Bandai Visual USA and Geneon Entertainment Sign North American Distribution Agreement
Top Anime Producer and Leading Anime Distributor Team Up to Bring Premium Anime Titles to Retailers Across North America
TORRANCE, CA and LONG BEACH, CA -- (MARKET WIRE) -- March 05, 2007 -- Bandai Visual USA Inc., a leading innovator in Japanese animation, and Geneon Entertainment (USA) Inc., a leading supplier of Japanese animation in North America, today announced the two companies have signed an agreement to distribute Bandai Visual USA titles on DVD to retailers throughout the United States and Canada.
The first titles to be distributed under the agreement include multiple volumes of "Gunbuster 2," "Demon Prince Enma," "The Wings of Rean," "Freedom" and "Galaxy Angel Rune." Launch dates of these titles and others are expected to be announced shortly.
"Bandai Visual is one of the preeminent producers of anime in the world, and is well respected among anime fans and retailers alike," said Eiji Orii, president and CEO of Geneon Entertainment (USA) Inc. "All of us at Geneon Entertainment are very pleased to be working with Bandai Visual USA to bring their anime titles to retail shelves across North America."
Under the terms of the two-year agreement, Geneon Entertainment will distribute all Bandai Visual USA titles to retailers in the United States and Canada. Geneon will be the exclusive distributor of Bandai Visual USA titles released after March 1, 2007.
"Geneon Entertainment has one of the best reputations in the industry as a distributor of anime titles," said Tatsunori Konno, president of Bandai Visual USA Inc. "We have great confidence in Geneon's ability to expand our distribution and give our titles a presence in some of the largest retailers in North America."
About Geneon Entertainment
A producer and distributor of Japanese animation in North America, GENEON ENTERTAINMENT (USA) INC. (www.geneonanimation.com) is a full-service producer and distributor of entertainment content including film, music, animation and television shows on DVD, UMD, CD, and new media, including the Internet and mobile devices. Continually introducing new and classic anime and live-action programming, as well as anime CD soundtracks, the company also serves as a creative partner to many of Japan's top anime production companies. Additionally, Geneon Entertainment distributes critically acclaimed musical performances on DVD and CD from renowned artists. Headquartered in Long Beach, California, Geneon Entertainment (USA) is a subsidiary and joint venture between Tokyo-based advertising giant Dentsu Inc. and d-rights, Inc., a subsidiary of Mitsubishi Corporation.
Dentsu Inc., founded in 1901, is the largest advertising agency brand and the fifth largest marketing and communications organization in the world. Based in Tokyo, Dentsu offers national, multinational and global clients the most comprehensive range of advertising and marketing services through its unique "Total Communications Services" approach. Dentsu has pioneered and set global standards for integrated communications, which in latter years have been adopted by a number of major international networks. Dentsu's consolidated revenues for fiscal term 03/06 were recorded at $17.1 billion. Dentsu is publicly traded on the Tokyo Stock Exchange.
d-rights, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Mitsubishi Corporation (Japan's largest general trading company), established in 1988, is an integrated production company handling entertainment content for a variety of media; terrestrial TV, Internet, DVD, etc. Based in Tokyo, d-rights offers the services as a content producer, a rights manager, and an advertising agency, and d-rights can provide clients with the support necessary to work more efficiently and effectively in the content business.
About Bandai Visual USA Inc.
Bandai Visual USA Inc. (www.bandaivisual.us.) was established in 2005 as a wholly owned subsidiary of Bandai Visual Co.,Ltd, a leading company in animation industry in Japan, with a mission to facilitate stronger, more active involvement in positioning, marketing and distribution of Bandai Visual programs in North America. From its base in Torrance, California, Bandai Visual USA has started marketing and distributing Japanese anime titles in 2006, under the concept of Bandai Visual's business model which has been successful in Japan for many years. Bandai Visual USA will expand its business enthusiastically by releasing "authentic Japanese" products with a tight relationship with its parent company and affiliates. Bandai Visual USA titles on DVD and next generation media are released under its Honneamise label, named after the 1987 animation film that Bandai Visual first produced.
Bandai Visual Co.,Ltd, founded in August 1983, is a Japanese company that develops, produces and distributes film, TV and home entertainment media. As a pioneer of the Japanese animation scene, Bandai Visual has constantly held the top market share in the genre and continues to lead the market. Bandai Visual has also proven its expertise in creating and delivering quality home entertainment media packaging in Japan. Using such key strategies, Bandai Visual hopes to expand and emulate its success in North American and other international markets. Bandai Visual Co.,Ltd is listed on the 1st Section of the Tokyo Stock Exchange (Code 4325).
