Media Blasters Announces Partnership with Allegro Media Group
New York City, NY, October 22nd 2010 -- New York City based Media Blasters is proud to announce that it has formed a partnership with the media distribution giant, Allegro. John Sirabella, President and CEO of Media Blasters, welcomed the agreement and noted that “Allegro employs a state of the art distribution system and large sales force to provide superior market penetration to the media products it represents, freeing up Media Blasters to focus on localizing properties for the US market, developing new features and series, and producing the highest possible quality DVD, Blu-Ray, and digitally distributed releases”.
Joseph Micallef, Chairman and CEO of Allegro Media Group, described the agreement as “an important step in our continuing evolution to become a broad based media company”. “The addition of the MB catalog to Allegro's roster of exclusively distributed labels”, he went on to add, “will take our revenues well over $100 million and more importantly it means that video products now represent more than half of our sales in all three of our major operating groups: core market distribution, special markets, and vendor managed/racked programs”.
Key Media Blasters' labels AnimeWorks, specializing in Japanese animation, Tokyo Shock, specializing in Asian film, and Shriek Show, specializing in horror, will now be distributed through Allegro.
About Media Blasters, INC.
Founded in 1997, New York City based Media Blasters was created to give sub-culture media the treatment and distribution usually only afforded to pop-culture offerings. Some of Media Blasters' most well known labels include Animeworks, specializing in Japanese animation, Tokyo Shock, specializing in Asian film, and Shriek Show, specializing in horror. Engaging in licensing, production, localizing and distribution, MB has handled groundbreaking titles like the perennial blockbuster BERSERK, Adult Swim's MORIBITO: GUARDIAN OF THE SPIRIT, action hit VERSUS, cult classic ICHI THE KILLER and the legendary original VOLTRON DEFENDER OF THE UNIVERSE TV series. Media Blasters has even opened the door to new productions, creating sub-culture favorites like DEATHTRANCE and MACHINE GIRL.
About AnimeWorks
The New York City based AnimeWorks is a leader in licensing and localizing Japanese Animation for US markets. AnimeWorks appeared on the scene in 1997 and quickly made a name for itself with the anime legend KITE. Commanding a series of chart-topping releases including MAGIC KNIGHT RAYEARTH, Cartoon Network's RUROUNI KENSHIN, the perennial blockbuster BERSERK, Adult Swim's MORIBITO: GUARDIAN OF THE SPIRIT, BLADE OF THE IMMORTAL and QUEEN'S BLADE, AnimeWorks has become a major player in the rise of anime in the United States. AnimeWorks produced an original anime series with the visionary Yasuomi Umetsu -- KITE LIBERATOR -- and has even gone beyond anime to license and distribute Nickelodeon's cult classic INVADER ZIM and the legendary original VOLTRON DEFENDER OF THE UNIVERSE TV series. AnimeWorks continues to innovate, bringing cutting edge anime to the Unites States through DVD, Blu Ray, television, digital distribution and whatever else the future may hold.
About Tokyo Shock
Established in 1998, Tokyo Shock is the number one publisher, licensor and producer of Asian cinema in the United States. Tokyo Shock's catalog defines the Asian media experience with action hits like VERSUS and RIKI-OH, Takeshi Miike shockers like ICHI THE KILLER and VISITOR Q, horror classics like ONE MISSED CALL and ART OF THE DEVIL, giant monster romps like FRANKENSTEIN CONQUERS THE WORLD and MYSTERIANS, samurai epics like LONE WOLF AND CUB and ZATOICHI: BLIND SWORDSMAN and featuring a full line of Shaw Brothers' Martial Arts films. With offices in Japan, Tokyo Shock also produces original features, and is credited with revitalizing cult Japanese action films with instant classics such as DEATHTRANCE, MACHINE GIRL and TOKYO GORE POLICE. Tokyo Shock is headquartered in the heart of New York City, and remains dedicated to bringing the best of far Eastern media to US shores.
