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| (Image Source: World Wrestling Entertainment/Total Nonstop Action Wrestling) |
TKO Group Holdings' World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), the global leader in sports entertainment, and Total Nonstop Action (TNA) Wrestling, one of the world’s top professional wrestling brands and a subsidiary of Anthem Sports & Entertainment Inc., have officially announced a multi-year partnership aimed at creating unprecedented crossover opportunities within WWE and TNA programming for NXT Superstars and TNA Wrestling Stars. The agreement will enable talent to garner additional exposure across key WWE and TNA programming, including weekly flagship shows such as NXT – which airs live on The CW in the US and TAP Sports in the Philippines – and TNA iMPACT!, select WWE Premium Live Events and TNA pay-per-views, in turn bolstering their in-ring development with exposure to world-class talent and coaching.
“This historic relationship demonstrates that collaboration and competition do not have to be mutually exclusive. Our partnership allows the TNA Wrestling brand and its incredible athletes to reach a significantly wider audience, while giving WWE and NXT stars an opportunity to cross the line and gain valuable experience, as they join forces with one of the most talented rosters in professional wrestling today. The response to our collaboration over the past year has been tremendous and both companies have benefited, but the fans have reaped the greatest rewards from this talent crossover and working relationship,” said Anthem Sports & Entertainment and TNA Wrestling Senior Vice President of Content and Distribution Ariel Shnerer. “We look forward to growing and evolving our partnership with TNA Wrestling and its outstanding group of athletes by creating new opportunities to further the development of our talent and to elevate the viewer experience at home,” said WWE Senior Vice President of Talent Development Creative Shawn Michaels.
Former TNA Knockouts World Champion Jordynne Grace and Joe Hendry frequently appeared on NXT programming in 2024 highlighted by an NXT Championship match featuring Hendry and Ethan Page at No Mercy and an NXT Women’s Championship match featuring Grace and Roxanne Perez at Battleground. Many NXT Superstars also crossed the line into TNA Wrestling including Wes Lee’s short-lived reunion with The Rascalz, Charlie Dempsey and the No Quarter Catch Crew, Riley Osbourne, Dante Chen, Gallus, Arianna Grace, Tatum Paxley, Izzi Dame, Wendy Choo, Brinley Reece and more. TNA iMPACT! airs on AXS TV and TNA+ in the U.S. in addition to being distributed internationally on TNA+ and other leading broadcast platforms including Sportsnet 360 across Canada. In November 2023, WWE and The CW announced a five-year agreement to bring NXT to broadcast television for the first time in its 13-year history. In the Philippines, NXT is also available on Blast TV via 24/7 live streaming channel Fight Ticket and on-demand and on digital free TV via Blast Sports on BEAM TV.
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KRAFTON Unveils Franchise IP Strategy To Drive Corporate Value Growth
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| (Image Source: InsideSport/KRAFTON Inc.) |
KRAFTON Inc. has announced its 2025 management strategy and mid-to-long-term plans during its company-wide town hall meeting, KRAFTON LIVE TALK (KLT), held last January 16, 2025. At the 113th KLT, CEO CH Kim presented his vision for the company’s future under the theme ‘KRAFTON’s Next 5 Years: Franchise IP’. Kim outlined the company’s ambition to secure a new ‘Big Franchise IP’ and revealed three key strategies to achieve this goal: significantly increasing investment in first-party production, expanding publishing volume, and optimizing resource allocation.
KRAFTON plans to boost investment in first-party production to secure original and competitive Franchise IPs. The company will focus on its 14 creative studios, aiming to enhance its pipeline of new releases, attract top-tier talent, and further specialize its development capabilities. These efforts are designed to create scalable Franchise IPs with a high potential for long-term success. KRAFTON aims to grow both the scale and quality of its IPs by actively expanding its user base and revenue. The company plans to utilize its accumulated expertise and capabilities to nurture core Franchise IPs, while releasing multiple new titles to the market. To achieve diversification, KRAFTON intends to adopt various approaches such as Second Party Publishing (2PP) and Licensing. Furthermore, the company will broaden its presence across platforms, including PC, mobile and console, while strengthening its global publishing capabilities to enhance market competitiveness.
