SHANGHAI, June 5, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — Acorn International, Inc. (NYSE: ATV) ("Acorn" or the "Company") today announced that it has filed its annual report on Form 20-F for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2019 with the Securities and Exchange Commission on June 3, 2020. The annual report can be accessed on the Company’s investor relations website at http://www.acorninternationalgroup.com.
Acorn will provide a hard copy of its annual report for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2019, free of charge, to its shareholders and ADS holders upon request. Requests should be directed to the Company’s IR representatives, or in writing to Acorn International, Inc., 5/F, YueShang Plaza, 1 South Wuning Road, Shanghai 200042, People’s Republic of China.
About Acorn International, Inc.
Acorn International is a leading marketing and branding company in China, leveraging a twenty-year direct marketing history to monetize brand IP, content creation and distribution, and product sales, through digital media in China. For more information visit www.acorninternationalgroup.com.
Safe Harbor Statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995
This news release contains forward-looking statements. These statements constitute "forward-looking" statements within the meaning of Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and as defined in the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements can be identified by terminology such as "anticipates," "believes," "estimates," "expects," "future," "going forward," "intends," "outlook," "plans," "target," "will," "potential," and similar statements. Such statements are based on current expectations and current market and operating conditions, and relate to events that involve known or unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors, all of which are difficult to predict and many of which are beyond Acorn’s control, including the extent and duration of the adverse impact of COVID-19, which may cause actual results, performance, actions, or achievements to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. Further information regarding these and other risks, uncertainties, or factors is included in the Company’s filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. The Company does not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statement as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise, except as required by law.
BEIJING, May 31, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — iQIYI, Inc. (NASDAQ: IQ) ("iQIYI" or the "Company"), an innovative market-leading online entertainment service in China, announced that an all-girl idol group composed of the nine winners of its hit original variety show Youth With You Season 2 (the "Show") debuted on the eve of May 30th. The 9-member idol group, THE9, includes XIN Liu, Esther Yu, Kiki Xu, Yan Yu, Shaking, Babymonster An, Xiaotang Zhao, Snow Kong and K Lu, who were selected out of more than 100 trainees through viewer votes during the Show and THE9 will become the ambassador for Mengniu Zhenguoli. On the eve of May 30th, global users are able to watch the Show in Chinese, English and Thai on the international version of iQIYI App, witnessing the debut of THE9.
Winners of iQIYI Hit Variety Show “Youth With You Season 2” Make Their Debut as Girl Group
Youth With You Season 2, a variety show focusing on female pop idol trainees, presents iQIYI users and fans with the highly engaging and entertaining journey of the trainees’ persistence and hard work as they compete to stand out in the Show. Youth With You Season 2 demonstrates that young Chinese women are confidently embracing independence and diverse values, and are daring to dream big.
"Youth With You Season 2" hit trending lists on Twitter 393 times
As iQIYI’s leading IP-based original variety show, Youth With You Season 2 has sparked widespread discussion amongst domestic and international audiences since its release. The Show has broken previous audience engagement records in iQIYI’s variety show category, hitting a content popularity index of 9,000 multiple times. In terms of user interaction, the Show’s bullet subtitle interaction feature has exceeded 100 million in usage numbers, a record high for iQIYI in the variety show category.
Youth With You Season 2 is also available for streaming on iQIYI’s international platforms. iQIYI has localized the Show for international viewers by translating it into multiple foreign languages and accounting for the cultural context and language habits of its target markets. Overseas audiences were able to engage with the Show and root for their favorite contestant by casting their votes towards a contestant popularity ranking on the international version of the iQIYI App. According to the popularity ranking, the most popular contestant in international markets is XIN Liu.
So far, official videos released by Youth With You Season 2 has attracted over 300 million views on YouTube, with 73 video clips reaching more than one million views each. In addition, over 393 hashtags related to the Show trended on Twitter in 15 countries across Asia, Europe, South America and North America. Meanwhile, on the popular social platform in China, posts with hashtags related to the Show achieved a readership of 51.66 billion.
Moreover, 12 lucky overseas audiences from Malaysia, Thailand, the U.S., the Philippines, among others who applied for the ‘calls for Youth With You Season 2 cloud recording audience’ programs via platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Instagram participated as audiences in the cloud recording session of the contestants’ performances.
