Time spent on a plane is no more synonymous of boredom.

Passengers onboard easyJet,Iberia Express, Volotea and XL Airways can now better enjoy the moment

of flying by reading about what to do and where to go to their final destination. Immfly’s onboard digital services platform provides downloadable travel guides, from hundred cities covered by the airline’s routes, available in several languages and formats.

Barcelona, Spain | January 23, 2018– Immfly’s onboard digital services platform is 100% dedicated to guaranteeing the passenger can get the most of its experience while flying. The onboard travel guides are a useful feature to anticipate plans and close decisions before landing. At the same time, it is a powerful place for cities increase its visibility and to raise awareness of the endless activities available to be there discovered and explored.

Destination Overview
City Lifestyle

Immfly gives the passengers the opportunity to get to know the city before touching the ground. The history and background of the city, the lifestyle of its citizens, the local culture and customs, the typical and traditional gastronomy of the region, the must-see and visited places, the unmissable secret spot overlooking the heart of the city or the sunset near the ocean, all of these information is now available for consult. The destination guide’s access is not restricted to the onboard experience. Instead of that, Immfly’ guides accompany and travel along the entire passenger’s trip, from the flight and while on the ground, by being downloaded in pdf files and stored in passengers own smart devices.

Tips
Nightlife, food & drinks and much more

Travel means discover the unknown and experience new and unforgettable places. Immfly’s travel guides suggest million of possible activities for any type of trip and traveller’s profile.
Tips for the ones who love to go out and have fun in a bustling city, the most famous places to eat and drink, the historical museums, the ideal place to go shopping, a walking tour by the city, are just some examples of what these travel guides are capable of.

Weather on destination

As part of planning, knowing the weather conditions on the final destination could be very useful. Immfly provides information on local weather conditions and forecasts which helps to
better organize the plans according to it.

Shopping online

Immfly’s digital services offer the best activities and transfer services in all destinations managed and in contact with different partners. Besides being informed, passengers can actually buy activities such as museums entrances, a touristic bus trip, a football game, while flying. Additionally to that, Iberia Express has developed a microsite where passengers can even purchase before and after the moment of flying, by simply accessing the Iberia Express activities website. The time spent on a plane, seated, is no more synonymous with wasting time. Now it is possible to plan in advance and avoid lines in the most searched places.

• The industry leader in wireless in-flight platforms since 2014 in Europe, Immfly, is already providing airlines a game changer autonomous system in the rapidly growing In-flight Entertainment & Connectivity market

Barcelona, Spain | November 24, 2016– Pioneering the IFE-C Market in Europe since its launch with Iberia Express two years ago, Immfly, owning an STC for A320 and A330 aircraft, offers airlines a unique solution ready to be installed in just one night. Its unprecedented system, currently operational on three airlines, consists of one server, several WAPs and one switch in the cockpit, and proves to autonomously upgrade and download the content and the software every time the aircraft lands. The company, having achieved an industry first with its technological approach, steadily responds to the market demands and sustains its position as the industry’s prefered wireless solution in Europe.

“One of the key reasons that brought us to partner with Immfly was its unique operations management value proposition, which leaves the airline a margin of any manoeuvre” states Ricard Falomir, CIO from Iberia Express. “Upon landing the system automatically connects to the Cloud to download passenger data and process payment transactions. With Immfly onboard we just have to make sure that the hardware is on, the rest is successfully managed either by their operations team or by the system itself”.

Moreover, Immfly substantiates that connectivity is just around the corner. “According to how the market is taking shape, we propose airlines a flexible 2 step approach with no operational disruption: First Wireless IFE and then Wireless IFE & Connectivity” says Alfredo Ibáñez, CTO of the Barcelona based company, Immfly. “Given that our product is compatible with most connectivity operators and integrators, adding a connectivity system to an Immfly equipped aircraft involves a seamless integration with significant cost benefits and technological synergies”.

• The Hollywood Reporter, Billboard, El Financiero and STAT signed as distribution partners

APEX EXPO, Singapore | October 24, 2016– Bloomberg Media Distribution has announced a partnership with a raft of premium publishers to provide business, technology, entertainment, music, lifestyle and health news to global audiences. Bloomberg Media Distribution will distribute The Hollywood Reporter, Billboard, El Financiero and STAT text and video content alongside the best of Bloomberg Media.

