SHANGHAI, Aug. 7, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Acorn Entertainment (AE) announced today that it has signed NBA Star Kyle Anderson, formerly of the San Antonio Spurs and more recently of the Memphis Grizzlies, to its lineup of celebrity talent as well as brands that it represents in China. AE will provide Anderson a full suite of online and offline, multichannel and multimedia promotional services to grow the value of his personal brand in China.
AE's core focus is on representing individual celebrity talent as well as brand clients, primarily from the U.S., in China. While it emphasizes U.S. sports, film, television, and music clients, the company is taking on celebrities and brands from a full spectrum of industries, and geographic regions, who are looking to maximize their brand value in China and increase their "Monetization Ratio" (namely the ratio of income generated from social media engagement relative to the size of the social media engagement).
"We are proud to add Kyle to our roster," said Brittany Li, head of Client Acquisition at Acorn Entertainment. "He's an up and coming star, with a genealogical backstory that makes him even more relevant in China - being one-eighth Chinese. In addition to his tremendous talent as an athlete, he shares some of the same core values as AE and its umbrella organization in terms of being committed to 'giving back'. Throughout his career, Kyle has demonstrated a deep commitment to charitable causes - in particular around the plight of depression, and he has made significant contributions in the area of suicide awareness and prevention."
Jacob A. Fisch, CEO and President of Acorn International (NYSE: ATV), the parent company of Acorn Entertainment stated, "Kyle's trip to China was incredibly successful and you can see from the press coverage he was welcomed with open arms wherever he went. The Chinese love the NBA and the fact that he is partially Chinese makes them view him as truly 'one of their own'. These encounters enhance cultural connections and therefore have a role in improving cross-border understanding, which we shouldn't take for granted especially in the current environment."
Fisch continued: "Our team did a great job bringing out that story and helping Kyle expand his profile in China - Kyle has a bright future in China. We are looking forward to what's to come as we set out on this China journey with Kyle."
Li also reported: "Due in part to the strength of our planning and execution at Acorn Entertainment, nearly 100 media outlets reported on Kyle's trip, which resulted in a meaningful increase to his brand value in China." Li noted that media covering Kyle's trip included China's top sports channel, CCTV5, as well as China's biggest online sports portal Sina Sports. In addition, many print publications covered the trip, in some cases putting the story on the front page, even repeatedly on successive days. Other media online outlets such as Weibo, WeChat, and others included countless reports.
About Acorn Entertainment
Acorn Entertainment uses technology and data-driven solutions to help western brands gain traction in China. The company is a subsidiary of Acorn International. For more information, visit: www.acorninternationalir.com.
About Acorn International, Inc.
Co-founded in 1998 by Executive Chairman Robert Roche, Acorn is a marketing and branding company in China with a proven track record of developing, promoting and selling a diverse portfolio of proprietary-branded products, as well as well-established and promising new products from third parties. Its business is currently comprised of two main divisions, its direct sales platforms and its distribution network. For more information visit www.acorninternationalir.com.
Safe Harbor Statement
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 management's 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 the Company's control, which may cause the Company's actual results, performance, 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.
Media Contact:
Acorn Entertainment
Brittany Li
Email: brittany_liyiwen@chinadrtv.com
Phone: +86-21-5151888
Investor Contact:
Compass Investor Relations
Elaine Ketchmere, CFA
Phone: +1-310-528-3031
Email: Eketchmere@compass-ir.com