As part of its efforts to achieve mid-to-long-term objectives and sustainable growth, KRAFTON plans to evolve its studio management system. By efficiently allocating resources across all stages of the development lifecycle — from creative ideation to production and commercialization — the company aims to maximize the potential of its most competitive IPs. “Our new titles will officially launch starting this year. We are fully committed to securing a new ‘Big Franchise IP’ that will build on the success of PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS. By following this step-by-step growth approach, we aim to drive exponential growth in corporate value,” said CH Kim.
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Hero eSports Announces $2M Prize Pool For Asian Champions League
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| (Image Source: InsideSport/Hero eSports) |
The HERO ESPORTS Asian Champions League (ACL), Asia's premier multi-title esports tournament hosted by Hero eSports, Asia's largest eSports company, has revealed a total prize pool of $2M (two million dollars). The tournament has recently announced its initial lineup of game titles featuring DOTA 2, Counter-Strike 2, Honor of Kings, Teamfight Tactics, Delta Force, and Crossfire, with additional popular titles that are expected to be revealed soon.
While Hero eSports is a founding member of the ACL, the league is independently managed by the Asia Champions League Foundation. Hero eSports Co-Founder Jonny Wang serves as the league's Chief Executive Officer while fellow co-founder Xie Fan takes on the role of President. The ACL strives to set a new standard in tournaments, aiming to be the most diverse and accessible eSports event in the region. Its goal is to promote the standardization of global eSports and foster the healthy development of the Asian eSports ecosystem. The inaugural ACL is set to kick off in the first half of 2025 with the grand finals scheduled in Shanghai where Hero eSports is headquartered. This year's grand finals will have a collaboration with DreamHack, a globally renowned gaming festival, promising an unparalleled experience for eSports enthusiasts across Asia. This will also mark DreamHack's first visit to China.
Wang said, "The theme of the inaugural ACL is 'Creating the Impossible,' and that's exactly what we aim to achieve. We hope that the ACL will bring together top esports players from around the world and break impossible records, creating unforgettable experiences for our audience." Fan added, "We envision the ACL not only as a premier esports event but also as a new benchmark for international tournaments that inspires others in the industry."
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Crunchyroll, Aniplex, Sony Music, Playstation Productions To Produce Anime Series Based On ‘Ghost Of Tsushima: Legends’
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| (Image Source: Sony Music/Sony Interactive Entertainment) |
Global anime brand Crunchyroll, together with Aniplex, Sony Music, and PlayStation Productions, recently announced during Sony Group Corporation's CES (Consumer Electronics Show) 2025 press conference held in Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S.A. a new anime series adapted from Sucker Punch Productions’ award-winning “Ghost of Tsushima” video game and its “Legends” cooperative multiplayer experience inspired by Japanese folktales and mythology.
The Ghost of Tsushima anime will be produced in collaboration with Aniplex, the studio behind globally celebrated series such as Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba, Solo Leveling, and Sword Art Online. The adaptation will be helmed by Director Takanobu Mizuno with Gen Urobuchi (NITRO PLUS) for Story Composition and animation by KAMIKAZE DOUGA. Together, the team will bring Ghost of Tsushima: Legends’ traditional samurai aesthetics to life with cinematic storytelling and striking visuals. Sony Music will serve as the strategic music and soundtrack partner for the series.The series will premiere exclusively on Crunchyroll in 2027. More details, including the creative team and cast, will be revealed in the future. “This project is a testament to the creative synergy within the Sony family, uniting the expertise of PlayStation Studios and PlayStation Productions; the creative team of Sucker Punch Productions and Aniplex; Sony Music’s iconic global artist roster; and Crunchyroll’s fan-first global marketing and distribution footprint. The Ghost of Tsushima anime will offer fans an exciting new way to experience the game in an anime style that will be bold and groundbreaking,” said Crunchyroll President Rahul Purini.
“Having already proven the immense quality and versatility of our gaming properties across multiple successful film and television projects, we couldn’t be more excited to announce our first ever anime adaptation. Ghost of Tsushima’s rich, immersive world and its fantastical Legends mode based on Japanese mythology provide the perfect canvas for this project, and Aniplex is the perfect partner to translate Sucker Punch Productions’ hit video game into a stunning new anime series,” said PlayStation Productions' Asad Qizilbash. “We are excited to create new opportunities for our artists to engage with such incredible global IP. Music plays such a key role in the overall audience viewing experience and we are thrilled to be working alongside our Sony partners to develop compelling content for fans around the world,” said Sony Music Entertainment's President of Premium Content Tom Mackay.
