ABS-CBN Files over $40M Lawsuit vs 40 Pirate Domains in U.S. Federal Court

ABS-CBN, a leading global Filipino media and entertainment company, filed a USD $40-million lawsuit entitled, ABS-CBN v. 123Fullpinoymovieshub.com, in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida against 40 pirate domains pirating ABS-CBN's content and infringing its copyrights and trademarks.  The Court recently issued a preliminary injunction against these 40 pirate domains to take down the domains with a serving notice. The United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida is the Federal United States District Court with territorial jurisdiction over the southern part of the state of Florida.

The lawsuit comes as news reports show piracy has made a comeback during the COVID-19 pandemic.  According to a report by TVtechnology.com on how media companies are dealing with piracy in the age of COVID, lockdowns resulted into more breaches of streaming security as a result of higher demand. Criminals were isolating at home as well and likely had more time and inclination to devote to nefarious activities.

Porter Robinson's Secret Sky Festival returns April 24th

Acclaimed vocalist, songwriter and producer Porter Robinson’s livestream festival Secret Sky will return April 24th. This year’s lineup, curated by Porter, features artists from across the world including Baauer, Boys Noize, End of the World, Imanu B2B Buunshin, James Ivy, Kero Kero Bonito, Laxcity, Masakatsu Takagi, No Rome, Rezz, Salute, Serph, Swardy, Wave Racer and Yvette Young. Porter’s headline set marks the first time he will perform music from his highly anticipated new album Nurture, out April 23rd via Mom+Pop. See the full line-up and register to attend here. 

Porter, in partnership with Active Theory, has designed and built a custom, digital, VR-optimized festival grounds inspired by massive online multiplayer experiences and Porter's favorite indie art games. Users will embody Secret Sky themed avatars and experience the festival with thousands of attendees in real time, with features such as live voice chat, multiple explorable environments, and a landscape modifying "party mode". The festival uses Active Theory's Dreamwave technology—previously seen at last year's Secret Sky Festival and Sundance Film Festival— and includes new and improved features such as WebXR support and live-stream stage integration.

ABS-CBN Global enters landmark deal with Hong Kong’s leading telco, SmarTone

ABS-CBN Global, the largest international producer and distributor of Filipino entertainment content, and SmarTone Mobile Communications Limited, the leading telecommunications company in Hong Kong, have agreed to unite their efforts to provide quality service to Filipinos in the territory, which they announce through a virtual contract signing ceremony.

The partnership strategically aligns both market leaders by integrating TFC’s biggest library of Filipino content and SmarTone’s dedication in bringing innovative service and inspiring projects to the community.

ABS-CBN North and Latin America News Head TJ Manotoc to speak at the 15th Annual MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference

The MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference (SSAC) -- a virtual conference that continues to define the future of sports -- kicks off its 15th year on April 8 and 9, 2021 with a roster of industry experts, team owners, league executives, coaches, athletes, and academics. 

Among the over 150 world-famous notable speakers in this year's conference that are taking part in over 40 hours of panels and workshops is ABS-CBN North and Latin America News Bureau Chief TJ Manotoc who will join Miami Heat VP for Basketball Development & Analytics Shane Battier and Big Ten Conference Commissioner Kevin Warren in the panel on "The Invisible Opponent: Our Mental Health Crisis".  Eleanor Health CEO and Co-Founder Corbin Petro will moderate the panel.

Comeback bout of Donnie “Ahas” Nietes in Dubai to be seen on TFC Middle East for Free

Filipinos and boxing enthusiasts in the Middle East will get to watch the exciting comeback fight of Filipino boxer Donnie “Ahas” Nietes vs. Pablo Corillo at the Ceasars Palace Bluewaters, Dubai, UAE, on April 3, Saturday, as TFC in the Middle East airs the event LIVE for FREE across its platforms including its live feed on iWantTFC (online, via iWantTFC app on android, and select Smart TVs) in the region, and TFC cable and satellite partners OSN, E-Life, Du, and Ooredoo at 10:00 p.m. (Dubai time) or 9:00 p.m. (KSA time).

Gabri Panlilio Forges Hew Own Brand Of Classical OPM

Classical singers are a rare breed, whose angelic voices range from whisper quiet to thunderous crescendos, all at once conveying the sheer majesty and bravura of the age-old musical tradition.

To this day, nothing seems more graphic than the clichéd image of the well-trained coloratura shattering a wine glass to smithereens through her piercing voice and lung power alone.

But then again, that's not to say that classical singing is all about technique or histrionics. Through its various permutations, classical singing has enjoyed widespread acceptance and popularity amid a more modern, pop-sounding harmonic backdrop such as Broadway, pop and even rock-even in the Philippines where the genre has often been misjudged for its elitist appeal.

With her powerful voice, 21-year-old Victoria Gabrielle "Gabri" Panlilio has been hailed as one of the country's emerging classical crossover artists, following in the footsteps of her musical idols such as Audra McDonald, Renee Fleming, Natalie Dessay and Cecilia Bartoli.

TFC Everywhere Offered as Free Benefit to TFC Subscribers on Participating CabSat Platforms and on IPTV

As social distancing became the norm in this prolonged pandemic period, fewer opportunities to physically socialize triggered people around the world to turn more into online or digital entertainment for recreation or stress relief.  With the work-from-anywhere set-up came an increased need for information and entertainment anywhere.

Hence, it comes as timely good news for millions of ABS-CBN TFC subscribers worldwide on select cable, satellite platforms and IPTV that they can now have direct access to live or on-demand content available on the iWantTFC site (www.iWantTFC.com) or iWantTFC app on iTunes or android for FREE via the TFC Everywhere benefit of their existing TFC subscription.