Josh Rucci, General Manager, Bloomberg Media Distribution says: “As the media landscape continues to evolve, so has content creation and syndication. More companies are looking to license content to add breadth and depth for their audiences. By partnering with a diverse group of publishers, Bloomberg can now offer significant capabilities to deliver a range of content easily and at scale. ”

Bloomberg’s media distribution business has greatly expanded since its inception and today provides text, photos, videos and data for broadcast, digital and print syndication to publishers, broadcasters and other companies in more than 130 countries.

With in-depth reporting, analysis, unprecedented access, world-class photography and video, and feature exclusives, The Hollywood Reporter is the entertainment industry’s flagship media brand and the definitive source for breaking entertainment and business news. Billboard is the leading global destination for charts, news, trends and innovations in music. Built on built on the most complete and well-respected database of charts across all music genres, Billboard has unmatched authority among fans, artists and the industry alike.

“The Hollywood Reporter and Billboard always strive to deliver unparalleled coverage to our readers,” said John Amato, co-president of The Hollywood Reporter-Billboard Media Group. “By partnering with Bloomberg Media, our flagship brands for the entertainment and music industries, will be introduced to a new, highly engaged and global audience.”

Pegged by Columbia Journalism Review as the “media start-up to envy,” STAT reports from the frontiers of health and medicine, providing in-depth coverage of research, drug discovery, patient care, national politics, and the money trail in big pharma and health care. Rick Berke, STAT’s executive editor added: “STAT’s partnership with Bloomberg will help us to share our valuable reporting and head-turning multimedia with more readers who are eager for stories about health and medicine that they can’t get anywhere else.”

El Financiero offers comprehensive news coverage on finance, economics and business news from Mexico, in Spanish, whilst STAT delivers fast, deep, and tough-minded journalism, taking readers inside science labs and hospitals, biotech boardrooms, and political backrooms.

This month also sees the debut of Bloomberg’s new half-hour television and digital series ‘The David Rubenstein Show: Peer to Peer Conversations’, hosted by financier and philanthropist David Rubenstein. Rubenstein interviews some of the world’s most influential power players about their person and professional journeys, including Bill Gates, Lloyd Blankfein and Warren Buffett.

Australia | September 22, 2016– At this year’s Apex Expo, the Stellar Entertainment team will be launching its new, industry-first product, pixL™.

The product of several years of development at Stellar’s facilities throughout Asia and the U.S., pixL™ is a modern web app, providing airlines with a comprehensive ecosystem of entertainment. pixL™ acts as a ‘one-stop-shop’, where an airline can review all available content, view trailers, read reviews and explore data analytics about passenger usage on IFE systems across their fleet.

pixL™ has millions of listings, complete with language and subtitle options and availability information from the major Hollywood labs. pixL™ handles purchase orders, music streaming, catalog management, preview screening and budgets.

Says Rob Lynch, Chairman of the Stellar Group, “pixL™ is unique to Stellar and is a big leap forward in the monthly content shortlisting and management process of our industry. With pixL™, an airline has choice and control over its content in a way that has never been possible before.

pixL™ is the tool for the future of the airline entertainment content industry.”

To make an appointment at Stellar’s booth #1215, contact info@stellargroup.com.

Los Angeles, CA | August 8, 2016– Global Eagle Entertainment (ENT) (“GEE”), a leading provider of satellite-based connectivity and media to rapidly expanding mobility markets, today announced that it has signed a contract with Avianca Brasil to provide inflight connectivity to the carrier’s full fleet of over 40 aircraft. Avianca Brasil operates in 24 airports with over 200 daily flights in South America.

GEE has been the provider of inflight entertainment content services to Avianca Brasil and its partner airline, Avianca, since June 2015. This agreement, which will expand the relationship with the Brazilian airline, demonstrates the ability of GEE’s technology and content solutions to deliver an unparalleled connectivity and entertainment experience to airline passengers. The service will utilize and incorporate certain assets from EMC, the company recently acquired by GEE, including already procured satellite bandwidth in the region and the Speednet technology to improve browsing speeds. More details on the service will be provided as Avianca Brasil nears the official launch of inflight connectivity for its passengers.