TORRANCE, CA and LONG BEACH, CA -- (MARKET WIRE) -- March 05, 2007 -- Bandai Visual USA Inc., a leading innovator in Japanese animation, and Geneon Entertainment (USA) Inc., a leading supplier of Japanese animation in North America, today announced the two companies have signed an agreement to distribute Bandai Visual USA titles on DVD to retailers throughout the United States and Canada.
The first titles to be distributed under the agreement include multiple volumes of "Gunbuster 2," "Demon Prince Enma," "The Wings of Rean," "Freedom" and "Galaxy Angel Rune." Launch dates of these titles and others are expected to be announced shortly.
"Bandai Visual is one of the preeminent producers of anime in the world, and is well respected among anime fans and retailers alike," said Eiji Orii, president and CEO of Geneon Entertainment (USA) Inc. "All of us at Geneon Entertainment are very pleased to be working with Bandai Visual USA to bring their anime titles to retail shelves across North America."
Under the terms of the two-year agreement, Geneon Entertainment will distribute all Bandai Visual USA titles to retailers in the United States and Canada. Geneon will be the exclusive distributor of Bandai Visual USA titles released after March 1, 2007.
"Geneon Entertainment has one of the best reputations in the industry as a distributor of anime titles," said Tatsunori Konno, president of Bandai Visual USA Inc. "We have great confidence in Geneon's ability to expand our distribution and give our titles a presence in some of the largest retailers in North America."
About Geneon Entertainment
A producer and distributor of Japanese animation in North America, GENEON ENTERTAINMENT (USA) INC. (www.geneonanimation.com) is a full-service producer and distributor of entertainment content including film, music, animation and television shows on DVD, UMD, CD, and new media, including the Internet and mobile devices. Continually introducing new and classic anime and live-action programming, as well as anime CD soundtracks, the company also serves as a creative partner to many of Japan's top anime production companies. Additionally, Geneon Entertainment distributes critically acclaimed musical performances on DVD and CD from renowned artists. Headquartered in Long Beach, California, Geneon Entertainment (USA) is a subsidiary and joint venture between Tokyo-based advertising giant Dentsu Inc. and d-rights, Inc., a subsidiary of Mitsubishi Corporation.
Dentsu Inc., founded in 1901, is the largest advertising agency brand and the fifth largest marketing and communications organization in the world. Based in Tokyo, Dentsu offers national, multinational and global clients the most comprehensive range of advertising and marketing services through its unique "Total Communications Services" approach. Dentsu has pioneered and set global standards for integrated communications, which in latter years have been adopted by a number of major international networks. Dentsu's consolidated revenues for fiscal term 03/06 were recorded at $17.1 billion. Dentsu is publicly traded on the Tokyo Stock Exchange.
d-rights, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Mitsubishi Corporation (Japan's largest general trading company), established in 1988, is an integrated production company handling entertainment content for a variety of media; terrestrial TV, Internet, DVD, etc. Based in Tokyo, d-rights offers the services as a content producer, a rights manager, and an advertising agency, and d-rights can provide clients with the support necessary to work more efficiently and effectively in the content business.
About Bandai Visual USA Inc.
Bandai Visual USA Inc. (www.bandaivisual.us.) was established in 2005 as a wholly owned subsidiary of Bandai Visual Co.,Ltd, a leading company in animation industry in Japan, with a mission to facilitate stronger, more active involvement in positioning, marketing and distribution of Bandai Visual programs in North America. From its base in Torrance, California, Bandai Visual USA has started marketing and distributing Japanese anime titles in 2006, under the concept of Bandai Visual's business model which has been successful in Japan for many years. Bandai Visual USA will expand its business enthusiastically by releasing "authentic Japanese" products with a tight relationship with its parent company and affiliates. Bandai Visual USA titles on DVD and next generation media are released under its Honneamise label, named after the 1987 animation film that Bandai Visual first produced.
Bandai Visual Co.,Ltd, founded in August 1983, is a Japanese company that develops, produces and distributes film, TV and home entertainment media. As a pioneer of the Japanese animation scene, Bandai Visual has constantly held the top market share in the genre and continues to lead the market. Bandai Visual has also proven its expertise in creating and delivering quality home entertainment media packaging in Japan. Using such key strategies, Bandai Visual hopes to expand and emulate its success in North American and other international markets. Bandai Visual Co.,Ltd is listed on the 1st Section of the Tokyo Stock Exchange (Code 4325).
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