its resources and ambition toward uncovering the rich creative potential in places as far and disparate as Bilaspur in Chhattisgarh or Ranchi in Jharkhand. The south has done this beautifully by rooting its narratives in regional authenticity while delivering cinematic excellence. They have created stories that resonate far beyond linguistic and geographic boundaries,' Kevin said in the foreword. Shibasish Sarkar, President of the Producers Guild of India, said,'The film and television industry could well become a flagship sector in India's global trade ambitions, as well as a beacon for India's culture, if all stakeholders work together to create the best possible environment for growth and continued innovation. In recent years, we've seen important developments in skills and training and the ability of Indian crews to deliver high-quality production and post-production. Progress on these areas will stand our industry in good stead as we build our capacity for higher levels of production.' The launch was followed by an MPA panel focused on India's aspirations to become a global force in film, television, and streaming, featuring Sanjay Jaju – Secretary, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB), Justin Warbrooke – Head of Corporate Development, Disney, Kelly Day – VP International, Amazon MGM, Kaitlin Yarnall – Chief Storytelling Officer, National Geographic Society, and Urmila Venogopalan – President & Managing Director, MPA Asia Pacific – as moderator.
Times of Oman
04-05-2025
- Business
- Times of Oman
Film, television and online video services industry in India generated over Rs 514 Crore in 2024: ReportA
Mumbai: The film, television and online video services industry in India generated a total economic contribution of USD 61.2 billion (Rs 514 Crore) in 2024, according to a new report by the Motion Picture Association (MPA) in collaboration with Deloitte. The report, launched at the inaugural World Audio Visual Entertainment Summit (WAVES) in Mumbai, also found that the industry supports 2.64 million jobs in the country. The MPA's report estimates that the direct impact of gross output of the screen sector in 2024 equated to USD 16.8 billion (Rs 141 thousand Crore), indicating that the industry had weathered the challenges of the pandemic and responded quickly to growing audience demand for films, drama and sport, on big screens and small. Crucially, the research finds that the local industry will grow at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of six to seven per cent in the next four years, reaching combined revenues of approximately USD 17.5 billion (Rs 147 thousand Crore) in FY 2029. It also projects that, with effective regulatory levers in place, the industry may witness a higher growth trajectory of nine to ten per cent CAGR, equating to combined revenues of almost USD 20 billion (Rs 165 thousand Crore) in FY 2029. MPA Chairman and CEO Charles Rivkin highlighted the vast benefits of the film and television industry to India's economy, the commitment of American studios to the Indian market, and the need for industry leaders and policymakers to work together to facilitate greater investment in India as a hub for creative content and storytelling. "India is a critical global market for MPA members - and its dynamic film, television, and streaming industry is a powerful driver of jobs, cultural influence, and the country's overall creative economy." Rivkin said. The Ministry of Information & Broadcasting, MPA and JioStar launched the industry economic impact report at the event. The report was also supported by the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FICCI), the Producers Guild of India (PGI) and Creative First. (ANI)