About Shriek Show
Founded in 2001 to present deluxe, remastered horror classics on DVD, Shriek Show has evolved into a home-media horror powerhouse. Featuring stars like Sasha Grey, Asia Argento and Tony Todd along with the genre's master directors, including Herschell Gordon Lewis, John Russo, Lucio Fulci, Joe D'Amato and Frank Hennenlotter, Shriek Show's catalog delivers both classic and modern horror by the coffin-full. Shriek Show also produces original features, scaring the genre up a notch with shockers like FLESH FOR THE BEAST, WICKED LAKE and Tony Todd's SHADOW: DEAD RIOT. Shriek Show has recently launched its Fresh Meat line -- packed with world premieres of exciting features from up and coming horror directors -- to ensure that the screams will keep on coming.
Allegro Media Group
Founded in 1982, Allegro Media Group is one of the premier independent distributors of audio & video media in North America, offering a broad array of content & genres through a variety of distribution channels. “What particularly attracted us about Allegro” said John Sirabella, the President and CEO of MB, “was its reach into such a diverse set of different markets. Allegro has by far the broadest distribution net of any media distributor in the country and has the ability to put us not only into our core mainstream markets but into a range of special markets that will dramatically expand our market penetration”
Allegro Media Group includes NAIL Distribution, NewSound Distribution, Music Design, Softland International, and Allegro Digital Distribution. Allegro has a broad customer base ranging from mass merchants and video one-stops to video rental chains and independents as well as a broad array of specialty retailers in a wide range of retail channels and markets. Additionally Allegro also offers coverage of online, direct-to-consumer, and digital channels.
Among Allegro's largest customers are Best Buy (BBY), Apple I Tunes (AAPL), Wal-Mart/Sims (WMT), Walgreen (WAG), Rite Aid (RAD), Kmart/Sears, (SHLD) Target (TGT), Blockbuster Video (BLOAQ.PK), Costco (COST),
Army Air Force Exchange Service (AAFES), Navy Exchange Service (NEXCOM), the Marine Corps Exchange (MCX), Pilot & Flying J Travel Centers, Borders (BGP) and Barnes and Noble (BKS). The company has over 3,000 direct retail relationships representing approximately 50,000 storefronts.
For more information on the Allegro Media Group visit the company's web site at: www.allegromediagroup.com
For more information on Media Blasters, visit the company's web site at:
www.media-blasters.com
Joseph Micallef, Chairman and CEO of Allegro Media Group, described the agreement as “an important step in our continuing evolution to become a broad based media company”. “The addition of the MB catalog to Allegro's roster of exclusively distributed labels”, he went on to add, “will take our revenues well over $100 million and more importantly it means that video products now represent more than half of our sales in all three of our major operating groups: core market distribution, special markets, and vendor managed/racked programs”.
Key Media Blasters' labels AnimeWorks, specializing in Japanese animation, Tokyo Shock, specializing in Asian film, and Shriek Show, specializing in horror, will now be distributed through Allegro.
About Media Blasters, INC.
Founded in 1997, New York City based Media Blasters was created to give sub-culture media the treatment and distribution usually only afforded to pop-culture offerings. Some of Media Blasters' most well known labels include Animeworks, specializing in Japanese animation, Tokyo Shock, specializing in Asian film, and Shriek Show, specializing in horror. Engaging in licensing, production, localizing and distribution, MB has handled groundbreaking titles like the perennial blockbuster BERSERK, Adult Swim's MORIBITO: GUARDIAN OF THE SPIRIT, action hit VERSUS, cult classic ICHI THE KILLER and the legendary original VOLTRON DEFENDER OF THE UNIVERSE TV series. Media Blasters has even opened the door to new productions, creating sub-culture favorites like DEATHTRANCE and MACHINE GIRL.