Using technology and ecosystem to create a one-stop immersive idol culture experience
Youth With You Season 2 uses a variety of innovative technology-driven production methods to enhance viewer engagement. This includes features such as the AI Radar "Qiguan", the multi-perspective watching mode, celebrity chatrooms, Suike AI immersion, as well as AR and VR technologies. For example, Qiguan allows users to have quick access to a contestant’s biography and information on songs that is playing on the Show as background music. The feature has proven to be very successful and was used nearly one million times in the first week of its launch.
The multi-perspective watching mode, which is used for the first time in a variety show, provides users with a more personalized viewing experience by displaying a close-up of their favorite trainee’s performance in a separate section of the screen. The celebrity chatroom feature enables a simultaneous watching and commenting experience. Popular trainees used the chatrooms to interact with users in real time, creating a closer connection with the audience.
In addition, iQIYI has built a comprehensive IP ecosystem around Youth With You Season 2 in areas such as short videos, comics, e-commerce, and merchandise. By collaborating with IQIYI’s ecosystem such as iQIYI Comics, Ba Da (iQIYI’s cartoon app), Zeal Beauty (iQIYI’s cosmetics knowledge app), iQIYI Paopao (iQIYI’s entertainment community for fans to follow and interact with celebrities) and Fansfun (iQIYI’s spin-off merchandise app tailor-made for fans), iQIYI provides its users and fan groups with diverse and fresh interactive experiences, maximizing the fun and reach of the Show.
Using innovative marketing approach and cross-over initiatives to maximize commercial value of IPs
To create the most interactive entertainment experience possible, the Show worked with more than 30 brand advertisers and IP licensed advertisers including Mengniu Zhenguoli Huaguoqingru, DARLIE, SOFY and Kiehl’s and jointly developed over 700 SKU products with IP licensed advertisers across a range of categories including clothing, food, and cosmetics. This helped promote the Show among younger audiences while also meeting their demand to stay up to date with the latest fashions.
iQIYI has also been exploring new forms of cross-over social marketing by leveraging the strengths of its business ecosystem. For example, Zeal Beauty invited the trainees to share their beauty tips on the platform as "makeup masters", allowing fans to learn about the trainees’ behind-the-scenes life. Meanwhile, Fansfun App launched Youth Capsule Toy, Youth Postcard and other spin-off merchandise. The show also unveiled its official avatar YUNI for use in toys as well as the accessories worn by the trainees. These initiatives helped to build a deep connection between the Show, the trainees and the audience and create value across all the industries in iQIYI’s ecosystem. Moreover, trainees XIN Liu and Esther Yu collaborated with Li Jiaqi, China’s top beauty influencer and livestreamer with over 16.76 million followers on the social media, to sell products on the popular livestreaming channel. The collaboration attracted more than 30 million viewers. With a diversified range of entertainment content, Youth With You Season 2 maximizes the IP’s commercial value by collaborating with relevant businesses across the value chain.
In addition to Youth With You Season 2, iQIYI has launched other high-quality hit shows such as Idol Producer, The Rap of China and FOURTRY in recent years, making it a leading trendsetter in youth culture. The Youth With You series have kicked off the development of idol culture in China within just three years and created a new benchmark for idol variety shows. The series meet users’ needs for diverse entertainment while inspiring global audiences with positive messages such as self-belief and the perusal of one’s dreams, and further drive the robust development of China’s idol market.
About iQIYI, Inc. iQIYI, Inc. is an innovative market-leading online entertainment service in China. Its corporate DNA combines creative talent with technology, fostering an environment for continuous innovation and the production of blockbuster content. iQIYI’s platform features highly popular original content, as well as a comprehensive library of other professionally-produced content, partner-generated content and user-generated content. The Company distinguishes itself in the online entertainment industry by its leading technology platform powered by advanced AI, big data analytics and other core proprietary technologies. iQIYI attracts a massive user base with tremendous user engagement, and has developed a diversified monetization model including membership services, online advertising services, content distribution, live broadcasting, online games, IP licensing, online literature and e-commerce etc.
LONDON, May 29, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — True Royalty TV, the London-based subscription video on-demand service (SVOD) dubbed ‘the Netflix of Royal TV’ is extending its Crowdcube fundraising campaign following exceptional demand.
TRUE ROYALTY TV
The fundraising has already doubled the initial target, surpassing US$2m in two weeks, and is still rising. Funds raised will be used to capitalize on momentum over the last year and accelerate growth during 2020, by activating new distribution channels and extending the service’s international footprint. The Crowdcube campaign follows private placements totalling more than US$9m from US and UK investors and media industry figures.
