Stingray (TSX: RAY.A; RAY.B) has acquired the assets of Qello Concerts. Financial terms were not disclosed.
New York based Qello Concerts is a leading over-the-top (OTT) streaming service for full-length, on-demand concerts and music documentaries.
photo credit: Stingray
News Release
Stingray Acquires Qello Concerts
Stingray, now the leading distributor of Subscription Video On Demand (SVOD) concerts in the world
Stingray adds 2,000 concerts and music documentaries to its library and grows its SVOD subscriber base by more than 70,000
Montreal, January 3, 2018 –Stingray (TSX: RAY.A; RAY.B) today announced that it has acquired the assets of New-York based Qello Concerts, the world’s leading over-the-top (OTT) streaming service for full-length, on-demand concerts and music documentaries — reaching users in more than 160 countries.
Qello Concerts, which has been described by Forbes as “the Netflix of Concert Films and Documentaries”* is available on Amazon Channels, Apple TV, Roku, Google TV, Samsung Smart TV, on mobile devices, on the web at QelloConcerts.com, and more.
Through Qello Concerts, Stingray will benefit from deep operational expertise and instantly elevate its status as a global leader in the fast-growing OTT business-to-consumer (B2C) category.
Stingray is uniquely positioned to accelerate the growth of Qello Concerts by leveraging their respective global distribution agreements with major cable/satellite operators and telecommunication companies.
This transaction marks Stingray’s fifth acquisition of fiscal 2018, preceded by Yokee Music Ltd. (May 2017), C Music Entertainment Ltd. (May 2017), SBA Music PTY Ltd. (July 2017), and Satellite Music Australia PTY Ltd. (July 2017).
Acquisition Highlights
Content deals with all major music labels
Access to streaming live events and third-party live streaming
Pay-for View and recurring subscription Video On Demand revenue
*Hugh McIntyre, “This Company Is The Netflix Of Concert Films And Documentaries”, Forbes, August 2nd, 2017
Qello Concerts Highlights
Founded in 2010 by Richard Johnson, Bob Frank, and Brian Lisi
Deep expertise in OTT distribution, and content monetization.
Available on TV, mobile, and the web, and transforms any screen into a live concert video experience
The world’s largest catalog of concert films, award-winning music documentaries, and live streaming music events from the 1920s to today
Library spans all musical genres from classic rock, rock, progressive rock, blues, pop, country, metal, folk, jazz, EDM, indie, Christian & gospel, singer-songwriter, and more
The greatest performances from Queen, Pink Floyd, Lady Gaga, Metallica, Nirvana, Tiesto, Paul McCartney, The Rolling Stones, The Doors, The Who, Bruce Springsteen, Bob Dylan, Beyoncé, Jay-Z, Stevie Wonder, Celine Dion, Bob Marley, Green Day, Rush, Santana, Bon Jovi, Imagine Dragons, Dave Matthews Band, Billy Joel, Hall & Oates, Norah Jones, David Bowie, The Police, Eric Clapton, and so much more
Vast collection of award-winning documentaries presenting the stories behind the music of The Beatles, Tom Petty, The Band, Tupac, and more
Quotes:
“The acquisition of Qello Concerts confirms our position as the market leader in music SVOD services worldwide following the successful launch of Stingray Classica, Stingray DJAZZ, and Stingray Karaoke with major providers such as Amazon Channels and Comcast,” said Eric Boyko, President, Co-founder, and CEO of Stingray. “We see this agreement as a way forward to deliver on our mission of becoming the destination for consumers worldwide who want to discover and enjoy music across all platforms on all of their devices.”
“Qello Concerts’ mission has always been to preserve and curate the most iconic music performances and films, and to deliver the highest quality experience, which is exactly how music fans want to consume entertainment,” said Richard Johnson President and Co-founder of Qello Concerts. “We couldn’t have chosen a more perfect new home than Stingray for Qello Concerts. Our passion for music, coupled with our dedication to deliver the ultimate user experience falls directly in line with Stingray’s mission. We look forward to accelerating growth and leveraging new opportunities as Stingray and Qello forge ahead together.”
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About Stingray
Stingray (TSX: RAY.A; RAY.B) is the world-leading provider of multiplatform music services and digital experiences for pay TV operators, commercial establishments, OTT providers, mobile operators, and more. Stingray’s services include audio television channels, premium television channels, 4K UHD television channels, karaoke products, digital signage, in-store music, music apps, and more. Geared towards individuals and businesses alike, Stingray reaches 400 million subscribers (or users) in 156 countries
and its mobile apps have been downloaded over 90 million times. Stingray is headquartered in Montreal and currently has close to 350 employees worldwide. For more information: www.stingray.com.
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For more information, please contact:
Mathieu Péloquin
Senior Vice-President, Marketing and Communications
Stingray
1 514-664-1244, ext. 2362
mpeloquin@stingray.com