HIT Entertainment to Syndicate Video on the Web Through New Partner: thePlatform

HIT Entertainment to Syndicate Video on the Web Through New Partner: thePlatform

Barney(TM), Bob the Builder(TM) and Thomas & Friends(TM) Among Series to Utilize thePlatform for Online Publishing and Syndication Across the Web

NEW YORK and SEATTLE, Nov. 14 /PRNewswire/ -- HIT Entertainment, a leading provider of quality preschool entertainment, announced today that thePlatform, the leading "white-label" broadband publishing company, has been selected to manage the back-end video platform for HIT's brand specific web channels and the syndication of its world-renowned children's videos to other destination websites in multiple countries around the world.

thePlatform launched video on the US Thomas & Friends site in late October and saw more than 3 million streams in the first two weeks. The roll-out of video on HIT's other brand sites such as Angelina Ballerina(TM), Barney(TM), Bob the Builder(TM), and Fireman Sam(TM) will continue through 2008. In addition, thePlatform will manage and publish online video for other HIT Entertainment properties such as Guinness World Records.

"HIT is always looking for new and innovative ways to expand distribution of our award-winning content," said Robert Weisstuch, Senior Vice President/Chief Information Officer, HIT Entertainment. "By utilizing thePlatform, we will implement an online publishing and management system that can handle our needs and be flexible enough to grow with our content and viewers into the future."

"HIT Entertainment's family of brands includes some of the most well known and respected characters on the planet -- especially by families with young children," said Ian Blaine, CEO, thePlatform. "We've worked closely to automate HIT's online video initiatives for both HIT owned and third-party represented properties. With a centralized system in place, HIT can focus their energies on their primary business of creating new and compelling family content."

thePlatform currently provides online video publishing and management for a host of well known consumer brands including BBC, CNBC, CBS' College Sports TV, Court TV, Comcast, Hearst, Helio, PRIMEDIA, Scripps, Sony/BMG Music, Vongo, Telstra, Verizon Wireless and dozens of other companies.

Media companies interested in publishing or syndicating their content across the web and mobile phones should visit http://www.theplatform.com/.

About HIT Entertainment

HIT Entertainment, owned by private equity investment group Apax Partners, is one of the world's leading independent children's entertainment producers and rights-owners. HIT's portfolio includes properties, such as Barney(TM), Bob the Builder(TM), Thomas & Friends(TM), Pingu(TM), Fireman Sam(TM), Angelina Ballerina(TM) and Rainbow Magic(TM). HIT represents Fifi and the Flowertots(TM) in North America and Japan and acts as a worldwide representative for The Jim Henson Company's library of classic family brands and as representative for The Wiggles(R) in the UK. HIT also owns the Guinness World Records(TM) publishing and television property. Launched in 1989, HIT's lines of business span television and video production (including studios in the US and the UK), publishing, consumer products licensing and live events. With a catalogue of more than 1,000 hours of young children's programming, HIT sells its shows to more than 240 countries worldwide, in more than 40 different languages and has operations in the UK, US, Canada, Hong Kong and Japan. In 2005, the Company joined Comcast Corporation, PBS and Sesame Workshop to launch PBS KIDS SproutSM, a 24-hour digital cable channel and VOD service for preschoolers. For more information, visit http://www.hitentertainment.com/.

About thePlatform

thePlatform(TM), a subsidiary of Comcast, is the leading broadband video ASP for content providers, broadband media sites, and mobile businesses. thePlatform currently manages and publishes online video on behalf of some of the most well known consumer brands, including: BBC, CNBC, CBS' College Sports TV, Court TV, Comcast, Hearst, Helio, PRIMEDIA, Scripps, Sony/BMG Music, Vongo, Telstra, Verizon Wireless and dozens of other companies. Additional information about thePlatform can be found at http://www.theplatform.com/.

First Call Analyst:
FCMN Contact:

Source: thePlatform

CONTACT: Jeremy Pemble, jeremy@jlmpartners.com, or Stacy Oaksmith,
stacy@jlmpartners.com, both of JLM Partners, +1-206-381-3600, for thePlatform

Web site: http://www.theplatform.com/
http://www.hitentertainment.com/

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Profile: International Entertainment