17.02.03
Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ
Worldwide and Opus Arte sign Β£10 million deal to champion
classical music DVD market
Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ
Worldwide, the commercial consumer arm of the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ, and Opus Arte,
the Anglo-Dutch multimedia company and a leading player in the classical
music, opera and ballet DVD market, have announced a major new nine-year
agreement for investment, production and distribution of classical
music, dance and selected arts programming covering international
TV, DVD and video sales.
The
joint venture represents a strategic early move for Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Worldwide
in anticipation of continued major growth in the classical music
DVD market, which grew by 182% between 2001 and 2002. As part of
the agreement, Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Worldwide will become a shareholder in Opus Arte,
acquiring a minority equity stake, while Opus Arte will make a Β£10m
investment over nine years into new classical programming, as well
as licensing recent classical music programmes from Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Worldwide.
With
UK music retailers' sales of DVDs accounting for an ever-increasing
share of overall sales, Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Worldwide and Opus Arte's innovative
combination of classical music television and DVD is well placed
to secure a leading position in the burgeoning overall music DVD
market, which demonstrated 112% year-on-year growth in 2002.
The
number of UK households owning DVD players is expected to rise from
25% in 2002 to nearly 60% by 2004, while a 150% increase in consumer
spending on DVD software is predicted in Western Europe by 2006,
so an expansion into this relatively new area of DVD - classical
music - is a timely move by Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Worldwide, and builds on the record
performances of its light entertainment DVDs: 'The Office', for
example, was the fastest-ever selling non-film DVD and the first
non-film DVD to pass the half million unit sales mark.
The
joint venture cements the existing arrangement that the two companies
have had since March 2001 and reflects the success of the relationship
so far, which has resulted in 25 new classical music productions
and 26 DVDs, including Party at the Palace, which recently received
a gold disc. Future projects include Tchaikovsky's The Sleeping
Beauty from the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden and The Cunning
Little Vixen, a new animation based on JanΓ΅cek's opera.
Rupert
Gavin, Chief Executive, Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Worldwide, commented: "This new
agreement is a natural extension of our relationship with Opus Arte
and is designed to bring about a close integration of classical
music television and DVD production and distribution. Our joint
objective is that the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ's leading classical music television productions,
including operas and ballets from the Royal Opera House and Glyndebourne,
will be almost simultaneously available on DVD, creating a one-stop
shop for classical music lovers."
Hans
Petri, Managing Director, Opus Arte, added: "This is a welcome
extension to our partnership with Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Worldwide that will allow
us to jointly exploit on DVD the full range of Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Music programmes
and talent, as well as to produce a wealth of ground-breaking new
classical music programmes and events."
Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ
Worldwide will distribute the joint venture TV programmes through
its global sales force, which has been strengthened by specialist
music sales managers to ensure that programmes resulting from the
joint venture receive dedicated international sales and marketing
support.
As
with all programmes, moneys generated from Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Worldwide are returned
to the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ for reinvestment into new programmes and services.
* Figures
quoted are taken from 'Understanding and Solutions' survey, January
2003; 'European Video': Market assessment & forecast, 2002;
Official UK Charts
Note to editors:
Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Worldwide Limited is the commercial consumer arm, and a wholly
owned subsidiary, of the British Broadcasting Corporation (Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ).
The company was formed in 1994 to develop a co-ordinated approach
to the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ's commercial activities: television, publishing, product
licensing, Internet and interactive. Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Worldwide exists to maximise
the value of the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ's programme and publishing assets for the benefit
of the licence payer, and re-invest in public service programming.
Turnover in the last financial year (2001/2002) was Β£660 million
and Β£106 million was returned to the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ.
Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ
Music forms part of Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Worldwide's Global Marketing and Brand Development
(GMBD) Division. GMBD develops key Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ properties with genuine cross
media as global brands across Children's, Music and Learning. GMBD
works closely with the other divisions of Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Worldwide and Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ
Television.
Opus
Arte is a multi-media company in Arts and Classical Music. The company
creates high-quality audio-visual productions for television, video
and DVD, working within an extensive media matrix that includes
digital cinema, radio and television broadcasters in more than 60
countries. Opus Arte is financed by shareholders and has a supervisory
board that includes industry figures, leading players from the financial
world and a Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Worldwide representative. Its management team is
led by Managing Director and shareholder, Hans Petri.
Opus
Arte is an Anglo-Dutch company established by Hans Petri and the
late Dirk-Jan Bijker. It entered a new phase in 2000 when the centre
of operations moved to its UK base where there are currently about
a 15 employees. At this time, the company also forged a new long-term
relationship with Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Worldwide to form the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Opus Arte label
on which it's classical music titles are released.
To
date, this relationship has resulted in 26 Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Opus Arte DVDs: Party
and Prom at the Palace, which have sold over 220,000 units worldwide;
6 Royal Opera House titles, Carmen from Glyndebourne, Monteverdi's
L'Orfeo with Jordi Savall; Bernstein's Trouble in Tahiti etc. Future
releases include JanΓ΅cek's The Cunning Little Vixen, an animation
film by Geoff Dunbar; Merry Widow from San Francisco Opera; Tosca
with Angela Georgiu and Roberto Alagna; The Magic Flute, Madame
Butterfly; Sleeping Beauty from Royal Opera House.
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