The Over the Top (OTT) Platform, which distributes Caribbean content online, and via applications on Roku Box, the Apple iOs store and Google Play, celebrated its one-year anniversary with a white party at Circa Lounge on January 16.
MAS2TV was launched a year ago, but went commercially live in October 2015 in New York City. MAS2TV VP of marketing and strategy Ian Royer said in a release they have since acquired over 200 assets of content for their catalogue, including favourites like Westwood Park, A Story About Wendy 1 & 2 and the entire cache of Machel Montano’s music videos from over the years.
The platform is also developing an original series called Peace2 TV, which is a series unlike any other, devoted to bridging the physical, emotional, and spiritual parts of our being, hosted by Dr Guldal Caba. MAS2 TV is also the official distribution platform for the popular Jamaican reality series called The Hardweares featuring Singing Melody and his wife.
“Our 2015 was very challenging, but rewarding and exciting at the same time,” said Dianne Bissoon EVP/CCO of MAS2TV. “We’ve not only acquired great content, but built great partnerships along the way. In 2016 MAS2 TV will not only partner with AnimaeCaribe to celebrate their 15th anniversary but also serve as the global distribution platform for Kingstoon—an initiative sponsored by the World Bank that takes place in March of this year.”
Bissoon said, “It was especially rewarding to celebrate in the same place where we started a year ago with a wonderful group of talented filmmakers who have graciously supported our mission and vision for the region, we are confident that we’re on the right track to elevating our talent and culture globally.”
Performer Mark Hardy, who entertained the crowd alongside Stef Kalloo, praised the platform for their support of local musicians by giving them a gateway to distribute their videos. FilmTT acting GM Jamil Agard and filmmaker and producer Danielle Dieffenthaller both spoke and endorsed the mission and vision of the subscriber platform.
Among the guests at the event was MAS2 director of content acquisition Anand Heerasingh, who flew in from Toronto to support the event.
The acronym MAS2 TV stands for Multi-culture Arts Society and Sports Television, and in keeping with the name, the directors indicated that there are plans to do heavy content acquisitions not only from the Caribbean, but also from other niche communities around the globe.