A household name in Japan, and something of a You Tube sensation – especially for his hamburger trick – but how was Cyril convinced to choose AXN upon which to make his debut outside of Japan? “The network has always been a big fan of his shows in Japan,” Ow explains. “We flew to Japan to meet him many times, showing him our sincerity in working with him and our passion for creating something special with him. Eventually, Cyril understood the power of AXN and what we can do for him and his career in this region.” Back when the show was announced, with co-production partner WME Asia and main sponsor, Sony Ericsson, Ow commented, “The fact that Cyril has made a total of 15 two-hour primetime specials on local Japanese television, speaks volume of his creativity. AXN is proud to be the network that will showcase this top talent to the world.” “AXN has been the launch pad to Asia for well-known illusionists like David Blaine and Criss Angel. Coupled with our experience in spectacular large-scale productions… AXN (is) the perfect platform to bring the fascinating genre of magic through the innovation of Cyril, to international audiences.” While the actual budget of the three one-hour specials remains confidential, Ow says this has been AXN’s most expensive original production to date. “Magic is not an easy genre to produce, and in particular for this production with Cyril, as he designed and created some new magic acts specially for this show. Hence cost of production is very high, comparable with the mega-scaled The Amazing Race Asia and Contender Asia.” The production was funded by advertising, investment as well as syndication revenue, with more than half of the total production cost covered by advertising. Cyril: Simply Magic was part of a US$6 million joint production fund between the Singapore Economic Development Board and SPE Networks – Asia, presented by Sony Ericsson and sponsored by Samsung TV. Explains Ow, “(The sponsors’) products were seamlessly integrated into the show as part of Cyril’s magic performance. Various product launches, press and trade events were also organized in the region in conjunction with the launch of the show, where Cyril made an appearance and performed for the guests.” Filming the specials in Singapore, Kuala Lumpur and Taipei helped showcase those cities, and it was in those countries that the show’s premiere topped ratings. According to data from TNS Singapore, AGB NMR Malaysia/Taiwan AXN was the No. 1 English pay-TV channel with Cyril: Simply Magic leading the chart as the top-rated programme during its time slot in Singapore, Malaysia and Taiwan. “It was our best performing original production,” says Ow. “The (three-episode) season was our TV Event of the Year for 2009. This TV event was the highest-rated English programme among international pay-TV channels during its telecast in Singapore, Malaysia and Taiwan.” “We held a contest for viewers to nominate someone whom they thought deserved to be part of the show. Within one month, we received one of the highest number of entries for this show than some of our other contests. And we also had to constantly request for video clips posted on You Tube to be taken down.” Adds Cyril Takayama himself, “’Cyril: Simply Magic’ would not have been a success unless I had those who believed in me and my magic! I would like to thank the sponsors, my team and crew at AXN, and especially all my new fans who watched me on AXN. Know that this is not the end but just the beginning. We are already planning our second season and I promise, it will only get better!” Concludes Ow, “Cyril and The Amazing Race Asia are two productions in the pipeline for 2010. We will also continue other original productions like Sony Style, which is into season four this year, as well as our on-going entertainment magazine show, e-BUZZ. Expect 2010 to be a bigger year. Watch this space!”