The world of in-flight connectivity and entertainment is undergoing a bit of a growth phase as service providers and IFEC vendors improve and consolidate their focus on more entertainment and more planes, and in some cases, more markets. Last year the acquisition of ITC Global (maritime, mining, and energy markets) by Panasonic was the lead-in to today’s recent announcement of a purchase. Now, GEE, an airline content and satcom hardware service provider (over 200 airline customers), announced the acquisition of a $550-million, broad-based content and service provider, Emerging Markets Communication (EMC). EMC is primarily a maritime service provider that has high penetration in that market as well as Cruise ships (158,000 cabins), yachts (7,500 boats), commercial shipping/O&G (130,000 ships), UN & NGO, as well as, telco solutions. We note here that the consolidation of these mobility markets, and the desire to operate across wider and more diverse service segments, shows a collaboration trend in the satcom connectivity market and it underlies the increase in demand for connectivity and entertainment services by people, places and businesses everywhere. As they note, the deal “leverages complimentary products, technologies, and service offerings across air, sea, and land verticals to drive growth!”

Of course, we are really talking about three items here – Content, Connectivity and Mission Critical Service solutions. From a growth point of view, by 2021 the market will be worth some $5.4 B and one source noted to us that “…the key players in the market follow the strategy of acquisition and mergers and are focused towards entering into strategic partnerships with regional players in order to strengthen their position in the market.” It makes sense.

Specifically, in our story GEE is in the middle of this growth segment and is expanding their market now with a maritime focus in the acquisition of EMC, who has a strong market position there. From a global point of view, the acquisition of EMC provides GEE with complete worldwide connectivity that is supported by GEE’s existing Ku coverage as well as that of EMC. In addition, there is some C-Band coverage by EMC in the deal, resulting in an impressive chart.

The folks at GEE have acquired nine companies since its formation some three years ago. This acquisition is by far their biggest to date and will allow GEE to gain a foothold in the maritime market where growth will no doubt be exhibited.

IFExpress asked a few questions of Kevin Trosian, SVP Development & IR, and he told IFExpress:

1. Since you have purchased a “connected” company, does GEE see selling their content to the 8 EMC existing markets (Yachts, Energy, Cruise & Ferries, commercial shipping, mobile networks, government, UN, NGO’s and Global Enterprise)?

Yes, we believe there is a large opportunity for live and streaming content in the maritime and mobility verticals, and GEE’s digital media team has already worked with EMC for many years to jointly provide content to the maritime market. We see this a great opportunity for us to use our strong relationships with studios around the world to expand distribution into these markets.

GEE had previously provided TV and VOD products to EMC, including a number of live television channels, so this is not a new market for us. We have already obtained maritime rights from certain studios and/or distributors and are in the process of acquiring more. Ultimately we believe our combined knowledge of the market and relationships will enable us to leverage our strength in content for the maritime market for further growth of our media platform.

2. Can you tell us how big the existing market is?

The maritime and land-based connectivity and media markets in which we now compete are a multi-billion dollar opportunity. There is an available market of approximately 158,000 cruise cabins, 7,500 yachts and 130,000 ships.

3. Today, what countries have the 20 or so ground stations mentioned by EMC? Does EMC own them?
For this question, please see our Worldwide Infrastructure chart. In addition, through the acquisition we now have operations at 3 teleport facilities, including New Jersey, Hawaii and Germany.

4. This purchase looks like a prefect fit for GEE to grow and provide entertainment to the existing EMC service sections, can someone at GEE comment on that issue?

Please see 1 above.

5. Obviously the market is one reason GEE bought them; however, is there more to the story than that?

Yes, we believe there is a significant number of synergies that can be realized with the integration of the two companies. Through the integration, the company expects to realize synergies of $15 million in 2017, growing to $40 million in 2018 and thereafter. Synergies will primarily result from network efficiencies, including the ability to optimize bandwidth costs through a consolidation of existing network assets, including space segment and ground infrastructure, as well as, better capacity utilization.

6. From a company integration point of view, will EMC function pretty much as they do today? Will their information portfolio be enlarged by GEE’s entertainment content?

Yes, EMC will function in a fairly similar manner, but we will be integrating the companies into a single platform. The EMC team built a great foundation in an adjacent market to GEE’s traditional aviation market. We’re looking to leverage what they have accomplished and continue to build on that, such as by providing more media to the maritime market.

