SANTA MONICA, Calif., and HELSINKI, July 23, 2014 /CNW/ -- As part of its
recently-announced move into the gaming space, Lionsgate (NYSE:
LGF), a premier next generation global content leader, has formed a
strategic partnership with the Finnish games developer Next Games
and will make an investment in their extended Series A financing
round, the two companies announced today.
The announcement follows Lionsgate's recent appointment of games
and digital media entrepreneur Peter
Levin to be President of Interactive Ventures & Games.
The collaboration re-affirms Next Games' strategic approach of
relying on intellectual property developed in-house complemented by
strategically licensed properties.
Founded last year by gaming veterans from Rovio, Supercell and
Disney, Next Games has assembled a team committed to creating
lasting global entertainment brands by developing games with high
end production values and engaging play experiences. Working in
collaboration with AMC, they are currently developing a mobile
free-to-play game based on the blockbuster TV series The Walking
Dead as well as a game based on their own intellectual
property.
"Gaming is a logical next step in extending our content
portfolio, and we're very excited about the potential of our
partnership with Next Games," said Levin. "Their management
team has a proven track record of creating popular and successful
brands for some of the industry leaders in the gaming space, and
their passion, innovation and entrepreneurial culture are a perfect
fit with our own. We see them as a prolific source of the
next generation of games, creating exciting and engaging properties
based on our franchises as well as new content that we develop
together."
"I couldn't be happier to bring Lionsgate, one of the leading
entertainment companies and premier content producers, on board
with us. They have proven their strength in not only creating
fascinating new stories for the world but doing a stellar job of
marketing and turning them into blockbuster entertainment
franchises," said Next Games CEO Teemu
Huuhtanen.
Next Games announced the first part of its external investment
round earlier this year, raising $6
million in financing from an elite list of institutional,
strategic and private investors.
About Lionsgate
Lionsgate is a leading global entertainment company with a
strong and diversified presence in motion picture production and
distribution, television programming and syndication, home
entertainment, digital distribution, new channel platforms and
international distribution and sales. Lionsgate currently has over
30 television shows on more than 20 networks spanning its primetime
production, distribution and syndication businesses, including such
critically-acclaimed hits as the multiple Emmy
Award-winning Mad Men and Nurse
Jackie, the comedy Anger Management, the network
series Nashville, the
syndication success The Wendy Williams Show and
the critically-acclaimed hit series Orange is the New
Black.
Its feature film business has been fueled by such recent
successes as the blockbuster first two installments of The
Hunger Games franchise, the first installment of the
recently-launched Divergent franchise, Now
You See Me, Kevin Hart:
Let Me Explain, Warm Bodies, The Expendables
2, The Possession, Sinister, Roadside
Attractions' Mud and Pantelion Films' breakout
hit Instructions Not Included, the
highest-grossing Spanish-language film ever released in the
U.S.
Lionsgate's home entertainment business is an industry leader in
box office-to-DVD and box office-to-VOD revenue conversion rate.
Lionsgate handles a prestigious and prolific library of
approximately 15,000 motion picture and television titles that is
an important source of recurring revenue and serves as the
foundation for the growth of the Company's core businesses. The
Lionsgate and Summit brands remain synonymous with original,
daring, quality entertainment in markets around the world.
www.lionsgate.com
About Next Games
Next Games, founded in 2013 by design veterans from Rovio,
Supercell and Disney, focuses on crafting visually impressive,
engaging games. Next Games has assembled a team with a profound
love for games and a burning desire to develop lasting global
entertainment. The company is headquartered in Helsinki, Finland, at the heart of mobile
games development, and funded by an elite list of private
investors. www.nextgames.com.
Further enquiries:
Peter D. Wilkes
Lionsgate
310-255-3726
pwilkes@lionsgate.com
Next Games
Saara Bergstrom
press@nextgames.com
+358504833896
Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20140722/129595
Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20130919/LA83194LOGO
SOURCE Lionsgate