SPHERE ENTERTAINMENT AND THE DEPARTMENT OF CULTURE AND TOURISM - ABU DHABI ANNOUNCE PLANS TO MAKE ABU DHABI NEXT SPHERE VENUE LOCATION

NEW YORK and ABU DHABI, UAE, Oct. 15, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Sphere Entertainment Co. (NYSE: SPHR) ("Sphere Entertainment") and the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi ("DCT Abu Dhabi") announced today that they will work together to bring the world's second Sphere to Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. This next-generation entertainment medium is expected to be a landmark addition to this premier international capital city, elevating the entertainment offerings for residents and visitors alike.

"The vision for Sphere has always included a global network of venues, and today's announcement is a significant milestone toward that goal," said James L. Dolan, Executive Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Sphere Entertainment. "Sphere is redefining live entertainment and extending the reach of its transformative impact. We are proud to collaborate with DCT Abu Dhabi to develop Sphere in their city."

H.E. Mohamed Khalifa Al Mubarak, Chairman of DCT Abu Dhabi, said: "We are excited to bring Sphere to Abu Dhabi in partnership with Sphere Entertainment, providing our residents and visitors with an extraordinary new form of entertainment. Sphere Abu Dhabi will seamlessly integrate advanced technology with captivating storytelling, creating unforgettable memories for everyone who visits. This partnership aligns with our Tourism Strategy 2030, further establishing Abu Dhabi as a vibrant hub for culture and innovation. By embracing cutting-edge entertainment like Sphere, we're not only elevating our global profile but also setting new standards in immersive experiences and cultural offerings."

Since opening the first Sphere in Las Vegas to worldwide acclaim in September 2023, Sphere Entertainment has actively pursued its plans to develop a global network of Sphere venues. This expansion is expected to provide significant growth potential and drive new revenue streams by leveraging Sphere Entertainment's expertise, proprietary technology, and original content.

Located in a prime spot in Abu Dhabi and echoing the scale of the 20,000-capacity Sphere in Las Vegas, this venue promises to redefine entertainment in the region. Sphere in Abu Dhabi is expected to be a major year-round draw for both residents and visitors from around the world, offering opportunities to experience events, concerts, and shows like never before in an unforgettable and revolutionary setting.

Sphere Entertainment and DCT Abu Dhabi, the organization driving the growth of Abu Dhabi's culture and tourism sectors and promoting the city as a global destination, have agreed to collaborate on building the next Sphere venue in Abu Dhabi, which welcomed more than 24 million visitors in 2023. Under the terms of the partnership, which is subject to finalization of definitive agreements, DCT Abu Dhabi will pay Sphere Entertainment a franchise initiation fee for the right to build the venue, utilizing Sphere Entertainment's proprietary designs, technology, and intellectual property. Construction will be funded by DCT Abu Dhabi, with Sphere Entertainment's team of experts providing services related to development, construction, and pre-opening of the venue.

Following the venue's opening, Sphere Entertainment plans to maintain ongoing arrangements with DCT Abu Dhabi that are expected to include annual fees for creative and artistic content licensed by Sphere Entertainment, such as Sphere Experiences; use of Sphere's brand, patents, proprietary technology, and intellectual property; and operational services related to venue operations and technology, as well as commercial and strategic advisory support.

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About Sphere 

Sphere is a next-generation entertainment medium that is redefining the future of live entertainment. A venue where the foremost artists, creators, and technologists create extraordinary experiences that take storytelling to a new level and transport audiences to places both real and imagined. The venue hosts original Sphere Experiences; concerts and residencies from the world's biggest artists; and premier marquee and corporate events. The first Sphere venue opened in Las Vegas in September 2023, and is a new Las Vegas landmark, powered by cutting-edge technologies that ignite the senses and enable audiences to share experiences at a never-before-seen scale. More information is available at thesphere.com.

About Sphere Entertainment Co.

