RS will set up a new subsidiary about the middle of this month to manage sports content and organise local and international sporting events, says chairman Surachai Chetchotisak.

The company's RSi Dream Entertainment event-organising subsidiary also signed a contract yesterday with Chaiyo Productions for five-year exclusive marketing rights for its "Project Ultraman" 52-episode television series, which will hit free-TV channels in Thailand next April.

DhosPaak Communication Agency managing director Vorawut Rojanapanich and his staff will move from DhosPaak to join the new company, which will strengthen RS's business position as Thailand's leading entertainment and sports-content provider. RS, however, declined to reveal the name of its sports-management subsidiary.

"Sports will become a valuable content in this world beside other content like game shows, news and entertainment," said Surachai. He said RS had organised many sports-management activities. The company has encouraged its artists to form football teams and organised tournaments for them. Last year, the firm also organised World Wresting Entertainment matches in Bangkok.

Surachai said the setting up of the new sports subsidiary would be completed soon and that RS would hold a press conference to introduce the new company about the middle of this month.

Meanwhile, RSi Dream yesterday signed a five-year contract with Chaiyo Productions for exclusive marketing rights for the "Project Ultraman" television series. Surachai said about Bt50 million would be allocated to "Project Ultraman" for the licence contract and all marketing support. The company expected to gain about Bt100 million in returns the first year. He added that in addition to Thailand, the company had also obtained the marketing rights for "Project Ultraman" in Vietnam, where the series will debut on television next May or June.

RSi Dream Entertainment managing director Boonperm Intanapasat said that under the contract, RSi Dream would become the exclusive marketing agent for "Project Ultraman" for the next five years in several media channels. These include free and cable television, broadband Internet, home-video sales and rentals and new media like SMS, electronic and digital media. Almost 80 per cent of revenues will come from sponsorships and co-marketing campaigns with business partners.

Chaiyo Productions CEO and director Perasit Saengduenchai said the "Project Ultraman" television series, which cost almost Bt150 million, would launch first in Thailand, followed by other markets throughout Asia, including China, Hong Kong, Indonesia and Malaysia. The company expects the "Project Ultraman" series to generate revenues of more than Bt1 billion next year in the region, in terms of both broadcasting and marketing rights.

Kwanchai Rungfapaisarn

The Nation