TOM Online, a leading wireless Internet company in China, will be the sole wireless and the premier Internet distribution partner for Warner Bros. Online (WBOL) in China.
TOM Online Inc. and WBOL formed a strategic partnership that includes the launch of the first official Warner Bros. Studios site in China, (http://ent.tom.com/warnerbros.html). Part of the popular TOM Online portal, www.tom.com, the site is the first to deliver official studio content to Chinese fans via the Internet and wireless platforms.
WB classic characters such as Scooby-Doo, Bugs Bunny and Tweety will be featured on the site along with sections dedicated to the studios' movies, games, and wireless Internet products. Websites for upcoming feature films will also be available for upcoming titles that may include BATMAN BEGINS, HARRY POTTER AND THE GOBLET OF FIRE, and CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY.
TOM Online and WB Online will create and distribute Warner Bros. Studios wireless content for the first time in such advanced formats as MMS, WAP, wireless gaming and Flash, as well as animation and video streaming in the run-up to 3G.
TOM Online will leverage its extensive wireless and Internet distribution networks to enable Warner Bros. Online to further strengthen their brand awareness and popularity in China, while generating wireless revenue and Internet traffic. In the last quarter of 2004, TOM Online had more than 60 million paid wireless users.
"We are pleased to be Warner Bros. Online's sole partner for online and wireless services in China, said TOM Online ceo Wang Lei Lei. Given Warner Bros. Studios' global leadership in media and entertainment content and TOM Online's focus on wireless and online entertainment distribution in China, the alliance is a natural fit with tremendous potential,'' said Wang.
"The Chinese marketplace has extremely sophisticated tastes when it comes to online and wireless technologies, and, in many cases, they are their preferred mediums for consuming entertainment,'' said Jim Noonan, svp/gm of WBOL. ''TOM Online's expertise and reach in this robust marketplace will enable us to maximize both promotional and revenue-generating opportunities for Warner Bros. Studios' world class content.''
Beijing-based TOM Online operates one of the most successful Internet portals in China, offers a wide variety of online and mobile services and is the largest player of wireless Internet voice business. TOM Online is a subsidiary of TOM Group Ltd., one of the leading Chinese language media groups in the Greater China region. TOM Group's diverse operations span five media sectors: the Internet (through TOM Online Inc.), outdoor (through TOM Outdoor Media Group), publishing, sports and TV & entertainment.
Warner Bros. Online (www.warnerbros.com) provides full-service interactive solutions for Warner Bros. Ent. subsidiaries and external clients alike. The company's digital production, marketing and wireless capabilities span more than 40 international markets throughout Europe, Asia and Latin America. WBOL also oversees all aspects of warnerbros.com, which serves as the entry point into, and aggregator of all things Warner Bros. Ent., including such megabrands as Harry Potter, The Matrix and Looney Tunes.