Sphere Entertainment Co. is a premier live entertainment and media company. The Company includes Sphere, a next-generation entertainment medium powered by cutting-edge technologies to redefine the future of entertainment. The first Sphere venue opened in Las Vegas in September 2023. In addition, the Company includes MSG Networks, which operates two regional sports and entertainment networks, MSG Network and MSG Sportsnet, as well as a direct-to-consumer and authenticated streaming product, MSG+, delivering a wide range of live sports content and other programming. More information is available at sphereentertainmentco.com. 

About the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi

The Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi) drives the sustainable growth of Abu Dhabi's culture and tourism sectors and its creative industries, fuelling economic progress and helping to achieve Abu Dhabi's wider global ambitions. 

By working in partnership with the organisations that define the emirate's position as a leading international destination, DCT Abu Dhabi strives to unite the ecosystem around a shared vision of the emirate's potential, coordinate effort and investment, deliver innovative solutions, and use the best tools, policies and systems to support the culture and tourism industries.

DCT Abu Dhabi's vision is defined by the emirate's people, heritage and landscape. We work to enhance Abu Dhabi's status as a place of authenticity, innovation, and unparalleled experiences, represented by its living traditions of hospitality, pioneering initiatives and creative thought.

Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains statements that constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including statements about Sphere Entertainment's plans, strategies, beliefs and expectations. Investors are cautioned that any such forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance or results and involve risks and uncertainties, and that actual results, developments or events may differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements as a result of various factors, including the finalization of definitive agreements with DCT Abu Dhabi and the factors described in Sphere Entertainment's filings with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission, including the sections titled "Risk Factors" and "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations" contained therein. Sphere Entertainment disclaims any obligation to update any forward-looking statements contained herein.

** The press release content is from PR Newswire. Bastille Post is not involved in its creation. **

SPHERE ENTERTAINMENT AND THE DEPARTMENT OF CULTURE AND TOURISM - ABU DHABI ANNOUNCE PLANS TO MAKE ABU DHABI NEXT SPHERE VENUE LOCATION

BANGKOK, Oct. 20, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The Thailand Game Show 2024 is successfully concluded on October 20, 2024, at Exhibition Hall 3-4 of the Queen Sirikit National Convention Center in Bangkok, Thailand. This year's game show has continued to attract numerous exhibitors that specialize in anime, gaming, food and other sectors, as well as countless passionate gamers. Being a globally renowned game and pan-entertainment live streaming platform, NIMO, serving as an official strategic partner, participated in the exhibition and hosted the inaugural large-scale e-sports-themed music festival – NIMO WAVE LIVE SHOW, to cater to 1,000 audiences. During the event, NIMO also announced the launch of its musician commercialization support program to continuously expand its pan-entertainment content landscape and accelerate its commercialization process. Thailand's Minister of Culture, Sudawan Wangsuphakijkosol, along with other government officials, and NIMO CEO Leo Li, attended this year's game show.

NIMO Deepens Collaboration with Thailand Game Show to Continuously Strengthen Global Commercialization Landscape

NIMO has set up a rich array of check-in elements at its on-site booth S4, themed "NIMO GAME SOLUTION SPACE," including the interactive challenge zone. Gamers or fans who complete the fun interactive tasks on-site have the chance to win generous gift packs, such as NIMO squishy toys, emoji stickers, woven bags, and music festival-themed gifts, which attracted active participation and widespread attention of many fans. Furthermore, three top Vietnamese streamers cosplayed at the game show and engaged in live streaming as well as on-site interactions, sharing the joy of live streaming with local users up close. Additionally, to promote NIMO's youthful and energetic brand image, various trendy items such as fashionable T-shirts were displayed in the "NIMO STORE" exhibition area, further enhancing NIMO's brand influence globally.