7. We gather that GEE has been looking for more markets for their content, why did they not just provide the content to companies like EMC and not go the distance to purchase one? What is the driving reason here?

There were multiple reasons for the acquisition, and the ability to sell content was only one of them.  We see significant opportunities within the connectivity businesses of both companies, including the ability to improve satellite capacity utilization. Further, by expanding into new markets, we believe our scale will improve efficiencies and the overall customer experience.

8. Will the EMC management and operations function pretty much as they do today or will there be management changes and new ways of doing business?

We’ve announced the new verticals (see below from the Press Release) and the Business Unit leaders.

• Dave Davis will continue to lead GEE as CEO.
• Abel Avellan, founder and CEO of EMC, will serve as President and Chief Strategy Officer of GEE.
• As part of the transaction, ABRY Partners, EMC’s largest shareholder, has a right to nominate a director to GEE’s board.

In conjunction with the transaction close, GEE has established three operational business units.

• The Media Business Unit delivers films and television shows, live TV, music, games and other content to aviation and maritime customers, including approximately 6,500 aircraft and many cruise ships currently served by GEE. Other products include digital and streaming media offerings such as the Airtime Content-to-Go application and the Entice streaming media system. Wale Adepoju will lead the Media Business Unit as Executive Vice President of Media. Previously, Wale served as Chief Commercial Officer of GEE.
• The Aviation Business Unit serves commercial airlines and private aviation using GEE’s proprietary Airconnect GlobalTM connectivity platform, which is currently installed on nearly 750 aircraft worldwide. The Business Unit also provides Navaero electronic flight bag (EFB) data interfaces and powered mounting systems, which are in place on nearly 4,000 aircraft today, as well as masFlight operational data analytics services. Joshua Marks, who previously led GEE’s Operations Solutions team, will lead the Aviation Business Unit as Executive Vice President of Aviation.
• The Maritime and Land Business Unit delivers connectivity and mission critical services to cruise and ferry lines, yachts, commercial shippers and land-based users such as non-governmental organizations and mobile network operators. Through this transaction, GEE has acquired a strong maritime customer base, serving over 1,500 vessels and 100,000 cruise ship cabins. In addition to overseeing certain corporate functions at GEE, Abel Avellan will lead the Maritime and Land Business Unit.

9. What does GEE bring to the party besides entertainment content? Will their airline solutions effect EMC’s products/solutions differently or much the same? If differently, how so?

GEE delivers worldwide connectivity to the aviation market and is the largest content and media provider for the broader mobility market. GEE brings an unparalleled portfolio of products and services tailored to mobility markets, including global connectivity, media content in 47 languages, live television, travel and entertainment apps, user interface platforms and data capture and operations analytics tools. We will also be bringing some of EMC’s proprietary and patented technologies, such as Speednet, to the aviation market.

• Combined, we bring:
  A global sales force and support organization that reaches all major mobility verticals including aviation, maritime energy and remote locations;
• A satellite and ground-based network infrastructure that can provide customers connectivity and media across multiple frequency bands anywhere in the world;
• Proprietary, patented technologies that enhance the connected traveler’s user experience and reduce costs across market verticals;
• A diversified revenue base with over 400 customers, balanced between media and connectivity with over half of all revenue coming from international markets; and
• Engineering, technical and managerial resources to effectively drive new product development, program management, product maintenance and field support.

10. How big is EMC and is there a new structure to come?

We haven’t discussed management structure beyond the senior leaders, which can be found in the press release (attached). EMC had approximately 450 employees located worldwide.

Note: Finally, IFExpress talked with many people about the acquisition and there was a great difference of opinion on on the subject and other issues as well. All we can say is keep your eye on a few factors that may (or may not) affect the future of GEE: Southwest Airlines, Ku/Ka Band airline preferences, Universal lawsuit results, marine market entertainment take-up, traveler personal device and entertainment demand. Stay Tuned.

GEE EMC Transaction Presentation

Lastly, we would like to thank Jenelle Benoit of GEE for all the assistance bringing this story to press!

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OTHER NEWS:

Rockwell Collins today announced that China Eastern Airlines selected its Iridium® SATCOM aftermarket solution for its fleet of more than 100 Boeing 737 aircraft. Installations are currently in progress. The voice and data communications solution, installed via a Boeing service bulletin for Next-Generation Boeing 737s, will enable reliable long-range global voice communications, flight tracking and Aircraft Communications Addressing and Reporting System (ACARS). The solution is also capable of enabling Future Airspace Navigation System (FANS) for airlines that need it for their operations.

