Glendale/Bangkok – DreamWorks Animation SKG, Inc. and Thai pay TV operator CTH, along with HBO Asia, will launch the DreamWorks channel, a brand new kids and family program service, in Thailand on 1 August. This is the first country in Asia to premiere the channel, which DreamWorks and HBO are offering across the region. CTH will make the programming available for the first time in High Definition (HD) and programming will be fully dubbed in Thai as of 1 September.
DreamWorks programming will include its signature original series All Hail King Julien, starring the world’s biggest party animal from the hugely successful Madagascar theatrical films, and The Adventures of Puss in Boots, featuring the sword-fighting feline fortune-hunter made famous by the Shrek franchise. Dragons: Race to the Edge, inspired by the critically acclaimed How to Train Your Dragon films, will further build out the schedule in Q4 this year, with even more original series expected to be added in early 2016. Joining the award-winning lineup will be many other established characters, such as Casper the Friendly Ghost in his adventure series Casper’s Scare School, and the new original series Dinotrux, an action-packed adventure series of prehistoric proportions based on a series of award-winning children’s books. The channel will also present a daily morning preschool block, DreamWorks Junior, featuring all-new productions of such favorites as Raa Raa The Noisy Lion and Guess with Jess.
Beginning 1 August, all CTH TV post-paid plan subscribers will enjoy around-the-clock programming on the DreamWorks channel in HD on CTH channel 139 and Z Pay TV Channel 414. This will be the first dedicated DreamWorks channel anywhere in the world following the announcement last December that DreamWorks is planning to launch across Asia. HBO Asia is managing affiliate sales, marketing and technical services for the new channel.
“We are delighted that Thailand and CTH will be the first to market for the DreamWorks channel,” said Eric Ellenbogen, Co-Head, International TV & DreamWorks Classics. “DreamWorks is the home of great animation and storytelling and we are excited to bring our content all together in one amazing place and across every platform imaginable. The channel is hosted by our best known characters and available for kids and their families to watch wherever and whenever they want.”
“We are very excited to be the first Pay-TV service provider to launch the DreamWorks channel in HD anywhere in the world,” said Amarit Sukhavanij, Chief Operating Officer, CTH. “This launch with DreamWorks proves our commitment to provide the best viewing experience and high-quality content, which is what we guarantee to our subscribers.”
“We are very proud to have secured carriage for the DreamWorks channel with CTH in Thailand as the exclusive distributor of the first DreamWorks television channel in Asia,” said Jonathan Spink, CEO, HBO Asia. “With our extensive reach across Asia, strong relationships with our network of affiliates and partners, and experience in distributing other channels, we are excited to be working with DreamWorks to bring their beloved characters and stories to families all across Asia.”
Children and families across Thailand can look forward to a host of on-air and off-air promotions which will further introduce them to the ever-growing world of DreamWorks.
