(4th April 2017 – London/ Cannes) Blend Media, the innovative 360˚ video and Virtual Reality content and creator platform company, has signed a global licensing and distribution agreement with 
AccuWeather, the global leader in weather information and digital media. Through the new partnership, Blend Media will provide AccuWeather’s extensive library of immersive, proprietary 360° video content to brands, agencies and publishers seeking to capitalize on the burgeoning demand for this engaging new digital media format.
AccuWeather introduced immersive 360˚ extreme weather event videos including tornadoes and blizzards in 2016, significantly expanding their content library to meet user demand. The experiential videos give viewers a unique insider perspective on weather events that are interesting, engaging, and educational to not only see, but feel they are in the center of the storm. New videos are added to the comprehensive library every week through AccuWeather’s network of weather experts.
As one example, AccuWeather Extreme Meteorologist Reed Timmer captured a 360˚ video close-up of an EF-2 tornado in Wray, Colorado which quickly went viral. Footage from the event garnered over 16 million views across YouTube and social networks. See AccuWeather’s 360˚ video of the Wray, Colorado tornado here.
Blend Media was created as an end-to-end immersive content solution to make the creation of 360˚ video content and campaigns quick and easy for brands, agencies and publishers. With the goal of lowering the barriers to entry the solution includes a drag and drop editor, a large catalogue of premium 360˚ videos and distribution solutions that help to quickly and more easily create engaging formats. The company has supplied immersive content for a number of commercial clients including McCann Erickson, Volvo, Orange Mobile and US fast food brand Chick-fil-A.
“Blend’s partnership with AccuWeather demonstrates its continued commitment to the growth and investment into its catalogue of premium 360˚ video content. We’re delighted to be able to offer this exciting and unique collection of content to our customers,” said Damian Collier, CEO at Blend Media.
“As the global leader in weather information and digital media, AccuWeather continues to innovate and expand to meet user demand,” said Trish Mikita, Vice President of Digital Media Strategy at AccuWeather. “Our investment in new technologies like 360˚ video allow AccuWeather to provide the most accurate, most immersive breaking weather content across platforms to users including AccuWeather’s award-winning apps and AccuWeather.com. We look forward to expanding global distribution in partnership with Blend Media.”
Blend Media recently announced investment from the co-founder and CEO of The LADBible Group, the co-founder and former President and co-founder of Maker Studios and senior management executives from ITN Productions, Bartle Bogle Hegarty (BBH) and Bell Pottinger.
For further information on Blend Media please contact Justin Crosby, Boom! PR on +44(0) 7966 228361/ +44 (0) 203 176 6688 [email protected]
About Blend Media
Blend Media is a cutting-edge tech platform simplifying the creation of 360˚ Video projects for global brands, agencies and publishers.
Blend helps its customers cost effectively engage audiences through access to premium 360˚ Video/VR footage; the largest global network of expert immersive content creators; and Blend’s proprietary 360˚Video/VR digital marketing products. It also runs the largest 360˚ Videos page on Facebook globally: Facebook.com/360vidz
Blend was founded by social video entrepreneur, Damian Collier, who previously founded Viral Spiral (acquired in 2014) working with global Brands on social platforms (incl YouTube/Facebook/Instagram/Snapchat) to grow audience, engage consumers & build loyalty, by connecting with the world’s most popular digital content & social media creators. Clients included: Google, P&G, Coca-Cola, T-Mobile, Nickleodeon, BBC, Samsung, MTV, Sony Playstation, AOL, Sapient, Razorfish, Saatchi & Saatchi & more. Damian has been responsible amongst other things for the management of the most viewed 360˚ Video of all time (over 120 million people reached) and the most viewed viral video of all time (“Charlie Bit My Finger” – almost 1BN views and counting).
About AccuWeather, Inc.
Over 1.5 billion people worldwide rely on AccuWeather to help them plan their lives, protect their businesses, and get more from their day. AccuWeather provides hour-by-hour and minute-by-minute forecasts with Superior Accuracy™ with customized content and engaging video presentations available through smart phones, tablets, free wired and mobile Internet sites via AccuWeather.com, award winning AccuWeather apps, connected TVs, wearables, smart homes, and connected cars, as well as radio, television, newspapers, and the AccuWeather Network cable channel. Established in 1962 by Founder, Chairman and President Dr. Joel N. Myers – a Fellow of the American Meteorological Society who was recognized as one of the top entrepreneurs in American history by Entrepreneur Magazine’s Encyclopedia of Entrepreneurs book – AccuWeather also delivers a wide range of highly-customized enterprise solutions to media, business, government, and institutions, as well as weather news, content, and video for more than 180,000 third-party websites. AccuWeather’s CEO, Barry Lee Myers, is an award winning leader in global weather information issues and one of the world’s most recognized advocates for cooperative relationships between government weather agencies and the weather industry. He is a leader in the digital weather information space.
Visit www.AccuWeather.com or download the AccuWeather App at downloads.accuweather.com for additional information.
