EQAL EXPANDS LONELYGIRL15 ONLINE DRAMA FRANCHISE TO ITALY

LOS ANGELES and MILAN, ITALY, June 4 - EQAL, the social entertainment company, today announced plans for international expansion of the highly successful online interactive serial drama franchise, lonelygirl15 (LG15), through a partnership with Italy-based M.A.D. Entertainment. M.A.D. Entertainment is the country’s premier production company specializing in the creation and adaptation of entertainment properties for Italian and international markets. EQAL and M.A.D. Entertainment will co-produce an Italian-language sister series, the second spin-off from the LG15 universe, following the award-winning UK-based series KateModern, which will conclude its year-long run on Bebo later this month.

“Expanding into new languages and creating another original LG15 sister series that appeals to an international audience is an exciting next step for us,” said Miles Beckett, CEO of EQAL. “The suspenseful, interactive plot lines that have made lonelygirl15 such an Internet phenomena will translate well for an Italian audience that appreciates drama and storytelling.”

Founded by lonelygirl15 creators Miles Beckett and Greg Goodfried, EQAL is the world’s leading producer of online interactive series with more than 150 million views for lonelygirl15 and KateModern combined. Capitalizing on the inherent capabilities of the Internet to support immersive, interactive experiences for viewers, EQAL continually updates and evolves storylines based on audience feedback, helping to build deeply engaged online communities.
“We are thrilled about the opportunity to bring the LG15 plotlines to the Italian public. The Internet-format lets users share in the experience and participate in the series in a way that would be impossible with other platforms,” said Filippo Chiusano, CEO of M.A.D. Entertainment. “We strongly believe that the enormous success achieved in the United States and the United Kingdom will be replicated and embraced here in Italy, and are looking forward to working closely with EQAL.”

EQAL and M.A.D. Entertainment are currently seeking sponsorship and brand-integration opportunities for the planned series.

About EQAL
EQAL (pronounced “Equal”) is a social entertainment company dedicated to changing the way content is consumed. Merging technology with creative development and production expertise, EQAL is a leader in the creation of truly interactive shows. Formerly known as LG15 Studios/Telegraph Ave. Productions, the company produces the two most successful online interactive dramas: lonelygirl15 and KateModern. Through partnerships with independent producers, traditional media companies, and multi-national brands, EQAL is dedicated to building online communities that engage users like never before. The company recently signed a first-of-its-kind partnership with CBS to create and produce multi-platform television, online and mobile entertainment for existing and future CBS television productions. EQAL is headquartered in Los Angeles with offices in London. For more information: http://www.eqal.com.

About M.A.D. Entertainment
M.A.D. Entertainment is a TV production company founded in 2002 by Filippo Chiusano, previously founder and CEO of Milan Channel. The company creates, produces and trades entertainment formats for the main Italian broadcasters. In addition, M.A.D. develops its own original productions. In October 2006, M.A.D. merged with Cinecittà Entertainment. The merger has increased the field of action including also fiction. Cinecittà Entertainment is the first Italian producer of cinema documentaries for Sky Italia. At the end of 2007 the company merged with the television division of Filmmaster Group, a production company and market leader in Italy, specializing in advertising commercials and music videos. Since January 2008 M.A.D. has been managing Roma Channel, the official football TV channel of A.S.Roma, broadcast on Sky Italia satellite platform. Fore more information: http://www.madeonline.it.

NEWSFLASH: EQAL to start series in Italy