Astro extends partnership with WWE

Astro Malaysia and WWE have extended their partnership for the 17th year to continue airing WWE programming, including flagship shows such as Raw and SmackDown. WWE Network will also continue to be offered as a premium channel, which includes all WWE special events such as WrestleMania, SummerSlam, Survivor Series and Royal Rumble.According to Michelle Wilson, WWE chief revenue and marketing officer, Astro's commitment to WWE allows the company to continue showcasing its mix of action-packed, family friendly entertainment across Malaysia. Astro declined to comment further on A+M's queries.This news follows a refresh of 11 radio brands at Astro on earlier this month, in a bid to align with its new brand promise “to engage fans across multiple platforms with content that resonates with all segments of the population". ERA, MY, HITZ, MIX, LITE, SINAR, RAAGA, GEGAR, MELODY, ZAYAN and GOXUAN, are no longer using the ‘FM’ suffix, and the stations have taken on a new logo.Last year, Astro saw a two percent year-on-year (yoy) decrease in revenue to RM4.14 billion for the nine months of the financial year ending 31 January 2018 (M9FY18). As part of its strategic long term growth portfolio, Astro also entered into a binding term sheet with Grup Majalah Karangkraf (GMK) to form a joint venture.Under the joint venture, Astro will invest RM100 million for a 51% stake in Karangkraf Digital 360. The joint venture will also boost Astro’s online presence among the Malay community and help boost its combined monthly unique visitors to about 10 million. The agreement also seeks to pursue 360° monetisation strategies for the Karangkraf Digital’s content IPs across multiple platforms, leveraging on Astro’s capabilities, growing reach and engagement.