APK In Partnership to Create Parkour / Freerunning League
Thursday, 27 August 2009
News is being released today about a partnership between APK, Motion, Inc, and Fremantle Media Enterprises. Fremantle is the world's largest producer and distributor of television shows (American Idol, Price is Right, etc etc etc), Motion is a group of guys with a LOT of experience in sports and sport entertainment. Our goal is to bring Parkour and Freerunning to the masses in a way that is compelling and inclusive, showing that Parkour and Freerunning are amazing, but that everyone can (and should!) get involved. APK is very proud to be partnered with such amazing groups as we look forward to continuing our mission to bring Parkour and Freerunning to the world! Read more for the official press release.
FREMANTLEMEDIA ENTERPRISES PARTNERS WITH MOTION INC.
FOR NEW PARKOUR AND FREERUNNING VENTURE
August 27, 2009: FremantleMedia Enterprises (FME) has signed an exclusive equity partnership deal with Motion Inc., a leading specialist Parkour and Freerunning company in the United States, it was announced today by Keith Hindle, CEO Americas for FME. The primary objective of the deal is to grow the sport into a global entertainment franchise and league competition through live events, a television platform and brand extension opportunities across sponsorship, consumer products, new media and gaming.
Parkour, defined as “getting somewhere quickly and efficiently using the human body,” and Freerunning, defined as the activity or art of “moving through your environment however you want, moving your way and following your own path,” have been gaining pop culture significance since appearing in the opening sequences of such films as Casino Royale in 2006 and in The Bourne Ultimatum in 2007, and its popularity is reflected in the millions of videos accessed on YouTube.
FME, the brand extension arm of FremantleMedia, one of the largest international creators and producers of entertainment brands in the world, invested in Motion Inc. after looking for a partner that could bring the highest quality of Parkour and Freerunning expertise to the project, while complementing the company’s expertise and success in brand creation, development, distribution and licensing on an international level.
A television series featuring Parkour is currently in development at FremantleMedia North America (FMNA), producers of the Emmy-nominated musical/reality phenomenon “American Idol" (FOX), “America’s Got Talent” (NBC), and the longest-running game show in television history, “The Price Is Right” (CBS), among many others.
“Parkour is the ‘it’ sport,” said Eugene Young, chief creative officer for FMNA. “Already an extremely compelling visual phenomenon on the internet, we plan to bring it to a much wider audience via broadcast and cable.”
Motion Inc. was established by leading sports and media executives including seasoned television executive Lee deBoer and producer Les Haber, media lawyer Daniel Rayner, sports and entertainment industry veteran Bobby Goldwater, and one of the world’s foremost Parkour and Freerunning advocates and practitioners, Mark Toorock. Others involved in the company are strategic media consultant David Polakoff and an advisory board including the multi-Emmy Award winning broadcaster Brett Haber, former president of NFL Enterprises Ron Bernard and Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) creator and producer Bob Meyrowitz.
Toorock became involved in Parkour and Freerunning in 2003 and has since been heading up a number of ventures to grow the sport including launching the world’s first gym dedicated solely to Parkour and Freerunning (Primal Fitness in Washington, D.C.), running the most prominent website, www.americanparkour.com, and managing ‘The Tribe’, an elite group of Parkour and Freerunning athletes who perform around the world. Members of The Tribe have signed exclusive contracts for the new project.
Toorock commented, “Parkour and Freerunning can be a transformative experience and our aim in setting up Motion Inc. was to introduce it to as many people as possible. We got together with FremantleMedia because there is no other company like it with the expertise and track record in developing and growing brands.”
Parkour and Freerunning require speed, strength, balance, endurance, agility, accuracy, coordination and timing. Its aim is to move from one point to another as smoothly, efficiently and quickly as possible using principally the abilities of the human body. It is designed to overcome obstacles in the surrounding environment, whether urban or rural. The sport can be traced back to the early 20th century, but contemporary interpretations started in France in the 1980s. Toorock has taken the sport to new levels in the last decade with his gym, website and athletes, and his aim is to get it introduced into schools and public parks while developing the major platforms envisioned by Motion Inc. and FME.
This is the latest development in FME’s move into niche sports. Earlier this year, the company announced the Hardbat Classic, a table tennis tournament and lifestyle event that culminated in Las Vegas in the largest table tennis competition ever assembled in the US. This will be telecast on ESPN in September 2009.
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ABOUT FREMANTLEMEDIA ENTERPRISES & FREMANTLEMEDIA
FremantleMedia is one of the leading creators and producers of entertainment brands in the world. FremantleMedia is part of the RTL Group, Europe's largest television and radio broadcast company, which is in turn 90 percent owned by Bertelsmann AG, one of the world's major media and entertainment companies. FremantleMedia’s worldwide production arm is responsible for many of the world’s highest rated prime time entertainment, drama, serial drama and factual entertainment programmes. FremantleMedia Enterprises is the brand extension arm of FremantleMedia, offering a one-stop-shop for all Licensing, Distribution and Home Entertainment around the world. The FremantleMedia Group (which includes talkbackTHAMES, UFA and Grundy amongst others) has operations in 22 countries, one of the most comprehensive global networks, creating over 14,000 hours of programming a year, rolling out more than 60 formats and managing over 300 individual titles. FremantleMedia has some of the world’s most sought after and long running formats in its catalogue, and globally, produces such programmes as: Idols (co-produced with 19 Productions in the US), The X Factor (co-produced with Syco in the UK), Got Talent (co-produced with Syco in the UK and the US), Neighbours, The Bill, Family Feud, The Price is Right, Farmer Wants A Wife and Hole In The Wall.
ABOUT MOTION INC.
Formed in 2007, Motion Inc. consists of some of the most experienced and talented sports and media executives in the United States with a mission to produce innovative sports and entertainment programming beginning with its first projects for Parkour and Freerunning. The Motion Inc. team has impressive credentials and successes in major league sports, sports start-ups, television distribution and production, strategic business development, entertainment touring, marketing and branding.
ABOUT FREMANTLEMEDIA NORTH AMERICA
FremantleMedia North America (FMNA) is the U.S. production division of global media giant FremantleMedia. Based in Burbank, California, FMNA produces entertaining and innovative programs for network, cable, syndicated and online platforms, including the Emmy-nominated musical/reality phenomenon “American Idol" (FOX), “America’s Got Talent” (NBC), “Let’s Dance” (ABC), “Can You Duet” (CMT), “The Chilli Project” (VH1), “Secret Girlfriend” (Comedy Central), “Let’s Make A Deal” (CBS), “Family Feud” (syndicated), “Million Dollar Password” (CBS), and the longest-running game show in television history, “The Price Is Right” (CBS).
For more information please contact:
Edelman for FremantleMedia Enterprises Motion Inc.
Evan Parker
Bobby Goldwater
PH: + 1 323 202 1052 202 330-9270
email: evan.parker@matter-edelman.com
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email: bobby@thegoldwatergroup.com
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Lisa Lazure, Head of Communications, FME
PH: + 44 (0) 20 7691 6101
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