Thursday, June 15, 2006

Network Live in Japan

In a further push to bring concert footage to people throughout the world on every platform imaginable, Network Live, the concert distribution venture between AOL, XM Satellite Radio and AEG, will be collaborating with Dreamboat and Dentsu Casting & Entertainment for Japanese of their content.

Network Live's poster boy Bon Jovi will be the first artist distributed through this new partnership and B'z, Japan's top rock duo, will follow suit, as they've signed on as Network Live's newest international artist.

"From the very beginning, entering the Japanese market has been crucial to our overall strategy of building out a global multi-platform network. As with all our distribution agreements, we were seeking the right partner to help us execute our vision," said Andy Brilliant, Executive Vice President of International for Network LIVE. "With Dreamboat and Dentsu Casting & Entertainment, Network LIVE is fulfilling our promise of delivering high-quality, engaging, live content to consumers on global scale -- across platform and device."

While I am inclined to trust Andy because he has a more awesome last name than me, I am still curious as to whether distribution of concerts across cellphones, computer screens, and televisions is the wave of the future that the promoters are banking on. Japan will be a good market to keep an eye on as the project begins to expand. The Japanese have long been trendsetters when it comes to new technologies and new uses of the many gadgets that overcrowd our pockets and handbags. Dentsu is the largest advertising conglomerates in Japan and one of the largest in the world, with powerful news outlets, marketing subsections and distribution networks. Dentsu's forthcoming marketing model may very well set the standard for Network Live's push throughout the world. We'll have to stay tuned.

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