• Forms Leading Provider of Satellite-Based Connectivity and Media to Global Mobility Markets
• Leverages Complementary Products, Technologies and Service Offerings Across Air, Sea and Land Verticals to Drive Growth
• Annual Synergies Expected to Exceed $40 Million

Los Angeles, CA | July 27, 2016– Global Eagle Entertainment Inc. (NASDAQ: ENT) (“GEE”) today announced that it has completed its previously announced acquisition of Emerging Markets Communications (“EMC”), a leading communications services provider to maritime and hard-to- reach land markets.

Combination Overview
The combination of GEE and EMC creates one of the world’s largest providers of satellite-based connectivity and media to the rapidly growing global mobility market. GEE has established a strong track record of successfully delivering media content and connectivity to airlines, while EMC has become a top provider of connectivity to maritime and hard-to-reach land markets. When combined with EMC, GEE benefits from significant economies of scale and an enhanced global infrastructure that enables it to deliver a comprehensive portfolio of products to customers.

With the combination, GEE possesses unique attributes that will provide additional opportunities to drive revenue growth and operational efficiencies, including:

• An unparalleled portfolio of products and services tailored to mobility markets, including global connectivity, media content in 47 languages, live television, travel and entertainment apps, user interface platforms and data capture and operations analytics tools;
• A global sales force and support organization that reaches all major mobility verticals including aviation, maritime, energy and remote locations;
• A satellite and ground-based network infrastructure that can provide customers connectivity and media across multiple frequency bands anywhere in the world;
• Proprietary, patented technologies that enhance the connected traveler’s user experience and reduce costs across market verticals;
• A diversified revenue base with over 400 customers, balanced between media and connectivity, and over half of all revenue coming from international markets; and
• Engineering, technical and managerial resources to effectively drive new product development, program management, product maintenance, and field support.

“This is a transformational acquisition for our company and in our industry,” said GEE Chief Executive Officer Dave Davis. “The combination of GEE and EMC enables us to provide our customers with a breadth of products and services unmatched in the markets we serve, whether in the air, at sea, or on land. GEE will continue to strive to be customer focused, product driven, and operationally excellent.”

Synergy Opportunities
GEE has a successful track record of integrating acquisitions and achieving synergies. With EMC, the Company expects to realize synergies of $15 million in 2017, growing to $40 million in 2018 and thereafter. A major source of savings is expected to come from network efficiencies, including the ability to optimize bandwidth costs through a consolidation of existing network assets, including space segment and ground infrastructure, as well as better capacity utilization. Savings are also expected through reductions in SG&A spending and the consolidation of facilities.

In addition to cost savings, GEE expects the combination to generate significant revenue synergies. Driving sales of GEE’s media, software, advertising and operations solutions products in the underserved maritime market are a key objective of the Company. GEE’s digital media team has had a long-term relationship with EMC and expects to launch new products to major cruise lines before year-end. EMC’s proprietary technologies are in use today to improve the connectivity experience and optimize bandwidth usage in the maritime market. GEE will soon introduce these technologies into the aviation market.

Corporate Structure
Dave Davis will continue to lead GEE as CEO. Abel Avellan, founder and CEO of EMC, will serve as President and Chief Strategy Officer of GEE. As part of the transaction, ABRY Partners, EMC’s largest shareholder, has a right to nominate a director to GEE’s board.

In conjunction with the transaction close, GEE has established three operational business units.

• The Media Business Unit delivers films and television shows, live TV, music, games and other content to aviation and maritime customers, including approximately 6,500 aircraft and many cruise ships currently served by GEE. Other products include digital and streaming media offerings such as the Airtime Content-to-Go application and the Entice streaming media system. Wale Adepoju will lead the Media Business Unit as Executive Vice President of Media. Previously, Wale served as Chief Commercial Officer of GEE.
• The Aviation Business Unit serves commercial airlines and private aviation using GEE’s proprietary Airconnect GlobalTM connectivity platform, which is currently installed on nearly 750 aircraft worldwide. The Business Unit also provides Navaero electronic flight bag (EFB) data interfaces and powered mounting systems, which are in place on nearly 4,000 aircraft today, as well as Masflight operational data analytics services. Joshua Marks, who previously led GEE’s Operations Solutions team, will lead the Aviation Business Unit as Executive Vice President of Aviation.
• The Maritime and Land Business Unit delivers connectivity and mission critical services to cruise and ferry lines, yachts, commercial shippers and land-based users such as non- governmental organizations and mobile network operators. Through this transaction, GEE has acquired a strong maritime customer base, serving over 1,500 vessels and 100,000 cruise ship cabins. In addition to overseeing certain corporate functions at GEE, Abel Avellan will lead the Maritime and Land Business Unit.

