Blue Ant Media goes on deck with PIRATES and MERMAIDS this June

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Blue Ant Entertainment, the exclusive pay TV broadcaster of Siren across multiple territories in Asia, is set to make a splash with new shows and blockbuster movies this June!

All hands on deck as Blue Ant Entertainment brings out mermaids and pirates with American drama Siren premiering on 4 June, and the four classic Pirates of the Caribbean movies as part of a new weekly movie block in the same month.

From depths unknown

©Freeform

Legend has it that coastal town Bristol Cove on the Pacific Northwest was once home to mermaids. Folklore proves more than fiction when a mysterious young woman who calls herself Ryn (Eline Powell) suddenly appears one night. The strange visitor soon catches the interests of local marine biologist Ben Pownell (Alex Roe). Together, along with Ben’s fellow marine biologist Maddie Bishop (Fola Evans-Akingbola), deep-sea fisherman Xander McClure (Ian Verdun), town eccentric and folklore expert Helen Hawkins (Rena Owen), and another mysterious woman who calls herself Donna (Sibongile Mlambo) unravel tensions between the denizens of land and sea as predatory mermaids seek to claim their birthright. Catch the two-hour special premiere of Siren on Monday, 4 June, at 9:45 P.M. (8:45 P.M. JKT/BKK) first and exclusive on Blue Ant Entertainment.

Siren has reached over 4 million views since its premiere in the U.S. alone, and has been well received by audience and critics alike. American digital media and entertainment company for women, Refinery29, describes Siren as “gripping and original,” while one of Florida’s largest newspapers, Tampa Bay Times, says that the show is “worth the deep dive in.” Cinemablend, the Internet’s go-to source of entertainment news, praises Powell as “a standout as Ryn,” and television news source website TV Fanatic says that “Siren is what television has been missing.”

Shiver me timbers

© Disney/ Jerry Bruckheimer

Disney’s Pirates of the Caribbean franchise follows the adventures of the eccentric Captain Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp) involving magical treasures, supernatural creatures, former lovers, and even pirate mutiny. InPirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, the governor’s daughter, Elizabeth Swann (Keira Knightley), has been captured by Hector Barbossa (Geoffrey Rush), Jack’s traitorous former first mate who captains the cursed Black Pearl. Together with Elizabeth’s lover, William Turner (Orlando Bloom), Jack sets sail to save the damsel in distress and reclaim what the mutinous Barbossa has stolen from him.

The first four movies of the franchise (Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl; Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest; Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End; and Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides) will air all Thursdays of June on Blue Ant Entertainment.

Love and the big screen

FIRST DATES © Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc

There’s a lot more to look forward to this summer on Blue Ant Entertainment. Romance is in the air as complete strangers meet for the first time over lovely dinner on reality show First Dates every Tuesday at 8:50 P.M. (7:50 P.M. JKT/BKK). First Dates has instantly become a hit in the Philippines two weeks from its launch and has doubled Blue Ant Entertainment’s weekday 8:50 P.M. time slot average compared to the previous two weeks. This is based on data released by Kantar Media.

The big screen is also coming to the network’s international channels, Blue Ant Entertainment and Blue Ant Extreme. The channels will soon carry box office classics from NBCUniversal and Disney to cater to a wider audience in the region.

To learn more about Blue Ant Entertainment’s exciting programs and movie lineup, follow the channel atwww.facebook.com/BlueAntEntertainment/, @BlueAntEnt on Twitter, and @BlueAntEntertainment on Instagram.

GLOBAL SENSATION BTS TO PERFORM WORLD TELEVISION PREMIERE OF NEW SINGLE AT THE “2018 BILLBOARD MUSIC AWARDS” ON BLUE ANT ENTERTAINMENT!

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The “2018 Billboard Music Awards” will broadcast LIVE from MGM Grand Garden Arena on MONDAY, 21 MAY, 8:00 A.M. on BLUE ANT ENTERTAINMENT

Dick Clark Productions announced that global sensation and reigning Top Social Artist winners BTS, will perform the world television premiere of their new single at the “2018 Billboard Music Awards.”

The Korean pop band, who just announced their highly anticipated new album, “Love Yourself: Tear,” will join previously announced performers Camila Cabello, Dua Lipa and Shawn Mendes on a night filled with music’s biggest names.

Hosted by “The Voice” coach Kelly Clarkson, the “2018 Billboard Music Awards” will broadcast live from MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on Monday, 21 May at 8:00AM on Blue Ant Entertainment. The three-hour telecast will feature performances from this year’s hottest musical acts, unexpected collaborations and buzzworthy moments that celebrate 60 years of the Billboard Hot 100.

BTS Billboard Chart Facts:

Billboard Music Award-winning BTS, who are nominated for Top Social Artist this year, scored its first top 10 album on the Billboard 200 chart in October with “Love Yourself: Her” -- earning both the highest-charting album ever on the chart by a K-pop act, and the genre's biggestsales week. Since then, the seven-member group tallied its first top 40 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 with "Mic Drop," featuring Desiigner. BTS has also spent more than 70 weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Social 50 chart, which ranks the most popular music artists across the world'ssocial networks. Collectively, BTS' albums have earned 1 million equivalent album units in the U.S., according to Nielsen Music, and the group's catalog of songs have collected nearly 2 billion on-demand streams.

Nominations for the “2018 Billboard Music Awards” were announced earlier this month on NBC’s “Today” and on a livestream from Billboard’s New York office. Kendrick Lamar, Bruno Mars and Ed Sheeran tie for the most nominations this year with 15 each.

Voting for the two fan-voted categories — Billboard Chart Achievement Award and Top Social Artist — will open in the coming weeks and additional details will be available soon.

