Just because you’re flying across the country doesn’t mean you have to miss the Olympics.
Digital satellite television provider DirecTV Inc., through its in-flight entertainment division, has penned a deal to transmit NBC cable network broadcasts of the 2000 Summer Olympics to passengers traveling on commercial airlines as it’s broadcast to viewers on the ground.
El Segundo-based DirecTV’s LiveTV in-flight entertainment system and DirecTV Airborne programming service allow airplane passengers to watch 24 channels of real-time television programs in the news, sports, children’s and general interest genres.
Airlines in recent years have begun airing reruns, but real-time television is a fairly new concept. The company basically copied the same system used to beam scores of channels to homes across America.
“The airplane has a dish, much like a small satellite dish for the home, but more high-tech,” said Terry Ferguson, vice president of strategic planning and new business development for DirecTV. “Because the plane moves all around, the dish is able to always track the satellite.”
Passengers traveling on two new airlines JetBlue Airways based at JFK in New York and Legend Airlines out of Dallas Love Field are the first to be able to watch the LiveTV system, in individual screens placed in the seat backs. Those passengers will be able to access NBC’s Olympic coverage from NBC, CNBC, and MSNBC on two designated channels.
“This is such a terrific opportunity to boost customer satisfaction,” Ferguson said. “Ninety-five percent of the universe is excited about the Olympics and we want you to be able to watch it.”
The DirecTV Airborne service is a year old but is starting to build momentum. In addition to JetBlue and Legend, Alaska Airlines is scheduled to begin using the service in 2001, but will be rolling it out slowly because planes must be taken out of flying rotation to have the proper equipment installed.
Search Deal
In the wake of numerous upper-management changes, US Search. com Inc. has received an investment commitment of up to $27.5 million from Pequot Private Equity Group.
The online information search company has received $10 million to start and will receive an additional $10 million when it reaches certain performance objectives. An additional amount of up to $7.5 million may be generated from the conversion of preferred stock by Pequot.
“The initial round is to help grow our existing business and launch some of our corporate products that deal with pre-employment screening and due diligence,” said Greg Rotelli, chief marketing officer for US Search.
Upper management will also be getting to know the business while they grow it.
President and Chief Executive Brent Cohen has been with the Los Angeles-based company less than six months. There’s also a new chief information officer and chief technology officer. Rotelli himself has been with the company for just about three months.
The company got a foot in Pequot’s door because of a previous relationship between Cohen and some Pequot employees. But like most dot-coms seeking funding these days, US Search faced harsh scrutiny before the deal was sealed.
“They’re very sophisticated investors, so they did a lot of due diligence. It took several months,” Rotelli said.
Once the provisions of the deal are fully executed, entertainment company Kushner-Locke Co., which currently owns about 53 percent of US Search, will no longer be the majority shareholder. If the Westport, Conn.-based Pequot exercises all its warrants and converts its preferred stock, it will hold 40 percent of US Search, with Kushner-Locke holding about 13 percent.
Meanwhile, stock in US Search has been hovering around $2 a share.
What’s on Television.com?
Television.com, an online destination for all things related to the tube, is doing quite well for itself.
The Los Angeles-based company is boasting that more than 700,000 unique visitors to its Web site during the first two weeks after it launched on Aug. 16. (The data came from measurement service Web Trends.)
“The domain name itself is so powerful internationally, not just in the United States,” said Chief Executive Larry Namer.
Television.com offers live feeds from television stations all over the country. So a transplanted Chicagoan in Los Angeles, for example, could log on and tune into the hometown news through the site. It is also adding feeds from TV stations around the world.
In fact, what surprised the company’s executives was the high number of visitors from outside the United States about 40 percent, Namer said. Television.com has recently added four TV channels from India to its online offerings, meaning that anyone with high-speed Internet access can watch Indian TV. Officials are currently working on adding broadcasts from Taiwan, Israel and Russia, among other countries.
The site also features a “Previews” area with 30-second snippets of coming television attractions on various networks. The company has been bolstering the roster of networks and programmers that contribute snippets; more than 50 entertainment companies have signed on, including recent additions ABC, BBC America, CBS, Fox Sports, FX, The Sundance Channel and Tribune Entertainment.
Online Screening Room
L.A.-based IFilm, an online film destination company, has developed a Web-based film screening series that will allow L.A.’s top-tier talent agencies to preview select films.
Filmmakers upload their movies to the IFilm.com Web site, where any visitor can access them. Through the company’s new Screening Network, representatives at Creative Artists Agency, the Gersh Agency, International Creative Management and United Talent Agency will be able to discover new filmmakers by connecting to the site and logging in with a password. There, they’ll find a few selections deemed by a screening committee to be the best works of all those submitted to the IFilm.com site.
IFilm has already had success linking agents and industry executives through its business-to-business site IFILMpro.com. CAA discovered Bruce Branit and Jeremy Hunt, who made the online digital hit, “405: The Movie,” through IFILMpro.com and signed the duo to their representation roster. The Gersh Agency signed filmmaker Rafael Hernandez after watching his “Oregon” on IFilm.
Staff reporter Laura Dunphy can be reached at [email protected].
