Andy Kaplan & George Chien’s KC Global expands AXN, Animax reach in Asia

Alex Rider

KC Global Media Entertainment, the company launched by Sony Pictures Television (SPT) alums Andy Kaplan and George Chien, has expanded its footprint in Asia via a deal with Bomanbridge Media and media outfit Mobicom.

The multi-year pact will see KC’s channels AXN Asia and Animax become available to Mobicom customers, providing access to movies such as Venom: Let There be Carnage and Spider-Man: No Way Home, as well as series including FBI: Most Wanted, NCIS: Hawai’i and the second season of youth drama Alex Rider.

KC Global’s Kaplan and Chien acquired AXN and Animax, along with ONE and GEM, from their former employers SPT in 2020.

AXN features drama, features, reality programmes and original productions including SEAL Team, MacGyver and The Amazing Race Asia, reaching more than 16 million households in the region.

Animax is distributed in more than 10 million homes throughout 13 territories and claims to be Asia’s first 24-hour Japanese anime network.

Kaplan previously worked for SPT as president of its Worldwide Network’s division until 2018, departing amidst a senior managenent restructure in 2018. Chien was responsible for AXN as EVP of Sony’s Media Networks arm, and was before that Sony’s EVP of Asia Pacific networks.