Bellrock Media, Premium Mobile and Broadband Content Developer and Distributor,
Acquires Leader in Mobile Personalization Content, Moderati Inc.
Companies Merge Complementary Capabilities to Form a World Class
Creative Content Company with Fully Integrated Deployment and Distribution
Santa Monica, Calif. - Feb. 12, 2007 - Premium entertainment content developer and producer Bellrock Media has acquired mobile industry leader Moderati Inc. The two firms merge to form one of the first fully integrated mobile and broadband entertainment providers offering ground breaking content and unparalleled distribution in both the U.S. and Japan.
The joined entity develops best-of-breed, branded and co-owned entertainment leveraging strategic relationships and access to key entertainment and sports content worldwide. Bellrock Media now boasts a larger catalog of content and services, and Moderati's distribution relationships and technology infrastructure give it access to immediate deployment directly to carriers.
Formed to address the needs of a changing marketplace, Bellrock owns, develops and distributes original platform-conscious digital entertainment products blended with innovative brand marketing strategies. Helmed by president Peter Levin, respected media and technology executive from Creative Artists Agency (CAA) and The Walt Disney Company, CEO Hiroshi Nakata, top media executive and chief strategy officer and CFO of Yoshimoto Kogyo and CCO Ken Ng, former Disney Online creative director and from the talented core that brought JAMDAT Mobile public and to its successful sale to Electronic Arts. The company leverages its unrivaled leadership as well as its distribution reach in Japan, and strategic opportunities through backers Intel Corporation, Yoshimoto Kogyo and Faith, Inc.
"Bringing Moderati and its management team under the Bellrock umbrella gives us tremendous credibility and a mature platform from which to execute in the U.S. mobile market," Levin commented. "This acquisition accelerates our growth timeline domestically and gets us up to speed with our Japanese operation, which is firing on all cylinders."
Founded as a subsidiary of Faith, Inc., Moderati emerged as the leading mobile personalization provider under its Modtones brand as well as via direct distribution through the carrier brands, and has evolved its portfolio to include social entertainment services like Mobile Faker. Specializing in ringtones has brought Moderati an industry-leading catalogue of songs and roster of partners in the music business. The company's extensive distribution relationships have allowed it to serve customers of all major wireless carriers, with a particular focus on on-deck distribution. The company remains the only mobile personalization company in the U.S. with direct on-deck distribution through all tier 1 and tier 2 carriers.
Moderati offers top quality content to carriers, helps content providers access key players in the mobile channel and provides promotional opportunities for brand advertisers in the wireless market. Moderati's management team, led by Carolynne Schloeder, has deep experience in wireless entertainment, digital music and consumer marketing. The Moderati executive management will remain with the merged company in its San Francisco office.
"Joining the Bellrock Media family is an exciting move for us," said Carolynne Schloeder, president of Moderati. "They bring expertise in branded entertainment and relationships with major franchises that perfectly complement our mobile content business, and we immediately expand our joint product portfolio. Together, we will shape the next phase in mobile and broadband entertainment."
About Bellrock Media
Bellrock Media (www.bellrockmedia.com) strives to invent entertainment properties that ensure a captive audience and a sustainable popularity through cooperative ventures with major brands and also develops proprietary technology that enables next-generation content. The company offers highly effective reach of target audiences through the creation of original platform-conscious content that features organic integrations of branding and marketing messages, as well as distribution of content through emergent digital channels. Bellrock Media investors include Yoshimoto Kogyo, Intel Corporation and Faith Inc. The firm is uniquely positioned to address strategic opportunities in both the U.S. and Japan, focusing on the mobile and broadband markets. Bellrock Media, founded in 2005, is headquartered in Los Angeles and Tokyo.
About Moderati
Moderati is a mobile entertainment pioneer. One of the top mobile media companies in North America, Moderati has unparalleled distribution through the decks of 14 U.S. carriers for its personalization products. The company delivers content under carrier brands, partner brands, or its own brands, including Modtones for ringtones and wallpaper, and Mobile Faker, an entertainment product that turns mobile phones into social weapons. Moderati products have received several industry awards for quality and creativity. Moderati was founded in 2001 as a wholly owned subsidiary of publicly traded Japanese corporation Faith, Inc. www.moderati.com
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Contact:
Sibel Sunar / Craig Sinel
fortyseven communications
(323) 658-1200
sibel@fortyseven.com / craig@fortyseven.com
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