 

London, UK | July 20, 2016– IMG, a global leader in sports, events, media and fashion, has agreed a deal with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) for the international inflight and inship rights for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.

The deal will see IMG distribute live coverage of the Games to the airline and cruise line industries, excluding all routes within the U.S. In addition, the company will produce other non-live inflight programming, including daily and weekly highlights programmes and a review of the Games which will be available within two days of the event’s conclusion.

The deal will also see more than 200 hours of live action shown across the 17 days of competition on Sport 24 and Sport 24 Extra, the IMG-owned and operated channels produced exclusively for inflight, including every minute of the opening and closing ceremonies.

Richard Wise, Senior Vice President, IMG Media said: “The Olympic Games is the biggest event on the sporting calendar and we are very pleased to be providing the inflight and inship market with the best of the action live, starting with the Opening Ceremony on Friday 5th August. It will certainly make those airlines and cruise lines carrying the live feed a more appealing proposition to passengers when choosing who to travel with during this time.”

Timo Lumme, IOC TMS Managing Director, said: “We are very pleased to have reached an agreement with IMG for the Olympic Games Rio 2016 to be shown in the air and at sea. Our objective is to reach the widest possible audience and therefore it is important that coverage is as accessible as possible, and we are delighted that viewers will be able to watch the action live while on their travels.”

IMG provides more sports programming to airlines than any other distributor, each year supplying over 600 hours of programming to more than 50 international airlines, while Sport 24 is a 24/7 service, currently available across 11 airlines and six cruise lines.

United Kingdom | June 15, 2016– Dawson Media Direct is delighted to welcome aboard its new Managing Director, Paul Rayson. Mr Rayson will succeed the company’s outgoing MD John Howe, who retires next month.

Rayson joins DMD from a fixed term contact position on the Executive Leadership Team of Flightglobal, the authoritative source of news, insight and expertise for the global aviation community. In that role he worked internationally with airlines, airports and government bodies, having previously held leadership positions across the aviation, aerospace, publishing, consultancy and logistics sectors. He brings a wealth of highly relevant experience to the job and the specialist knowledge needed to lead DMD in its ambitions for the coming years.

“DMD has challenging but entirely achievable development plans”, said Rayson today, “with the fuller integration of its global print and digital services into one seamless multimedia solution. I’m confident my experience with both formats and the main market sectors we serve can help guide completion of that dovetailing process, and I’m happy to inherit from John a strong management team with unrivalled expertise in airline media of every kind.”

Paul Rayson went on to pay tribute to his predecessor, who has run the company for the past 17 years: “Over that time John has successfully positioned DMD for the digital age whilst keeping a strong focus on its core business in physical newspaper and magazine provision; and he has grown us from a UK operation to a truly global one, with service centres from Hong Kong to New York to Istanbul, and beyond. John Howe has been a longstanding leader for DMD, and an outstanding one, and he richly deserves a happy retirement.”

Mr Howe added: “I am leaving DMD in good hands and in good shape – ready to face the challenges ahead in our ever-evolving industry. I joined a company serving airlines in the UK only, and airlines remain the lifeblood of our business, but as we globalised we built new relationships too, with rail operators, airports and airside lounge operators all around the world. That has opened up really exciting opportunities for Paul and the team to develop, and I wish them very great success with it.”

• Transaction valued at $550 Million
• Creates a leading provider of satellite-based communications and media content to rapidly growing mobility markets
• Combined company expected to generate pro forma revenue of $660-690 million in 2016
• Annual synergies expected to reach $40 million

Los Angeles, CA | May 9, 2016– Global Eagle Entertainment Inc. (NASDAQ: ENT) (“GEE”) today announced that it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Emerging Markets Communications (“EMC”), a leading communications services provider to maritime and other mobility markets. The combined company will become a leading provider of global satellite- based communications and media content serving the rapidly growing aviation and maritime markets and select land-based markets. For additional details, please visit GEE’s transaction microsite at GEE-EMC.mobi.

