iflix, Southeast Asia’s leading Internet TV service,offering subscribers unlimited access to thousands of hours of entertainment for a low monthly price, today announced the formation of its Advisory Board, comprised of influential business and creative leaders in Hollywood.
The Advisory Board has been formed by iflix to foster exceptional relationships with Hollywood and the global entertainment industry, as well as to allow the Company access to the advice, strategic input and connections of an incomparable group of entertainment industry leaders.
The members of the iflix Advisory Board are:
• Mr Gary Barber – Co-Chairman and CEO of Metro-Goldwyn Mayer (MGM) and Spyglass Entertainment;
• Mr Anthony J. Vinciquerra – former Chairman, President & CEO of Fox Networks
• Mr Brian Grazer – Chairman of Imagine Entertainment; and
• Mr Ben Silverman – Chairman of Electus and former Chairman of NBC Entertainment and Universal Media Studios.
The Advisory Board will be chaired by iflix Director and Managing Partner of Evolution Media Capital, Mr Rick Hess.
Said Patrick Grove, Chairman and Founder of iflix, “We are humbled and honoured that such an extraordinary group of Hollywood and global entertainment leaders have agreed to join the iflix Advisory Board. We have formed this Board to assist iflix in the development and execution of its strategy, as well as provide strategic input on iflix’s operations, including content, licensing, production, distribution, technology and content marketing. The Advisory Board additionally gives us ears to the ground in Hollywood, allowing the Company to better understand the shifts and challenges faced by the global entertainment industry, as well the opportunities that new forms of distribution and production present.”
From left to right: Gary Barber, Rick Hess, Anthony Vinciquerra, Brian Grazer, and Ben Silverman
Advisory Board Member Bios
Rick Hess – Advisory Board Chairman
Mr Hess is a founder and Co-Managing Partner of Evolution Media Capital (EMC), a merchant bank and investment platform, focusing on the media, entertainment, and sports industries. EMC has raised and advised on, in excess of $40 billion worth of
transactions for its clients.
Mr Hess also manages the private equity fund Evolution Media Partners (EMP), a $500 million investment vehicle with EMC, TPG Growth and Participant Media, which invests globally in growth businesses within the sports, media, and entertainment industries. EMC is an affiliate of Creative Artists Agency.
Prior to founding EMC, Mr Hess led the Film Finance group at CAA where he focused on the packaging and financing of feature films, as well as the structuring of production and finance companies.
Mr Hess is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania and currently is the Chairman of the Board of Inner-City Filmmakers, a non-profit group aimed at helping low income students procure jobs in the entertainment industry. He also serves on the Board of Directors for LA’s Promise and Chrysalis Enterprises and is a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences
Gary Barber
Mr Barber is the Chairman and CEO of Metro-Goldwyn Mayer (MGM). Under Mr Barber’s charge, MGM has financed or produced numerous successful films, including the highest grossing James Bond adventure of all time, Skyfall, The Hobbit Trilogy and 21/22 Jump Street. Under Mr Barber’s direction, MGM’s television department has also been responsible for new hit programs such as the drama series Vikings, Teen Wolf and Fargo. Mr Barber recently lead MGM’s acquisition of a 55% stake interest in UAMG, LLC, a joint venture with Mark Burnett, Roma Downey and Hearst Productions that develops,produces and finances premium television and feature film content for distribution across all platforms, including Survivor, The Voice, Shark Tank and The Apprentice.
Prior to MGM, Mr Barber co-founded production, finance and distribution company Spyglass Entertainment, where he remains Co-Chairman. Spyglass’ slate of films has grossed over $5 billion in worldwide box office and amassed over 34 Oscar nominations, including three wins. Spyglass produced such films as The Sixth Sense, Bruce Almighty,Memoirs of a Geisha, 27 Dresses, Star Trek, G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra and Invictus.
Anthony J. Vinciquerra
Mr Vinciquerra is the former Chairman, President & CEO of Fox Networks Group, which includes the Fox Television Network, Fox Cable Networks, Fox Sports, Fox International Channels and the related on-line businesses of those units. Under his charge, Fox Networks Group became the largest and most profitable operating unit of the then News Corporation. Today, Mr Vinciquerra serves as a Senior Advisor to Texas Pacific Group (TPG) in the technology, media and telecom sectors, is a Director of DirecTV and serves on the boards of numerous private companies and charitable organisations.
Mr Vinciquerra is a former board member of the Academy for Television Arts and Sciences, National Cable and Telecommunications Association and the past Chairman of the National Association of Television Programming Executives (NAPTE).
He was elected to the Broadcasting and Cable Hall of Fame in 2009.
Brian Grazer
Mr Grazer is Chairman of Imagine Entertainment. With over 30 years’ experience producing television shows and movies, Mr Grazer ranks as one of the most successful writers and producers in Hollywood. Mr Grazer’s television shows and movies have been nominated for 43 Oscars and 152 Emmys, while his movies alone have generated over $13.5 billion in worldwide theatrical, music and home box office sales. Mr Grazer has produced an extraordinary number of hit television shows and films. His films include A Beautiful Mind, The Da Vinci Code, Apollo 13, American Gangster, 8 Mile, The Nutty Professor and many more. His television productions include this year’s record-breaking hit Empire, as well as 24, Arrested Development, Friday Night Lights, and Parenthood. In April 2015, he released his first book, the New York Times bestseller A Curious Mind:The Secret to a Bigger Life.
Mr Grazer has been named by Time magazine as one of the 100 Most Influential People in the World.
Ben Silverman
Mr Silverman, an Emmy and Golden Globe Award-winning show creator and media executive, is Founder and Chairman of Electus, a “next generation” studio. Prior to launching Electus, Silverman served as Co-Chairman of NBC Entertainment and
Universal Media Studios. He also previously ran the international division of William Morris Agency. As Founder and former CEO of Reveille, a production and distribution company, Mr Silverman executive produced Emmy Award and Golden Globe nominees and winners The Office, Ugly Betty, The Tudors, and The Biggest Loser. Since Electus’ inception, he has executive produced major network and cable hits including Golden Globe-winning Jane the Virgin, Marco Polo and Mob Wives.
Mr Silverman recently received the Award of Excellence in Digital Innovation at the Banff World Media Festival 2014, the TJ Martell Foundation’s Entertainment Achievement Award 2014, honored by The Anti-Defamation League at their 2015 Entertainment Gala,and given MIP TV’s 2015 Medaille d’Honneur (Medal of Honor). Mr Silverman serves on numerous charitable boards, including Best Buddies, the Creative Coalition and Cedars Sinai Hospital.
ABOUT IFLIX
iflix is a partnership between highly successful, disruptive local entrepreneurs and Hollywood heavyweights. Catcha Group and Evolution Media Capital have joined together to create an Internet TV service for Southeast Asia that provides access to
thousands of hours of top TV shows and movies from all over the world. From Hollywood and Hong Kong, Seoul and Shanghai, Thailand and Tokyo, iflix places the entertainment you want at your fingertips. For one low monthly fee, subscribers to iflix have unlimited access on their mobile phone, laptop, tablet, TV… anywhere, anytime.