IGN Entertainment and Shine Group to Launch "START" -- a New YouTube Video Games Channel

SAN FRANCISCO, Nov. 2, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- As part of YouTube's newly-announced channels initiative, IGN Entertainment and Shine Group will launch "START," a new YouTube video games channel in early 2012.

Programmed by IGN, the world's most popular games media company, in partnership with global production group Shine, START will inform, entertain and engage users with a high-quality broadcast experience that will offer a mix of live and long-form programming and feature regular celebrity appearances.

"Games deserve to be right up there with sports and music and sci-fi, as the subject of some of the greatest pieces of entertainment of our time," said Roy Bahat, President, IGN Entertainment. "This is the perfect opportunity for us to create an entertainment hit, born in the world of video games."

Bahat continued, "We're thrilled to partner with Shine Group -- one of the best content creators in the business -- to help video games content make its mark with TV-quality programming."

Elisabeth Murdoch, Shine Group Chairman and CEO said: "IGN has earned a following like no other in the gaming world through its unrivalled coverage of the genre. The YouTube channel initiative provides the opportunity to combine this knowledge with the creativity of our world class production teams at Shine Group to bring gamers, from the most casual to dedicated, a genuinely new, engaging and entertaining experience."

Featuring the trusted voice of IGN as its emcee, channel programming and management will be run by IGN and will feature television-quality content from Shine Group company Reveille, one of the leading multi-genre and digital entertainment producers in the U.S., responsible for global hits including The Biggest Loser, MasterChef and The Office, as well as more than 20 successful branded entertainment online series.

START will build on the successful existing live event coverage enjoyed by IGN users, including the IGN Pro League (eSports) events and original series like IGN's The Next Game Boss reality competition. All-new Reveille-produced content will include scripted comedies, game shows, curated trailer exclusives, and more.

Shows expected to be featured in START's initial programming slate include:

• The Next Game Boss: In this elimination competition series, teams of independent game producers compete to win funding to build the next big indie game.
• Game Over: The worlds of games, tech and entertainment collide in a show brimming with news, reviews, comedy and insight from IGN personalities and celebrity guests.
• Celebrity Assassin: Celebrities pick up the game controller, show their prowess, crack jokes and talk about their newest projects.
• IGN Pro League: Top-ranked players traverse the globe to compete in a world-class professional gaming tournament complete with cash prizes, screaming fans and all the trappings of a nationally televised sporting event. 

ABOUT IGN ENTERTAINMENT

IGN Entertainment is the leading Internet media and services provider focused on the video game and entertainment enthusiast markets.  Collectively, IGN's properties reach 50 million unique users worldwide, and IGN's network of video game-related properties (IGN.com, 1UP.com, GameSpy, FilePlanet, TeamXbox and others) is the Web's #1 video game information destination.  IGN also owns the world's largest men's lifestyle website, AskMen.com, and men's entertainment site UGO.com. It also provides technology for online game play in video games. IGN is headquartered in the San Francisco Bay Area, with offices across North America, Europe and Australia. 

ABOUT THE SHINE GROUP Founded in 2001 by Elisabeth Murdoch, Shine Group has built a global footprint producing some of the world's most creative, ground-breaking, critically acclaimed and commercially successful programming. Shine Group boasts some of the most respected and prolific production companies in the worlds of scripted and non-scripted television. The company produces over 1,500 hours of scheduled programming annually and numbers 26 companies across three continents.  In the UK Shine Group consists of admired genre specialists Dragonfly (factual), Kudos (drama), and Princess Productions (entertainment) and Brown Eyed Boy (comedy) along with award-winning multi-genre producers Shine TV; in the USA, market-leading independent producers Reveille, part of Shine Group Americas, and in the Nordics Metronome Film & Television, the pre-eminent production group within the region. Shine Pictures, a joint venture with New Regency, develops, produces and distributes films globally.  Over the last two years the group has successfully established international companies Shine Australia, Shine Germany, Shine France, and most recently Shine Iberia. Earlier in 2011, Shine Group entered social gaming with the acquisition of Bossa Studios.

SOURCE IGN Entertainment, Inc.