MUMBAI: Celestial Tiger Entertainment (CTE), Asia?s leading vertically integrated independent entertainment companies, has promoted to Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Todd Miller of the company.

Miller joined CTE as President and Chief Operating Officer (COO) when the company was formed in January 2012 through a merger of Celestial Pictures? channels business with Tiger Gate Entertainment. Miller will continue to report to the Board of Directors of CTE.

"Todd has shown great leadership in integrating two companies into a highly efficient organization with a powerful bouquet of channels and a flourishing licensing business. As CEO, we look forward to Todd continuing Celestial Tiger?s momentum by expanding its channel bouquet, building brand equity, propelling the licensing business and building strategic partnerships," says Saban Capital Group president and COO Adam Chesnoff and chairman of the Board of Directors of CTE.

"It?s been an incredibly exciting first year for Celestial Tiger. We have united a company, launched new linear channels and on-demand services, invested significantly in content and marketing, expanded our channel distribution footprint, and grown the licensing business. I am proud to work with such a dedicated and capable team as we deliver great entertainment and distinctive channels to viewers across the region," said Miller.

Under Miller?s leadership, CTE has nearly doubled the number of network affiliates with 27 new carriage deals and 10 new on demand and over-the-top (OTT) service launches across 16 platforms in Asia.

CTE?s content licensing business also grew significantly during this time. The company closed licensing deals in Southeast Asia and Greater China for over 1700 hours of Lionsgate?s television series and feature films. In addition, CTE now represents Lionsgate content for television and digital rights distribution in Japan and South Korea.

Prior to joining CTE, Miller spent 17 years at Sony Pictures Television, where he last served as Executive Vice President, Networks, Asia-Pacific, overseeing and managing over 25 television networks and channel investments in the region.

MUMBAI: Celestial Tiger Entertainment (CTE), the operator of pan-Asian channels dedicated to Asian entertainment, has announced several first and exclusive content deals for its channels.

CTE has secured two multi-year output deals with renowned mixed martial arts (MMA) promoter Bellator Fighting Championships and kickboxing promoter It?s Showtime for action entertainment channel, Kix.

CTE has also concluded a volume deal with CJ E&M Corporation (CJ E&M) that locks in edgy action series and thrilling dramas on a first-run basis for all CTE channels in Asia.

Premiering in May is the sixth season of the Bellator Fighting Championships, which is distributed by FremantleMedia Enterprises, involves single-elimination tournaments with champions crowned across a number of weight classes.

The company has also signed an exclusive multi-year output deal with French media rights agency Fighting Spirit for It?s Showtime, a global championship kickboxing tournament featuring top level fights.

The largest entertainment company in South Korea, CJ E&M Corporation, will also be bringing a selection of its latest and most exciting TV series first and exclusively to CTE?s channels in Asia.

Included in the volume deal are hits like Blood Thirsty Prosecutor, Hero, Quiz from God, Ten, and Girl Killer K.

"With the growing popularity of mixed martial arts tournaments in Asia, we are securing two major combat promotions exclusively for Kix which, together with the current MMA programs, will make KIX the ?home of combat? in Asia," said CTE EVP TV Networks Ofanny Choi. "In addition, our partnership with CJ E&M guarantees our channels a pipeline of big-budget action series and thrillers that are truly daring, distinctive and Asian."