Under the agreement, GEE will pay $550 million for EMC. EMC shareholders will receive $30 million in cash and 6.6 million shares of GEE stock at closing and another $25 million in 2017, which may be paid in cash or stock at GEE’s election. As a result of this transaction, ABRY Partners (“ABRY”), an experienced communications-focused private equity investment firm and the majority owner of EMC, will acquire an equity position in GEE as well as the right to nominate a member to GEE’s Board of Directors. Dave Davis, Chief Executive Officer of GEE, will be CEO of the combined company and Abel Avellan, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of EMC, is expected to serve as GEE’s President and Chief Strategy Officer.
The combined company is expected to benefit from:

• An expanded addressable market and growth opportunities;
• Unparalleled global infrastructure to support customer needs;
• A diversified and balanced revenue mix; and
• Significant network and operational efficiencies.

“This is a transformative acquisition for GEE that significantly expands our addressable market and accelerates our growth opportunities,” said Davis. “EMC’s verticals collectively represent a multi-billion dollar market opportunity with most growing at an annual rate of approximately 15%. Moving into a highly complementary, adjacent market like maritime leverages our existing infrastructure and suppliers to achieve improved efficiencies and cost savings, and provides valuable cross-selling opportunities for our content, digital media and operations solutions

April 19, 2016– In ight Dublin (IFD), the world’s largest independent content service provider, is proud to announce a partnership with Royal Air Maroc (RAM), which will see it provide a wide range of video and audio content, as well as bespoke solutions for the airline’s web and print platforms.

Under the partnership, IFD will help RAM to double the amount of content that it o ers to its passengers. It will also create a bespoke IFE Microsite that will be available in three languages, which will showcase the large variety of content and other services that will be available.

This new agreement comes during a period of growth and expansion for RAM. Having opened a route to Sao Paolo in November 2014, RAM has expanded its South American itinerary to include another Brazilian hotspot. From May 6, passengers will be able to travel to Rio de Janeiro from RAM’s Mohammed V International Airport hub in Casablanca.

Finally, IFD has designed a sleek and exclusive new magazine for RAM’s Business Class passengers. SkyMedia will feature details of all IFE on board, complete with editorial content and reviews.

“Royal Air Maroc is an award-winning airline currently experiencing substantial growth, and we look forward to working closely with the airline to deliver innovative IFE to their passengers”, says John White, IFD’s CEO. “This appointment also aligns with In ight Dublin’s strategy of partnering with airlines that have strong growth potential”, adds John.

“We’re delighted to have selected Inflight Dublin to supply a variety of inflight content to our aircraft. Our partnership with Inflight Dublin will support our strategy to enhance passenger experience through creative and relevant content,” AMINA FERTAT, Head of Product management department at Royal Air Maroc.

Dublin, Ireland | April 4, 2016– Inflight Dublin is pleased to announce a global licensing deal with Sony Music Entertainment. The agreement gives Inflight Dublin access to hit songs from leading record labels, including Columbia, RCA, Epic, Masterworks and Sony Music Nashville. This deal allows Inflight Dublin to offer its clients various interactive inflight offerings using albums and singles from Sony Music’s impressive roster of established and emerging artists.

Inflight Dublin has long prided itself on its ability to carefully choose the content it provides for its clients, tailoring its selections to the interests of airline passengers around the world. Access to the Sony Music catalogue allows Inflight Dublin to bring its long-established curatorial know-how to bear on the very best in classic and contemporary audio content.

“We are pleased to be partnering with Inflight Dublin to make our music available through their network of air carriers around the world,” said Mark Piibe, Executive Vice President, Global Business Development and Digital Strategy, Sony Music Entertainment. “Passengers on flights serviced by Inflight Dublin will now be able to enjoy current hits and legendary songs from our iconic catalogue as part of their travel experience.”

“This deal reinforces our position as a leading supplier of audio to the airline market,” says Inflight Dublin CEO John White. “We’re delighted to be working with Sony Music, and to have the opportunity to draw from its world-class music library to provide creative audio solutions for our clients.”