About AnimeWorks
The New York City based AnimeWorks is a leader in licensing and localizing Japanese Animation for US markets. AnimeWorks appeared on the scene in 1997 and quickly made a name for itself with the anime legend KITE. Commanding a series of chart-topping releases including MAGIC KNIGHT RAYEARTH, Cartoon Network's RUROUNI KENSHIN, the perennial blockbuster BERSERK, Adult Swim's MORIBITO: GUARDIAN OF THE SPIRIT, BLADE OF THE IMMORTAL and QUEEN'S BLADE, AnimeWorks has become a major player in the rise of anime in the United States. AnimeWorks produced an original anime series with the visionary Yasuomi Umetsu -- KITE LIBERATOR -- and has even gone beyond anime to license and distribute Nickelodeon's cult classic INVADER ZIM and the legendary original VOLTRON DEFENDER OF THE UNIVERSE TV series. AnimeWorks continues to innovate, bringing cutting edge anime to the Unites States through DVD, Blu Ray, television, digital distribution and whatever else the future may hold.
About Tokyo Shock
Established in 1998, Tokyo Shock is the number one publisher, licensor and producer of Asian cinema in the United States. Tokyo Shock's catalog defines the Asian media experience with action hits like VERSUS and RIKI-OH, Takeshi Miike shockers like ICHI THE KILLER and VISITOR Q, horror classics like ONE MISSED CALL and ART OF THE DEVIL, giant monster romps like FRANKENSTEIN CONQUERS THE WORLD and MYSTERIANS, samurai epics like LONE WOLF AND CUB and ZATOICHI: BLIND SWORDSMAN and featuring a full line of Shaw Brothers' Martial Arts films. With offices in Japan, Tokyo Shock also produces original features, and is credited with revitalizing cult Japanese action films with instant classics such as DEATHTRANCE, MACHINE GIRL and TOKYO GORE POLICE. Tokyo Shock is headquartered in the heart of New York City, and remains dedicated to bringing the best of far Eastern media to US shores.
About Shriek Show
Founded in 2001 to present deluxe, remastered horror classics on DVD, Shriek Show has evolved into a home-media horror powerhouse. Featuring stars like Sasha Grey, Asia Argento and Tony Todd along with the genre's master directors, including Herschell Gordon Lewis, John Russo, Lucio Fulci, Joe D'Amato and Frank Hennenlotter, Shriek Show's catalog delivers both classic and modern horror by the coffin-full. Shriek Show also produces original features, scaring the genre up a notch with shockers like FLESH FOR THE BEAST, WICKED LAKE and Tony Todd's SHADOW: DEAD RIOT. Shriek Show has recently launched its Fresh Meat line -- packed with world premieres of exciting features from up and coming horror directors -- to ensure that the screams will keep on coming.
Allegro Media Group
Founded in 1982, Allegro Media Group is one of the premier independent distributors of audio & video media in North America, offering a broad array of content & genres through a variety of distribution channels. “What particularly attracted us about Allegro” said John Sirabella, the President and CEO of MB, “was its reach into such a diverse set of different markets. Allegro has by far the broadest distribution net of any media distributor in the country and has the ability to put us not only into our core mainstream markets but into a range of special markets that will dramatically expand our market penetration”
Allegro Media Group includes NAIL Distribution, NewSound Distribution, Music Design, Softland International, and Allegro Digital Distribution. Allegro has a broad customer base ranging from mass merchants and video one-stops to video rental chains and independents as well as a broad array of specialty retailers in a wide range of retail channels and markets. Additionally Allegro also offers coverage of online, direct-to-consumer, and digital channels.
Among Allegro's largest customers are Best Buy (BBY), Apple I Tunes (AAPL), Wal-Mart/Sims (WMT), Walgreen (WAG), Rite Aid (RAD), Kmart/Sears, (SHLD) Target (TGT), Blockbuster Video (BLOAQ.PK), Costco (COST),
Army Air Force Exchange Service (AAFES), Navy Exchange Service (NEXCOM), the Marine Corps Exchange (MCX), Pilot & Flying J Travel Centers, Borders (BGP) and Barnes and Noble (BKS). The company has over 3,000 direct retail relationships representing approximately 50,000 storefronts.
For more information on the Allegro Media Group visit the company's web site at: www.allegromediagroup.com
For more information on Media Blasters, visit the company's web site at:
www.media-blasters.com
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