Avail Media related Press Releases

TVN ENTERTAINMENT AND AVAIL MEDIA MERGE

Jim O'Neill — Mon, 18 May 2009 07:56:44 -0400

Sherman Oaks, CA and Reston, VA (May 18, 2009) – TVN Entertainment Corp., the world’s largest video on demand (VOD) company and Avail Media, the only independent aggregator and provider of linear content, today announced that they are merging. Together, TVN and Avail Media represent the first fully integrated, end-to-end solution for content owners and service providers. Columbia Capital, Novak Biddle Venture Partners, Valhalla Partners, Pioneer Ventures and the National Rural Telecommunications Cooperative (NRTC) have invested to create a scalable and extensible platform enabling delivery of next generation video distribution services. Terms were not disclosed.

“We are moving quickly to an environment in which consumers can access any type of program – movies, TV shows, sports, news – on any device at any time,” said Phil Herget of Columbia Capital. “No one company has assembled all the necessary components to ensure that content is provisioned, packaged, protected and delivered across multiple view platforms, multiple distribution partners in support of multiple business models in a seamless and integrated way. The combination of TVN and Avail provides the end-to-end solution to enable our customers to meet these evolving consumer demands.”

The combination creates the largest independent provider of end-to-end content aggregation, management, and service offerings, delivering content from more than 200 content partners, including Hollywood movie studios, cable networks and independent content producers to more than 46 million homes and 120 million consumers. Through this merger, both Avail Media and TVN Entertainment will extend the technologies and content offerings available to their customers on a global basis; today the companies provide services to nearly every television provider in North America. These expanded services include Video over Broadband (VoB), targeted advertising and interactive applications. In addition to the extensive Hollywood movie studio content available from both companies, joint customers will now enjoy the ability to offer linear programming from national broadcasters and even more localized, genre-specific, ethnic/international, and long-tail content to distribute to their subscribers.

“In these challenging times, delivering value to consumers and investing in the future takes on even greater importance for our customers,” said Ramu Potarazu, CEO of the newly created company. “The combined platform and reach of TVN Entertainment and Avail Media allows content owners and service providers of all types to outsource the manual, specialized function of managing and delivering video entertainment via an expert organization that perform these functions efficiently and cost effectively now and in the future. Whether it is delivering video to the television screen today, or to the PC and mobile device tomorrow, our team shares a common vision of enabling both content owners and service providers to profitably deliver the services consumers want.”

“TVN’s shareholders, management, and staff are excited about the opportunities that the combination of TVN and Avail will create,” said Michael Petrick of Morgan Stanley and Chairman of the Board of TVN. “We are grateful to the management team and our Board for their hard work and to our shareholders for their support over the last eight years .”

TVN used Cowen and Company as its exclusive financial advisor and Montgomery & Hansen, LLP as its legal advisor. Avail Media was advised by Cooley Godward Kronish LLP

About TVN Entertainment
TVN Entertainment Corporation, the leading television on-demand company, works with every major studio, network, and telecommunications video provider in North America. TVN is the preferred provider of original on-demand programs and networks. TVN supports an open, advanced technology platform, and offers the most comprehensive, end-to-end solution for licensing, managing, distributing and marketing on-demand content to virtually any platform. For more information about TVN’s products and services, please visit www.TVN.com.
About Avail Media
Avail Media is the industry leader in providing managed content aggregation services through a fully-integrated, head-end infrastructure for the profitable deployment of IP video. Avail Media is the only company today to deliver to its affiliates a combined MPEG-4 linear IPTV, HD Overlay (MPEG-2/4) programming solution, and Video On Demand (VOD) solution. The Avail Media solution includes a full content lineup of live television programming with hundreds of channels, all quality-encoded in MPEG-4, IP-encapsulated, encrypted and designed for future value-added services. Avail Media's system has been designed for use by video providers of multiple types - whether triple-play, quad-play, or pure video play. For more information, please visit www.availmedia.com.

Avail Media, Inc. Completes Venture Financing Round

Jim O'Neill — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 11:31:28 -0500

Columbia Capital, Novak Biddle, Pioneer and Valhalla Invest $25 Million Total in Leading IPTV Provider

Reston, VA - November 29, 2007 - Avail Media, Inc., a provider of IPTV and advanced media services to broadband operators, today announced it has closed the final tranche of a $25 million Series B equity round. First time investor Valhalla Partners joined Columbia Capital, Novak Biddle Venture Partners, and Pioneer Ventures in the round.

The financing, along with $5 million in debt financing from a strategic investor and Silicon Valley Bank, brings the total capital raised this year to $30 million, which will provide Avail Media with sufficient resources to execute on its vision, create value-added services, and effectively position its customers for success in the market.

"Having built out its corporate and technological infrastructures, Avail Media has made significant strides in supporting its expanding customer base. Avail's ability to bring telecom, cable, and Internet service providers cost-effective, customizable IPTV technology quickly and seamlessly is unmatched in this emerging space. There is tremendous market opportunity here and under the direction of its experienced, highly respected management team, Avail is well positioned to be a key player in the industry," said Art Marks, general partner, Valhalla Partners and Avail Media new board member.

Led by CEO Ramu Potarazu, former CEO of Broadstream Communications and COO of Intelsat, Avail Media provides managed content services and technologies through a fully integrated head end infrastructure for the profitable deployment of IP video. Avail offers providers an ease of execution and a speed to market beyond any possible self-built system by continually adding new features and functionalities to its service offerings.

