For Immediate Release 16^th January 2008

The Contender Asia premieres in Singapore and key Asian territories

Mark Burnett attends premiere launch party in Singapore

January 16, 2008, Singapore – Reality TV guru, Mark Burnett, arrived in Singapore today for the premiere of The Contender Asia – a production of local media company, Imagine OmniMedia in association with Mark Burnett Productions. Burnett, who is also the Executive Producer of the series, joined Chief Executive Officer of Imagine OmniMedia and Executive Producer, Riaz Mehta, Head of International at Mark Burnett Productions C. Scot Cru, other sponsors and key partners of the show at a premiere event at the InterContinental Hotel.

The highly-anticipated 15-episode series airs weekly on AXN starting tonight at 9pm (Singapore time) and will be viewed by more than 40 million households, 24-hours daily across 22 countries across Asia, including Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Philippines, Indonesia, Hong Kong, Taiwan and India. The Contender Asia is an unscripted drama about the lives, fears, triumphs, dreams and hopes of the best 16 professional Muay Thai fighters from 14 countries, vying for the total prize pool of USD 250,000 and a chance to change their lives and the lives of the people they love forever. The series takes on the format of elimination fights on a weekly basis till the best fighter emerges as the champion of The Contender Asia.

Mark Burnett, President and founder of Mark Burnett Productions said, “I am really excited to be in this beautiful city of Singapore and am impressed with the caliber of talent in this country.  This is the first time we have produced the Contender series in Asia and I am absolutely delighted with the quality of show that Imagine OmniMedia has created.  I believe the stories of these young athletes will resonate, not only with the audience throughout Asia, but all over the world.”

Riaz Mehta, Chief Executive Officer of Imagine OmniMedia and Executive Producer is equally pleased, “This is the first time a reality TV series of such scale has been produced in Asia and I am very proud of my team for the tremendous amount of work and dedication that they have put into creating this high quality show that is on par with shows produced in the USA.  We have established a new standard in Asian Television and raised the bar in Asian production standards and I believe this will lead to many other Hollywood productions being based in Asia.  The Contender Asia is a ground breaking achievement in Television history in Asia.”

The series commenced filming in Singapore in September last year and was shot on many prominent locations and landmarks in Singapore such as the quintessential house of Chinese folklore Haw Par Villa, the beautiful beaches of Sentosa, the modern Esplanade, the tranquility of Labrador Park and other venues such as Tanglin Village at Dempsey Road, Bussorah Street, Singapore Botanic Gardens, Sentosa’s Tanjong Beach, Raffles Hotel, The Fullerton Hotel, Singapore River, Raffles Place, Chinatown as well as Singapore’s impressive city skyline. The elimination fights were filmed twice-weekly in front of a ‘live’ audience at a purpose-built arena, which also housed the 16 fighters for a seven-week period.

Ms Winnie Pua, Director, Brand Management, Singapore Tourism Board, said, “The Singapore Tourism Board congratulates the production team on the premiere of The Contender Asia. We are pleased to support another top-caliber production under our Film in Singapore! Scheme. We hope the series will create top-of-mind awareness and recall of Singapore as an exciting destination amongst its international viewers as well as to attract renowned filmmakers and producers to set their productions in Singapore and tap on our wide variety of locations encompassed in a compact, efficient and unique city.”

The Contender Asia is hosted by Australian-Chinese actress Jaymee Ong and Stephan Fox, the International Co-ordinator and Vice-President of the World Muay Thai Council.

AXN, the action and adventure channel that has aired both the seasons from the original series The Contender, makes the perfect TV destination for reality shows of such nature. 

Ricky Ow, General Manager of SPE Networks – Asia (which owns and operates AXN), says, “The Contender was very well-received when it aired on AXN.  As a great believer in Asian productions and branded entertainment, we fully support Riaz and his team in their efforts.  It is a great production, with lots of fast-paced action, excitement and intensity that I am sure AXN viewers will appreciate and enjoy.  Congratulations to Imagine OmniMedia for a job well done.”

The Contender Asia is directed by internationally acclaimed Jerry Schafer and complemented by local talents and senior producers from Mark Burnett Productions. As well as AXN the series will also be aired on MediaCorp Television Channel 5 in March 2008.  Other networks which have bought the series include Fox8 in Australia.

For more information on The Contender Asia, please visit www.thecontenderasia.com. For more information about Imagine OmniMedia, please visit www.imagine-omnimedia.com.  For more information on the Film in Singapore! Scheme, please go to www.stb.gov.sg

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About Imagine OmniMedia

Imagine OmniMedia is a Pan Asia media and mobile ventures company providing production, distribution, management, technology and funding to develop and implement media and mobile opportunities. The company's strategy is to take advantage of the growing market in Asia for TV viewership and mobile interactivity. With this in mind, Imagine OmniMedia works with international best of breed companies, to bring top tier media brands, concepts and formats to Asia.

About Mark Burnett Productions

Mark Burnett Productions (MBP) is a leading production company in content for both primetime television and the internet.  MBP revolutionized television with hits such as Survivor (CBS), The Apprentice (NBC), The Contender (ESPN), Rock Star: INXS (CBS), the new smash hit Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader? (FOX) and the co-production with Steven Spielberg and DreamWorks Television, On the Lot (FOX).  Other MBP projects in 2007 include: Pirate Master (CBS) and the 2007 MTV Movie Awards (MTV) for which Mark Burnett served as Executive Producer.   MBP also partnered with AOL in 2006 on the highly successful interactive adventure Gold Rush, the first-ever unscripted project to be produced exclusively for the internet.  In addition, MBP has established a scripted division and is developing comedies and dramas for television as well as feature films.  MBP also successfully reintroduced product placement as an integral part of each of its shows and has garnered a total of 46 Emmy nominations since 2001.        

About Film in Singapore! Scheme

Backed by a S$10 million fund, the Singapore Tourism Board’s Film in Singapore! Scheme is aimed at encouraging leading international filmmakers and broadcasters to shoot and produce movies, television programs and music videos in Singapore. The scheme will subsidize up to 50 percent of the qualifying expenses incurred by international film companies during their production in Singapore. For more information on the Film in Singapore! Scheme, please go to www.stb.gov.sg

About the Singapore Tourism Board

The Singapore Tourism Board (STB) is an economic development agency for one of Singapore’s key service sectors – tourism. The mission of the Board is to develop and champion tourism, so as to build the sector into a key driver of economic growth for Singapore. The STB aims to differentiate and market Singapore as a memorable destination through the proliferation of the destination brand Uniquely Singapore.

About AXN

AXN is the heart of action and adventure. Launched in 1997, AXN delivers top rated series, blockbuster features, adventure-reality and first-run lifestyle sports programs from around the world, as well as dynamic original productions, to provide viewers with an unparalleled entertainment experience to get stuck in!

AXN is a leading international television destination among young adults 18-34. AXN is seen in 60 countries across Asia, Latin America, Europe and the Middle East, and is part of Sony Pictures Television International's diverse portfolio of over 40 global networks. Sony Pictures Television International is a Sony Pictures Entertainment company.

AXN Asia is available to more than 40 million households, 24-hours daily across 22 countries in Asia, and over 40 million households on time-block basis in China. More information about AXN Asia can be found online at www.axn-asia.com

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