Bounce TV Celebrates First Birthday

Related: Bounce TV

Bounce TV (www.bouncetv.com) -- The nation's first-ever broadcast television network designed for African-American audiences -- will turn one on Sept. 26 and its first year on-the-air has been overwhelmingly successful, with accelerated growth and expansion among station groups and distribution, advertisers and viewers alike. In celebrating its flourishing first year on the air, Bounce TV today announced:

· The network is in the final stages of discussions with Nielsen and anticipates having national Nielsen ratings in the fourth quarter of this year.

· Toyota and Nissan, both first year advertisers on the network, have renewed sponsorship agreements while General Motors and Chrysler will become sponsors for year two.

· Its first motion picture licensing agreement with Lionsgate(R) (NYSE: LGF), a leading diversified global entertainment company, that will bring a package of African American-skewing Lionsgate movies to the network. Among the titles: Halle Berry's Academy Award (R)-winning performance in the highly-acclaimed Monster's Ball; Cuba Gooding, Jr. in Boat Trip and Murder of Crows; the inspirational story Pride starring Terrence Howard and Bernie Mac and more.

· A sports rights renewal agreement with Urban Sports Entertainment Group (USEG) to televise both football and basketball games from the nation's largest African American athletic conference, the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA.) Bounce TV will air the CIAA Championship football game and select quarter- and semi- final CIAA tournament basketball games as part of the agreement. The first CIAA football game Bounce TV will televise will be Sat. Oct. 6 as Elizabeth City State takes on Virginia State.

· WXYZ-TV, one of the leading ABC affiliates in the country and Detroit's #1 rated television station, will launch Bounce TV on Weds. Sept. 26, the network's official first birthday.

· Bounce TV will be launched on FOX-owned MyNetworkTV sub channels in Phoenix, Minneapolis and Orlando by October 2012. FOX Television Stations already carries Bounce TV in New York, Los Angeles, Dallas and Baltimore. FTS first debuted digital over-the-air subchannels with Bounce programming in February 2012.

In just 12 months on the air, Bounce TV:

· Is already seen in 80% of African American homes, 17 of the top 20 African American DMAs and over 60% of U.S. television households.

· Has agreements with most major station groups, including: Raycom Media; FOX Television Stations, Gannett Broadcasting; E.W. Scripps Television Station Group; Lenfest Broadcasting; LIN TV Corp.; Nexstar Communications; Belo Corp. and Meredith Broadcasting.

· Acquired motion picture rights from most major studios, including: The Walt Disney Studios; Paramount Pictures; Miramax; MGM Domestic Television Distribution; NBCUniversal Domestic Television Distribution; Sony Pictures Television; Warner Bros. and now Lionsgate.

· Produced three original series; carried live sporting events; celebrated Black History Month with a line-up of powerful documentaries; aired special memorial tributes to African American entertainment figures Whitney Houston, Donna Summer and Don Cornelius and more.

"I am very proud of our network and the amazing growth it has enjoyed. Bounce TV's rapid expansion validates the need for free programming for our under-served community," said Martin Luther King III, a member of Bounce TV's Board of Directors.

"Bounce TV's dramatic success is directly linked to the tremendous broadcast partners and supportive sponsors we have and we thank them all for their enormous confidence and their valued partnership," commented Jonathan Katz, Bounce TV's Chief Operating Officer.

Bounce TV's move to national ratings within just one year of existence is considered rare among television networks. Yet Bounce TV affiliates have racked up impressive local viewership and have seen Bounce TV rated higher than numerous well-established cable networks and equal-to or out-performing several competing broadcast outlets on a consistent basis.

"We're confident that the local market viewership success we've seen through our affiliates will translate equally well nationally," said Katz.

Bounce TV targets African Americans primarily between the ages of 25-54 with a programming mix of theatrical motion pictures, live sports, documentaries, specials, inspirational faith-based programs, off-net series and now original series. Bounce TV airs twenty four hours a day, seven days a week on the digital signals of local television stations. Martin Luther King III and Ambassador Andrew Young are among the Founding Group and Board of Directors of Bounce TV. Bounce TV is majority African American-owned. Toyota USA is the signature sponsor of the network.