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Star Cinema Thanks Viewers As "And The Breadwinner Is..." Hits Php400M In The Philippines
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| (Image Source: PEP.ph/ABS-CBN Corporation) |
Star Cinema (ABS-CBN Film Productions Inc.) expresses its heartfelt gratitude to Filipino moviegoers for the overwhelming support of “And The Breadwinner Is…” which has now grossed Php400M (400 million pesos) in cinemas nationwide as of January 14, 2025, making it the highest-grossing movie of the 50th Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF). The drama-comedy movie starring Vice Ganda is still showing on its fourth week in cinemas nationwide. Audiences around the world will also be able to watch the movie in Malta, Italy, New Zealand, Australia, United States of America, Canada, Saipan, Guam, and Cambodia among other countries.
The heartwarming family movie, which revolves around how OFW breadwinner Bambi (Vice) fakes her own death for the sake of helping her family financially, highlights the many sacrifices of breadwinners and the joys and pains that families experience in order to give one another a better life. It serves as the first collaboration between Vice and award-winning director Jun Robles Lana, who has helmed some of the most memorable comedy films. At the 50th MMFF Gabi ng Parangal held last December 27, 2024, “And The Breadwinner Is…” won the award for Gender Sensitivity while Vice was recognized with the Special Jury Citation award for her groundbreaking performance in the movie that allowed her to step out of her comfort zone and prove her growth as an artist. The film also earned positive reviews for its relatability and touching storyline with moviegoers reflecting on their own personal experiences when it comes to confronting family issues. There was also a trend on social media with viewers sharing online how the movie made them both laugh and cry at the same time.
A co-production of Star Cinema and The IdeaFirst Company, “And The Breadwinner Is…” also stars Eugene Domingo, Malou De Guzman, Joel Torre, Jhong Hilario, Gladys Reyes, Maris Racal, Anthony Jennings, Kokoy De Santos, Lassy Marquez, MC Muah, Via Antonio, Kiko Matos, Argus Aspiras, and Kulot Caponpon.
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Pilgrims Of Hope Gather At De La Salle Lipa For LIDICSA 2025
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| (Image Source: De La Salle Lipa) |
The De La Salle Lipa SENTRUM once again came alive with vibrant energy and camaraderie as nearly 2,000 teaching and non-teaching personnel from the Lipa Archdiocesan Catholic Schools Association (LIDICSA) community converged for the much-anticipated LIDICSA Festival of Employees (LIFE) held last January 6, 2025. This grand event, themed “Pilgrims Of Hope: Embracing The Journey Of Faith and Love”, highlighted the steadfast spirit and unity of the LIDICSA community composed of seven clusters, comprising 40 schools from different parts of the province covering the Archdiocese of Lipa.
For many years, the SENTRUM has been a cherished venue for this annual celebration, standing as a constant witness to the dedication and shared mission of the LIDICSA community. This year’s gathering was no different, offering moments of reflection, recognition, and celebration for its attendees. The festival opened with an inspiring keynote address by Archbishop Gilbert Garcera DD, who marked the occasion by focusing on the Jubilee Year’s theme of becoming “pilgrims of hope”. His message resonated deeply, urging educators and staff to embrace their pivotal roles as mentors and stewards of faith and knowledge. Archbishop Garcera’s call to action reminded everyone of the profound impact they have in shaping not only young minds but also hopeful hearts.
One of the most heartwarming highlights of LIFE 2025 was the Service Awards Ceremony where 32 distinguished employees – coming from different schools - were honored for their unwavering dedication to LIDICSA schools. LIDICSA President Dr. Randy Baja and Vice President Kristine Anne Dimaculangan led the awarding, celebrating the invaluable contributions of these individuals who have devoted years to their schools and communities. Their recognition served as a poignant reminder of the collective commitment to excellence and service that defines the LIDICSA family. The annual gathering not only served as a venue for recognition and inspiration but also as a beacon of the shared purpose that unites the LIDICSA community — nurturing the next generation with love, hope, and faith.
(With words by Dfezie Tipan, De La Salle Lipa)