In addition to bringing more communication opportunities to local users, NIMO's participation in the Thailand Game Show also aims to connect with more localized business partners. By exhibiting offline, NIMO hopes to foster cross-industry collaborations with organizations from various sectors. Starting 2024, NIMO has actively participated in ChinaJoy in China, Gamescom in Germany, and the highly anticipated Thailand Game Show. It is evident that NIMO 's participation in each game exhibition has demonstrated a clear strategic plan and brand upgrade. For instance, at ChinaJoy in Shanghai, China, NIMO unveiled its new slogan "GLOBAL NIMO, LOCAL FUN!", emphasizing that while expanding globally, NIMO also attaches great importance to the development of localized community ecosystems. In Cologne, Germany, it can be seen the in-depth collaboration between NIMO and Tencent Games, breaking through NIMO's own business boundaries. NIMO is more than being just a live streaming platform, but also a full-service game distribution platform, a global influencer marketing agency, and a professional e-sports tournament organizer. Now in Thailand's Bangkok, NIMO remains to be full of surprises. At this year's Thailand Game Show, NIMO hosted an e-sports-themed music festival for thousand people and rolled out a musician commercialization support program, further integrating gaming, music, and pop culture elements. Its diversified content platform community and omnichannel marketing capabilities make it even more anticipated.

NIMO WAVE LIVE SHOW Debuts at Thailand Game Show and Rolls Out Musician Support Initiative

As the major highlight of the game show, the NIMO WAVE LIVE SHOW was held on the evening of October 19th at the main stage of the game show venue. Renowned Thai singers MILLI and IRONBOY, popular Thai band PAPER PLANES, Sisweet, and Brazilian pop singer Lúcia, among other artists and bands, brought a multitude of familiar songs to the audience. Additionally, band lead vocalist Phạm Anh Khoa, guitarist Dzung, music producer as well as renowned DJ Teddy Doox, and well-known DJ Brian, who are under Vietnam's OEG Talent House, also delivered exhilarating performances. Popular game-related songs such as those from "Arena Breakout," "Battle of Golden Spatula," "PUBG," and "League of Legends" were performed, igniting the passion of every audience at the scene!

Following the success of the inaugural NIMO WAVE LIVE SHOW, NIMO is poised to unveil a commercial support program tailored specifically for musicians. The program aims to attract more talented and innovative musicians to join the newly launched NIMO WAVE music category in August by offering diversified revenue streams, music distribution and promotion services, creative support, and technological empowerment. Worth mentioning is that OEG Talent House, along with more than ten affiliated musicians, has taken the lead in joining the NIMO WAVE music section. Currently, NIMO has forged partnerships with Revolution, the most influential music festival organizer in Southeast Asia, and NCT, a renowned music platform in Vietnam. Additionally, NIMO will provide services such as copyright management, brand collaboration, advertising revenue sharing, and creative tool development to help enhance musicians' comprehensive capabilities in content creation, music distribution, commercial earnings, and personal influence.

Looking ahead, NIMO will continue strengthening cooperation with the gaming industry to explore more cooperative approaches such as exclusive customized game music and soundtrack albums for game characters, enhancing the diversity of entertainment content. On one hand, NIMO plans to collaborate with top musicians, record labels, and content creators to establish a global network of music partners. By tailoring content creation and community operations to the musical styles and user preferences of different regions, NIMO aims to build a more diverse pan-entertainment content consumption ecosystem. On the other hand, NIMO will continue to actively explore crossover collaborations with various fields, and expand partnerships with global entertainment companies, technology platforms and cultural events, to tap into the substantial commercial value within the pan-entertainment sector.

** The press release content is from PR Newswire. Bastille Post is not involved in its creation. **

Debut of the Inaugural NIMO WAVE LIVE SHOW at Thailand Game Show 2024, Unveiling the Commercial Potential of Music

Debut of the Inaugural NIMO WAVE LIVE SHOW at Thailand Game Show 2024, Unveiling the Commercial Potential of Music

Debut of the Inaugural NIMO WAVE LIVE SHOW at Thailand Game Show 2024, Unveiling the Commercial Potential of Music

Debut of the Inaugural NIMO WAVE LIVE SHOW at Thailand Game Show 2024, Unveiling the Commercial Potential of Music

Debut of the Inaugural NIMO WAVE LIVE SHOW at Thailand Game Show 2024, Unveiling the Commercial Potential of Music