In the past six months True Royalty TV has doubled its paying subscribers across the UK, Ireland, Australia, Canada, New Zealand and in particular the US, where there is huge demand for content about the Royal Family. It has also recorded a 40% increase in viewing during the Covid-19 lockdown.
The British Royal Family is the world’s fourth biggest brand*. Research shows that in the US, 25m people who stream television have actively stated an interest in watching more content about them. True Royalty has formed sought after partnerships with the US’s leading TV platforms including Comcast, Cox, Dish and Roku, and will be actively marketing the channel to these subscribers and more across over 50m homes.
"True Royalty is a great British business success story, rapidly increasing our subscribers and signing partnership deals giving us front and centre placement on the US’s biggest TV platforms, with seamless access to more than 50m households," said Gregor Angus, CEO and Co-founder, True Royalty TV. "While there is a surge in viewing currently during lockdown, more importantly, we see huge potential for long-term growth by capitalizing on the global demand for programming about the British Royal Family as well as ongoing structural changes in the way viewers consume TV content."
True Royalty was co-founded by Gregor Angus (CEO), Nick Bullen, and Edward Mason as the world’s first and only subscription video on demand service dedicated to providing fans with a wide selection of high-quality Royal programming. For more information visit www.trueroyalty.tv
Platform to stream multiple short drama series via “Mist Theater”
BEIJING, May 20, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — iQIYI Inc. (NASDAQ: IQ) ("iQIYI" or the "Company"), the innovative market-leading online entertainment service in China, announced the upcoming launch of the Mist Theater (the "Theater") on its platform, a new content library dedicated to suspense dramas. The Theater, an upgrade of iQIYI’s suspense drama offerings following the success of its Mystery & Suspense Theater that was launched in 2018, will focus on suspense-themed content, including a number of short drama series. The launch aims to enhance users’ viewing experience through curating a targeted content selection and offering a brand-new theater operating mode.
iQIYI Launches “Mist Theater”, New Content Library Dedicated to Suspense Dramas
As short suspense dramas, most notably led by Detective Chinatown, have embraced a new wave of enthusiasm entering 2020, iQIYI gained valuable insights into users’ growing demand for high-quality short suspense dramas. Through the Theater, the Company will stream dozens of short suspense dramas, serving as a platform of choice for fans of the genre.
iQIYI, the first video platform in China to kickstart brand operations for online drama series, launched China’s first online drama theater — Youth Theater at the iQIYI World Conference in May 2018. This helped create a dedicated community for young viewers with diversified content as well as a variety of groundbreaking interactive features. The online drama theater oversaw the release of dramas including With You, My Huckleberry Friends and Legend of Yun Xi on iQIYI’s Youth Theater, which not only catered to the different needs of viewers, but also set an example for the entertainment industry for the operations of refined online dramas, thus consolidating iQIYI’s position as the platform for "the best teen dramas".
In the same year, iQIYI released Mystery & Suspense Theater and Hero Theater for various other genres of dramas, providing an extensive range of quality content for better viewing experiences and making it the go-to streaming platform for teens.
Through creating dedicated drama libraries, iQIYI continuously meets fans’ evolving and specific needs, making it the go-to platform for enthusiasts to find their favorite genre. Once the Theater is launched, iQIYI will periodically upgrade it to ensure suspense drama fans can continuously enjoy new thrilling, high-quality content by improving the platform’s theater mode.
About iQIYI, Inc.
iQIYI, Inc. is an innovative market-leading online entertainment service in China. Its corporate DNA combines creative talent with technology, fostering an environment for continuous innovation and the production of blockbuster content. iQIYI’s platform features highly popular original content, as well as a comprehensive library of other professionally-produced content, partner-generated content and user generated content. The Company distinguishes itself in the online entertainment industry by its leading technology platform powered by advanced AI, big data analytics and other core proprietary technologies. iQIYI attracts a massive user base with tremendous user engagement, and has developed a diversified monetization model including membership services, online advertising services, content distribution, live broadcasting, online games, IP licensing, online literature and e-commerce.
SHANGHAI, May 4, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — Acorn International, Inc. (NYSE: ATV) (“Acorn” or the “Company”), a leading marketing and branding company in China, today announced that the Company adopted a repurchase plan based upon a form approved by the Company’s…
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