【明通編輯黃友香/國際陳情報導】
LONDON--(Marketwire-February14,2012)-IMGMedia,partofIMGWorldwide,theglobalsports,fashionandmedia company,hasteamedupwithelectronicsgiantPanasonicAvionicsCorporation(Panasonic),theworldleaderin state-of-the-artin-flightentertainmentandcommunication(IFEC)systems,tolaunchthefirst-everliveglobalpremium 24-hoursportschannel--SPORT24--forairlinepassengersfromthisweek.Theground-breakingservice,whichisavailablethroughPanasonic'seXTVservice,isbeingbroadcastviasatellite tospecially-equippedGulfAirplanesandfeaturelivecoverageofthe2012SummerOlympicGames,TheBarclaysPremier League,andBundesliga,TheMasters,TheOpenChampionshipandtheRyderCup,Formula1,RolandGarrosandthe AustralianOpen.ThechannelwillalsobeavailabletocruiselinersfromMarch1withNorwegianCruiseLiners(NCL)beingthefirst operatortobroadcastSPORT24onselectedvessels.ThereareongoingdiscussionswithanumberofotherairlinesinterestedintakingtheserviceandGulfAir,Bahrain's nationalairline,isinitiallyofferingSport24onits'SkyHub'whichiscurrentlyavailableonA330aircraftthatflylong-haul andonsomeintra-GulfroutesincludingitsdestinationstoEurope,KualaLumpur,Bangkok,Jeddah,Manila,Lahore, Islamabad.Panasonic'seXTVtelevisionnetworkusesthecompany'seXConnectin-flightKu-bandcommunicationsservice,including thesameKuantennaandonboardcomponents,todeliverhigh-quality,televisionprogrammingtopassengersduring theirflight.Itprovideslive,uninterruptedcontenttoaircraftflyingallovertheworld,evenoveroceans.IMGMedia,whoalreadyproducea24-hourPremierLeaguecontentservicefortheLeague'soverseasbroadcasters, hasacquiredtherightstothevarioussportingeventsandprogrammingandwillbeproducingthecontentwithinitsLondon productionfacility.RichardWise,SeniorVicePresident,IMGMedia,said:"Sport24willrevolutionisethewaypassengerswatchlivesports onAirlinesandCruiseShips.Forthefirsttimeeverviewerswillbeabletoenjoythegreatestsportingeventslivewhile travellingonbusinessorholidayingabroad.Sportfanswillnolongerhavetomisstheirfavouriteteam,oreventon thisnewdedicatedsportschannel."DavidBruner,VicePresident,GlobalCommunicationServiceswithPanasonicAvionicsCorporation,said,"The launchoftheSport24channelisamomentousoccasionnotonlyforPanasonic'seXTVservicebutforallofthein-flight market.TheSport24channelrepresentsamajoradvancementinthein-flightexperienceforpassengersall overtheworld.WeareexcitedtobeworkingwithIMGandtohaveGulfAirasourlaunchcustomer.Afterall,there's nothingquitelikewatchingtheworld'stopsportingeventsliketheOlympics,live,onanaircraft,anywhereintheworld."GulfAirSeniorManagerofIn-FlightEntertainment&Communications,Mr.MohamadElAssaad,said:"Following thesuccessfullaunchofour'SkyHub'wearenowbringingourcustomers,morelivechannelsandmoreprograms;the Sport24channel,withanexceptional arrayofliveactionisthelatestinourofferings.Nowourcustomersonboardcanwatchtheirfavoritesportsstars liveat35000feetwithallexhilarationandenthusiasm."AboutIMGMediaIMGMediaistheworld'slargestindependentdistributorofsportsprogramming,distributingover20,000hoursof contenttomajorglobalbroadcastersannually.Thiscontentoriginatesfrommorethan200clientsandeventsincluding AELTC(Wimbledon),TennisAustralia(TheAustralianOpen),TPL(ATPMasters1000s),TheR&A(TheOpen Championship),InternationalRugbyBoard(RugbyWorldCup),Dorna(MotoGP),NationalFootballLeague(NFL) andInternationalVolleyballFederation(FIVB).IMGMediaoperatesfromover30officesworldwideandhasdaily exchangeswithover4,000keymediacontacts.IMGMediadistributesacrossallformsofmediaincludingTV, Audio,FixedMedia,InflightandClosedCircuit,BroadbandandMobile.IMGMediaalsomaintainstheworld'slargest sportsarchivewithmorethan250,000hoursoffootage.AboutPanasonicAvionicsCorporationPanasonicAvionicsCorporationistheworld'sleadingsupplierofin-flightentertainmentandcommunication systems.Thecompany'sbest-in-classsolutions,supportedbyprofessionalmaintenanceservices,fullyintegrate withthecabinenablingairlinestodelivertheultimatetravelexperienceswitharichvarietyofentertainmentchoices, resultinginimprovedqualitycommunicationsystemsandsolutions,andloweroverallcosts.Establishedin1979, PanasonicAvionicsCorporation,aU.S.corporation,isasubsidiaryofPanasonicCorporationofNorthAmerica, theprincipalNorthAmericansubsidiaryofPanasonicCorporation.HeadquarteredinLakeForest,Californiawithover 3,100employeesandoperationsin80locationsworldwide,itservesover200customersworldwideandprovides IFECsystemsonover3,700aircraft.Foradditionalinformation,pleasevisitwww.panasonic.aero.AboutGulfAirFoundedin1950,GulfAiristheproudnationalcarrieroftheKingdomofBahrain.AsapioneeringairlineintheMiddleEast regionwithoversixtyyearsofexperienceandexpertiseinflyingpeopleacrosscontinents,GulfAiristodayoneofthe mostpowerfulbrandsandanametoreckonwithintheglobalaviationindustry.OneoftheprimeobjectivesofGulfAiristoconnectBahraintotheMiddleEastcountriesandtherestoftheworld. AssuchtheairlinecurrentlyoperatesthelargestnetworkintheMiddleEastwithnon-stopflightswhileprovidingseamless onwardconnectionstootherinternationaldestinations.Theairline'scurrentnetworkstretchesfromEuropetoAsia, connecting54citiesin34countries,withafleetof36aircraft.IntunewiththeKingdom'seconomicblueprint,'Vision2030,'GulfAir'sstrategyistobuildanefficient,commercially sustainableanddynamicairlinethateffectivelyservesthepeopleandtheeconomyofBahrainandrepresentstheKingdom ontheworldstage.Reflectingtheneedsandaspirationsofitscustomers,thestrategyfocusesonthreecoreareas:atargeted, morefocusedinternationalnetwork,asuperior,moreconsistentproductandamodern,moreefficientfleetthatwill optimizevalue.GulfAir'sgoalreflectsacommitmenttothelatestaviationtechnologycomplementedbythehallmark Arabianhospitalityforwhichtheairlineiswellknown.GulfAiristheofficialsponsorofthe2012FormulaOneGulfAir BahrainGrandPrix.Mediacontacts:IMGGaryDoubleVicePresidentCorporateCommunications-EuropeTel:+442082337425+447768825114gary.double@imgworld.comPanasonicBrianBardwellTel:+1949.462.1742brian.bardwell@panasonic.aeroGulfAirKatherineKaczynskaSeniorManagerCorporateCommunicationsGulfAirTel:+97317338416+97336500292katherine.kaczynska@gulfair.com |