“Billboard Music Awards” nominees are based on key fan interactions with music, including album and digital song sales, streaming, radio airplay, touring and social engagement, tracked by Billboard and its data partners, including Nielsen Music and Next Big Sound. The finalists and award winners are determined using data reflecting a 12-month tracking period. The awards are based on the reporting period of April 8, 2017 through March 31, 2018. Since 1940, the Billboard charts have been the go-to guide for ranking the popularity of artists, songs and albums, and are the ultimate measure of success in music.

Tickets for the “2018 Billboard Music Awards” are on-sale now. To purchase tickets online, fans should go to www.axs.com.

The “2018 Billboard Music Awards” produced by dick clark productions will air LIVE, first and exclusive, on Blue Ant Entertainment. Allen Shapiro, Mike Mahan, Mark Bracco, Barry Adelman and Robert Deaton are executive producers.

For the latest Billboard Music Awards (BBMAs) news, exclusive content and more, be sure to follow Blue Ant Entertainment on https://www.facebook.com/BlueAntEntertainment, @BlueAntEntertainment on Instagram, and @BlueAntEnt on Twitter. Join the conversation by using the official hashtag for the show, #BBMAs.

Blue Ant Entertainment is available on SKYcable channels 53 (SD) and 196 (HD), SKYdirect channel 35, Destiny Cable channel 53, and Cablelink channels 37 (SD) and 313 (HD).

No Contender too young or old for the Spartan Race

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The fiercest challengers of the world’s toughest race prove that age is just a number

Age may play a role in good health and fitness, but the number alone doesn’t define athletic performance. In the spirit of International Women’s Day this March, three female contenders of the recent Spartan Race in Pampanga, show that conquering the world’s most grueling obstacle course isn’t about seniority or youthfulness—it’s about having a passion for health and the right attitude towards adversity that matter most to overcome any challenge.

Only a number

International Wellness Coach Edna Hearsey Cross testifies to the importance of nutrition, exercise, and mindset to achieving great health and overcoming the Spartan Race. About 33 years ago, Cross suffered a major car accident that left her with mobility issues and pain. Before her ordeal, she had struggled with weight gain during two pregnancies, and had been going to a community gym to get back in shape. The incident only made the struggle more difficult as she depended heavily on medication to lead a normal life.

Fortunately, a fellow mom at the gym introduced her to a nutrition program that helped her get back on track. Soon she healed and regained her strength. It was then that she began developing a taste for adventure: “After recovering and feeling great with no pain I thought I should put myself to the test. I became confident to give it a go and see how far I can go.”

Now at 63, Cross continues to dare herself by competing in marathons and going around the world to climb mountains. Her secret lies in doing regular exercises such as running, yoga, and Pilates, powered by a daily dietary regimen that keeps her energized. To ready herself for more demanding activities like the recent Spartan Race Age Category, she joins a fitness community for bootcamp and obstacle training. She also makes sure to do lots of burpees in case she’s unable to do an obstacle.

Starting it young

On the other end of the age spectrum, four-year-old Skylar Legayada simply lets her natural curiosity and eagerness to drive her enthusiasm for sporty activities. Along with other young participants, she signed up for the Kids Category in the recent Spartan Race for a chance to do what kids do best: play and make friends.

With dreams of becoming like her favorite superhero, Wonder Woman, Legayada gets plenty of encouragement from her family to live an active lifestyle. Some of the exercises she likes doing with her parents include running and climbing the monkey bars or the A-frame at the playground. She also enjoys training with her aunt, who also joined the Spartan Race.

Challenging the self

The recent Spartan Race Sprint in Pampanga proved daunting with more than 25 obstacles across a stretch of 13 kilometers. For first runner-up Melba Vergara, getting through the mud, barbwire, and fire required more than physical conditioning and skill, but also iron mettle.

A seasoned runner in her 40s, Vergara knows that it’s the self that ultimately stands between the athlete and the finish line: “It is true that ‘age is just a number’, but it depends on every individual’s mindset. When competing, I don’t think that I’m older than my peers. Some of my elite competitors are only half my age, but to me that is not the barrier against the young ones. The only thing I know is that I have the heart and determination for it.”

With several Trifectas under her belt, Vergara prepares for tough events such as the Spartan Race by doing freerunning and bouldering. She also strives for moderation when it comes to her diet, listening to her body for what she needs and treating herself to dessert once in a while. Most importantly, during competitions, Vergara tells herself that she isn’t racing with anyone else but herself to keep her nerves calm and ready for the challenge ahead.

All about willpower

Like the three tough ladies above, every Spartan knows that strength of spirit on top of months of hard training is what pushes athletes to beat the odds—no matter their background, competitive experience, or physical limitation. This same tenacity is what every contender must learn to muster in Spartan: Ultimate Team Challenge, an American television show featuring a one-mile obstacle course inspired by the Spartan Race.

The Spartan: Ultimate Team Challenge gathers together some of the most hardened athletes in teams of five—two women, two men, and one Spartan elite—all of whom understand that age or training isn’t enough to win against obstacles designed to test mind and heart, as much as body. Spartan: Ultimate Team Challenge airs Mondays to Fridays at 5:15PM, first and exclusive on Blue Ant Extreme. Blue Ant Extreme is available on SkyCable HD channel 209 and Destiny Cable Digital channel 104.

Blue Ant Extreme

The destination for extreme and action-packed content with a thrilling combination of popular series Spartan: Ultimate Team Challenge, Hawaii Five-0 and NCIS: Los Angeles; adrenaline-pumping stunts on The Xtreme CollXtion; non-stop laughter with Fail Army and World’s Funniest, mind-boggling illusions on Criss Angel: BeLIEve, and Penn and Teller: Fool Us; and adventure-reality series Speed with Guy Martin.