Press Release: ESCAPE by CELCOM Announced Entry Into BARCLAYS PREMIER LEAGUE

Broadcast sponsorship deal signed between ESCAPE Axiata, Astro SuperSport and FOX Sports

KUALA LUMPUR, 22 January 2014 – ESCAPE Axiata Sdn Bhd a fully owned subsidiary of Celcom Axiata Berhad announced their entry as broadcast sponsors of the Barclays Premier League (BPL) in partnerships with Astro SuperSport and FOX Sports. ESCAPE by Celcom -- a personal and digital entertainment space with “unmissable events and irresistible moments” that subscribers can enjoy anytime and anywhere.

Content on ESCAPE is curated to include long and short-length content formats to meet the entertainment needs of the modern mobile consumer, and users can view and purchase content via any device with internet connectivity including smartphones, tablets, laptops and PCs.

With BPL around the corner, ESCAPE aims to bring must-watch football league around the world to Malaysian fans through a new integrated football experience. Subscribers are able to enjoy various forms of game content created, produced and packaged to suit a digital mobile lifestyle. Subscribers can watch the live broadcasts in high resolution. They can also enjoy the highlights of past matches where ESCAPE’s unique “pause and play‟ feature becomes an advantage.

The partnerships between ESCAPE by Celcom, Astro SuperSport and FOX Sports was formed in support of further mutual pursuit of world class infrastructure which provides subscribers an opportunity to experience content in high resolution, high quality and high impact, resulting in a unique mobile viewing experience.



At the press conference in Renoma Gallery here, Dato’ Sri Shazalli Ramly, Chief Executive Officer of Celcom Axiata Berhad, said, “ESCAPE continues to be a revolutionary digital service that is changing the way Celcom’s customers enjoy seamless digital entertainment whenever they are in Celcom’s Fastest Territory. As Celcom continues to work toward refining ESCAPE’s integrated services, we know that by partnering with Astro and Fox Sports, we will jointly deliver the best standard of a seamless experience in digital entertainment. ”



Mr. Henry Tan, Chief Operating Officer of Astro, commented on partnership, where he said, “We are pleased to announce the first of many win-win collaborations between Celcom, Fox and Astro, thus signaling a positive development not only for the industry, but also for the Malaysian sports fans. As the largest sports producer in the country, Astro remains committed to bring the best of live football events like live BPL matches in HD and On-The-Go.”



General Manger of FOX International Channels Malaysia, Keertan Adyanthaya stated, “We’re excited to forge this partnership with ESCAPE and Astro as it strengthens FOX International Channels Asia’s portfolio. FOX Sports is already the leading sports network in the U.S., U.K., Australia, Latin America and Europe. This is an opportunity to position our brand here in Malaysia, by catering to the growth of integrated and digital entertainment in the country,”



Evolving with the ecosystem

While retaining its core business of mobile telephony, Celcom is branching out with solutions for all three content consumption comportments – nomadic, fixed and mobile. The three comportments are circumstances a subscriber may find themselves in, at the same time wanting quality access to content.

ESCAPE is a real innovation that allows the subscriber to take advantage of all three, simultaneously – subscribers can watch the highlights on their PC at home, pause and continue on a tablet at a local coffee shop, and finish the last bit on their commute from work through their mobile phones.

Celcom continues to adapt, collaborate and cooperate with content partners this time, with Astro and FOX Sports to ensure subscribers are able gain access to high quality content wherever they are.

Dato’ Sri Shazalli Ramly, Chief Executive Officer of Celcom Axiata Berhad, observes, “Even as a major mobile telecommunications player in Malaysia, we recognised early on that we cannot be competitive within an “ego-system”; rather, we are evolving within an ecosystem of other service providers, local producers and international content to provide the best personal entertainment experience to our customers.”

The service is available for Android and iOS devices as a free downloadable app, meaning subscribers can access their favourite content on their mobiles and tablets for a truly universal entertainment experience. Not forgetting our other brands Celcom First, Xpax and Celcom Frenz where this service already available.

On the back of this partnership announcement, there will be a line of activities in store for subscribers, from viewing parties to more offerings such as immediate mobile access to football-related content and information.

For more information on how to leverage ESCAPE during BPL, visit www.ESCnow.com