Los Angeles | May 20, 2015– Global Eagle Entertainment Inc. (“GEE”) (Nasdaq:ENT), a market-leading media and connectivity provider to the travel industry, today announced that it has been selected by Avianca Holdings to provide the in-flight entertainment service onboard its subsidiary airlines.

The agreement, underscores GEE’s strong foothold in the Latin American market. Currently, GEE provides IFE content and software solutions to over a dozen airlines in the region.Through this long-term agreement, GEE will provide a variety of international and regional inflight entertainment (IFE), including movies, TV programming and audio, to Avianca’s fleet of 168+ aircraft. The agreement will also be extended to provide content services on the 33+ A320neo aircraft that the airlines recently committed on order from Airbus. In addition, GEE will also provide content technical services to the airlines.

“We’re delighted to be selected as the content service provider across Avianca’s entire fleet,” explained Amir Samnani, Senior Vice President of Content at GEE. “Latin America is an important market for GEE, as it is one of the fastest growing regions in the world. Our agreement with Avianca highlights our commitment to meeting the needs of our global customers through our regional presence and expertise.”

Avianca’s CEO, Fabio Villegas, said: “The alliance with GEE will allow Avianca travelers to enjoy a new onboard experience, with a wide offer of high quality content that will make our flights much more enjoyable. Its experience and knowledge in IFE systems for commercial airlines make GEE, without a doubt, the ideal partner for Avianca.

Los Angeles, CA | March 31, 2015– Global Eagle Entertainment Inc. (“GEE”) (Nasdaq: ENT), a worldwide leading provider of content, connectivity, digital media solutions and operations data services to the travel industry, is delighted to announce the launch of GEE Maritime. GEE Maritime is the company’s new brand image and logo for its non-theatrical entertainment and media solutions business to cruise ships, merchant ships and yachts.
Global Eagle Entertainment is a leading provider of non-theatrical entertainment solutions to the cruise ship market, serving over 30 cruise lines worldwide with an extensive catalogue of movies, live news feeds from around the world, and popular TV and sports programming such as exclusive Champions League soccer matches.

The new GEE Maritime brand is aligned with the company’s recently launched corporate identity, highlighting GEE’s dedication to providing a holistic and integrated approach to its media solutions offering for the travel industry.

GEE Maritime is also actively developing an innovative content portal enabling a suite of wireless entertainment and connectivity-backed services for ship passengers and crews using their personal electronic devices. This Digital Media Solution, which leverages GEE’s established technologies for the airline market, will support services such as video-on-demand, fresh content updates and offline transactions, and will enable cruise line operators to explore new onboard revenue opportunities through advertising and brand sponsorships.

“We’re proud to unveil the new GEE Maritime brand and logo as part of GEE’s portfolio of products and services for the travel industry,” commented Robin Cole, Vice President of Marketing and Global Business Development at GEE. “This new brand deployment demonstrates our commitment to providing the global cruise industry with engaging and integrated content offerings. As part of GEE’s market-leading travel oriented solutions, GEE Maritime paves the way for our revolutionary digital media and wireless solutions to enhance the entertainment offering on cruises worldwide.”

• Dutch office opening includes appointment of Joost Vosmer to manage regional business

Amsterdam | February 11, 2015–Global content and media agency Spafax further expands operations in Europe with the opening of a new Amsterdam office and appointment of Joost Vosmer as Media Sales Manager.

Spafax The Netherlands is located at Karperstraat 10 in Amsterdam, and marks Spafax’s 15th office globally and fourth in Europe.

Spafax won the KLM Royal Dutch Airlines IFE Media Sales business in September, which marked the beginning of Spafax’s relationship with the leading premium airline.

“Our continued development in the European market demonstrates the confidence airlines have in Spafax to support their consumer-facing programs,“ said Phil Peachey, Media Sales Director, Europe, Spafax. “We look forward to building brand partnerships on behalf of KLM and expanding our team in the Netherlands.”

Joost Vosmer is the local lead contact in Amsterdam, and is positioned to support all aspects of the KLM Media Sales business. Joost’s appointment allows Spafax to have a stronger product offering for advertisers in The Netherlands. Joost brings 14 years of business and sales management experience to Spafax, working across traditional, digital, and mobile advertising channels.