"We've made some significant advances this year which indicate that 2008 will be a year of continued expansion and productivity for us. First, our customer installation rate is already exceeding expectations. Second, because we operate the only MPEG 4 linear and video on demand (VOD) platform, we have an excellent foundation upon which to build value added services," said Ramu Potarazu, CEO, Avail Media. "Valhalla brings additional industry and operating experience as well as critical resources within their team which will be valuable during this growth phase," Potarazu added.

Avail Media was founded in early 2007 as the result of the merger between Auroras Entertainment and Broadstream Communications. In September 2007 Avail acquired VOD programming supplier ViewNow, giving Avail the distinction of having the only full end-to-end solution with VOD and linear capabilities.

About Avail Media, Inc.

Avail Media is the only company today to deliver a combined MPEG-4 linear TV and Video On Demand (VOD) IPTV solution. Avail Media, the nation's premier provider of content aggregation and IPTV transport services, delivers to its customers a full line-up of live television programming with hundreds of channels, all quality encoded in MPEG-4, IP encapsulated, encrypted, combined with VOD and designed for future value-added services. Avail Media's system has been designed for use by broadband network operators of all types. Whether triple-play, quad-play, or pure video play, Avail Media offers the broadest and deepest set of IPTV services, technologies and solutions available in the marketplace today. For more information, please visit www.availmedia.com.

Avail Media Acquires Video On Demand Provider ViewNow

Mon, 17 Sep 2007 14:15:04 -0400

Leading Innovators in IPTV and VOD Industries Combine to Strengthen and Expand Service Offerings As Well As Customer BaseÃ‚Â

Reston, Virginia Ã¢â‚¬â€œ September 12, 2007 Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Avail Media Inc., a provider of IPTV and advanced media services to broadband operators today announced it has acquired ViewNow, a leading supplier of Video On Demand programming (VOD). The acquisition includes ViewNowÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s customer base and agreements with major studios, including Buena Vista/Disney, Dream Works, Lions Gate Films, NBC/Universal, New Line Cinema, Paramount, 20th Century Fox and Warner Bros. The deal also includes ViewNowÃ¢â‚¬â„¢sÃ‚Â ViewTrakÃ‚Â tracking system and will allow Avail Media to drive VOD and combined linear/VOD services deeper into the entertainment marketplace.Ã‚Â Ã‚Â

Ã¢â‚¬Å“The synergies resulting from this deal are outstanding,Ã¢â‚¬Â said Ramu Potarazu, CEO of Avail.Ã‚Â Ã¢â‚¬Å“A single source provider for live and on-demand programming allows our customers to rapidly offerÃ‚Â a competitive and comprehensive video solution. We are always pleased when we can help our customers better serve their markets. ViewNow's strong cultureÃ‚Â of innovation complements AvailÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s technology deployment strategy.Ã¢â‚¬Â

The companyÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s new senior management team, consisting of executives from both Avail and ViewNow, reflects significant experience throughout the telecom and media industries. Through this acquisition and merger of both technology and talent, Avail media now has theÃ‚Â expertise to provide distribution platforms with the most robust contentÃ‚Â available in the marketplace.

Steve Roberts, who brings to Avail his deep experienceÃ‚Â with the studios, offered, Ã¢â‚¬Å“We were looking for a partner who had the vision and the commitment to combine the linear and on-demand business. Avail clearly had the ability and is already active in the market place with an MPEG-4 distribution platform servicing telcos, cable operators, MDUÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s, and FTTH service providersÃ¢â‚¬Â.

Earlier this year, Avail Media secured $17 million in Series-B venture financing in a round co-led by Washington, DC area venture firms Novak Biddle Venture Partners and Columbia Capital. Avail Media is led by CEO Ramu Potarazu who prior to joining the company, was CEO of Broadstream Communications and COO of Intelsat.Ã‚Â Avail Media is currently serving moreÃ‚Â than 40 customers and anticipates continued strongÃ‚Â growth across all products and services.

Ã‚Â About Avail Media, Inc.

Founded in early 2007, Avail Media is the emerging leader in providing managed content services and technologies delivered through a fully integrated head end infrastructure, for the profitable deployment of IP video. Through a combination of best-of-breed technologies Avail Media offers a complete end-to-end platform to serve a broad array of customers.

Avail Media possesses a large content rights library of over 300 channels from national programmers, including premier content from programmers such as ABC-Disney, Turner, NBC-Universal, MTV Networks, Fox Networks, Discovery, and many others. Avail Media now offers the broadest and deepest set of services, technologies and solutions among its competitors.Ã‚Â For more information, please visit www.availmedia.com.Ã‚Â Ã‚Â Ã‚Â

Ã‚Â About ViewNow

ViewNow is a leading Video on Demand programming, management, and marketing services company serving telco and cable TV markets nationwide.Ã‚Â ViewNow has long term, full output agreements with major motion picture studios and other programming providers.Ã‚Â ViewNow offers a turnkey solution for delivering VOD programming inclusive of programming acquisition, encoding, programming management, and transport via satellite to its affiliates.

ViewNow affiliated companies have access to the most extensive library of marketing support materials for VOD, customer acquisition, and VOD functionality. Using its proprietary software suite, ViewTrakÃ¢â€žÂ¢, ViewNow offers its affiliates the capability to track programming activations on a real time basis. For more information, visit www.viewnow.tv.

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