Today, The Orchard (NASDAQ: ORCD) announced that it has entered into an exclusive, multi-tiered marketing and licensing partnership with China's leading next generation mobile infrastructure and services provider, ZTEMT. Utilizing The Orchard's top one hundred thousand songs, ZTEMT and The Orchard will power and program the English language genre sections of China Telecom's new version of the service, iMusic. With this deal, The Orchard becomes the first international digital music distributor to introduce such a large selection of western music to China's massive 388 million internet and mobile internet users.
At the new iMusic service launch in September, and ongoing, The Orchard and ZTEMT will program the English language section of the iMusic storefront with a strong focus on independent music discovery via digital compilations, editorial content, playlists, etc. Also, The Orchard will provide marketing and creative services to China Telecom's national campus campaign, targeting the iMusic service to millions of college students at campuses throughout China.
"Bringing The Orchard's most popular western music and equally importantly, their world class retail programming expertise to China Telecom through our multi-faceted relationship with ZTEMT will ensure that all Chinese music fans with Wi-Fi enabled devices will have access to sounds from western superstars to cutting edge, emerging independent music," commented Dr. Yingbo Zhu, Deputy General Manager of China Telecom's iMusic.
"We are proud to have been selected to program the western music section for one of China's leading mobile operators," commented Greg Scholl, President and Chief Executive for The Orchard. "Again, The Orchard shatters barriers that prevent great independent music from being heard wherever globally there are music fans, and in a way that fairly compensates artists and label. In China, hundreds of millions of music fans don't discriminate between ‘independent' and ‘major label' music."
About The Orchard(R)
The Orchard (NASDAQ: ORCD) is a full service business partner for entertainment companies, music labels, recording artists and songwriters, film studios, and producers. Founded in 1997, the company drives sales across its retail network of more than 600 digital storefronts and mobile carriers in 59 countries. Headquartered in New York and London, with operations in 27 markets around the world, The Orchard offers a comprehensive suite of services focused on customized marketing and promotions, social media, sales development, and technology. An industry pioneer and continued innovator in digital media services, The Orchard fosters creativity and independence. For further information please visit www.theorchard.com
Forward Looking Statements
This release may contain certain forward-looking statements regarding The Orchard's expectations regarding future events and operating performance within the meaning of Federal Securities laws that are subject to certain risks and uncertainties and involve factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from those projected or suggested. Factors that could cause actual results to differ include, but are not limited to, the ability of The Orchard to distribute certain products, videos and artist recordings and provide certain marketing and other services. Undue reliance should not be placed on such forward-looking statements as they speak only as of the date hereof, and The Orchard undertakes no obligation to update these statements to reflect subsequent events or circumstances except as may be required by law. Additional factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected or suggested in any forward-looking statements are contained in The Orchard's most recent periodic reports on Form 10-K and Form 10-Q that are filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.