Chairman Lee Jay-hyun of CJ Group.

CJ E&M signed an MOU on April 29 with Truevision of Thailand, a top pay broadcasting company, on cooperation to market various television and radio broadcasting media contents to be broadcast in Thailand and other countries in Southeast Asia through a joint-venture company, CJ E&M said recently.

The two signatories will set up a j.v. media content company this year, taking advantage of CJ E&M’s capacity for the development of various entertainment contents, including planning and production and the Thai company’s marketing knowhow. They will produce various entertainment contents to be shown to Thai audiences including dramas. They will also develop online streaming platforms in Thailand and later export them to countries in S.E. Asia, officials of CJ E&M said.

Truevision is the only pay broadcasting company with a nationwide network in Thailand. The number of subscribers totals over 2.47 million households. The company owns 24 pay channels and is also engaged in holding performance events. It also has an advertisement agency.

Established in 1993, CJ E&M Corp. has been the leading entertainment company in Korea, innovatively experimenting on various fields. It’s now Asia's No. 1 studio to perform full service on every level from planning and editing to distribution. 

Not only is it the representative producer for unique Korean movies, but it also provides exclusive distribution for Paramount and Dreamworks films, and also co-produces films with Hollywood studios to move beyond Korea and become a top global film industry hub. 

CJ E&M is expanding its activities with the launch of a new animation division. With an initial investment of $15 million this year, the division will produce various animation works, with a particular focus on cracking the growing Chinese market.

The department will assemble a team dedicated to developing Chinese projects during the first half of the year. Already the top film producer and distributor in Korea, with CJ Entertainment, and the top exhibitor, with CGV, CJ has been making significant inroads in the Chinese market, with CGV cracking the country’s top 10 exhibitors last year, and the current success of “20, Once Again!,” CJ’s Chinese version of their Lunar New Year hit “Miss Granny,” which is now the most successful Korean film to be released in China, which over USD 51 million banked to date.

CJ E&M has announced a deal to stream 20 of its films on Netflix, leading internet subscription service for films and TV shows. Netflix members in the U.S. will be able to watch these CJ films on multiple platforms including televisions, computer, tablets, gaming consoles, and mobile phones.

"CJ E&M is delighted to make our movies available through Netflix for the first time," said Joon Choi, CEO of CJ E&M America. "Netflix has been a revolutionary force in entertainment, whose members have long enjoyed unparalleled access to a rich selection of films. This deal brings movie lovers iconic films from Asia's top entertainment company."

Titles such as Kang Woo-suk’s hit Silmido; Park Chan-wook’s more experimental I’m a Cyborg but That’s Okay; and quirky fantasy drama Castaway on the Moon will be on the menu. 

"We are excited to make CJ E&M's library of Asian titles available for our members to watch instantly," said Lisa NISHIMURA, Vice President of Independent Content Acquisition for Netflix. 

CJ E&M's businesses include film investor/distributor CJ Entertainment, exhibitor CGV, and cabler Mnet. The company also has subsidiaries in the U.S. which include the English-language Asian pop culture cable network Mnet, CGV Cinemas, and CJ Entertainment America.

President Suphachai Chearavanont of Truevisions, left, shakes hands with President Kim Song-soo of CJ E&M after signing an agreement to jointiy produce and market various media entertainment contents in southeast Asia on April 29 thru a j.v. company they will set up. (Photos:CJ E&M)