Introducing MTV Iggy, a New MTV Brand That Brings Global Pop Music and Culture to America

NEW YORK, Oct. 13, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- MTV World, a unit of Viacom Inc. (VIA.A, VIA.B), today announced the launch of MTV Iggy, a multi-platform global music brand connecting America with artists and pop culture phenomena trending around the world. Channeling a music revolution driven by globally minded youth through social media, MTV Iggy is a dedicated platform for international superstars and genres ranging from Brazilian baile funk to Norwegian heavy metal and everything in between.

"Today's music fans live in an astoundingly connected world where pop music is without borders; Latin American audiences love K-Pop and rappers from the Congo are finding fans in Belgium," said Nusrat Durrani, Senior Vice President and General Manager of MTV World. "MTV Iggy offers a U.S. stage for artists who are catching fire around the globe. We hold a mirror to a new kind of music revolution driven by young people everywhere who know that good music can come from anywhere."

At launch, MTV Iggy content will be available across multiple platforms, including online, on-air and social media outlets. On October 17th, MTV Iggy will premiere its first episode of The MTV Iggy Show, a weekly showcase of the best new music from around the world. The thirty-minute global music showcase will air on mtvU at 8:00 p.m. ET/7:00 p.m. CT, with other editions of the show airing across MTV television networks including MTV and MTV2 as well as MTV.com.  

Added Amy Doyle, MTV's EVP of Music & Talent Programming Strategy, "The launch of MTV Iggy reinforces our commitment to supporting an eclectic mix of artists and further extends our music strategy. Great new artists from around the world will have a home base in the U.S., our audiences will discover fresh sounds on MTV, and hopefully we will create great opportunities for collaboration with US acts."

MTVIggy.com will exist as MTV Iggy's home base and is accessible from anywhere in the world, providing music fans the same experience regardless of their country or region. At launch, MTVIggy.com offers a vast library of globally cleared content, including live performances, music videos, interviews, articles, reviews, and original photography.

To celebrate the launch, MTV Iggy initiated Best New Band in the World, a program that features 10 breakthrough acts from countries including the U.K., Australia, Jamaica, Malaysia, Pakistan, U.S.A. and South Korea.  The Best New Band in the World, as determined by global fan vote, will be announced on November 10th with an opportunity to perform at an MTV Iggy Live taping in MTV's Times Square studio and promoted on MTV U.S.A. platforms. Since MTVIggy.com launched in beta in late September, the competition has already attracted votes from 159 countries and territories.

MTV Iggy also taps into the social media conversation around global music and pop trends through its Facebook page (facebook.mtviggy.com) and Twitter handle (@MTVIggy), further empowering fans to share, engage and discover new artists.

ABOUT MTV WORLD

MTV World connects globally minded millennials with music and pop culture trends and creates original programming for targeted audiences across multi-platform brands.  The division includes MTV Iggy, featuring emerging music from around the world, MTV K, devoted to global K-Pop, and MTV Desi, focused on South Asian music and pop culture. It also creates innovative content and programs for advertising partners. MTV World is a unit of Viacom Inc. (NYSE: VIA.A, VIA.B).

SOURCE Viacom