Encore Drive-In Nights Partners with Hollywood-Based MetaMedia to Redefine the Future of Music Experiences With Live-streamed Concerts at Outdoor Venues Across North America

February 10, 2021

Dynamic Partnership Follows Successful Live Showing of UFC 257 to Outdoor Venues in 19 States

Company Behind Pioneering Metallica, Garth Brooks, Blake Shelton & Kane Brown Shows Partners with Leading Entertainment Technology Company

FORT WORTH, FEBRUARY 10, 2021 — Encore Drive-In Nights, the company that is pioneering the most innovative ways to enjoy live entertainment, announces a partnership with MetaMedia, one of the fastest-growing entertainment technology companies in the world, to offer live-streamed concerts at drive-in venues across North America in 2021 and beyond. Thanks to the new partnership Encore Drive-In Nights is building upon its successful 2020 event series, which featured exclusive concert films from Metallica, Garth Brooks, Kane Brown, Blake Shelton and others.

By supporting live-streamed concerts, sports and other events, Encore Drive-In Nights and MetaMedia will now enable millions of fans to enjoy best-in-class live programming at 300+ drive-in and outdoor venues across the continent this year. Recently, Encore Drive-In Nights also partnered with professional mixed martial arts league Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) to air its marquee UFC 257 which featured the highly-anticipated rematch between Dustin Poirier and Conor McGregor. The UFC fight was the first live-streamed event for Encore Drive-In Nights, and the MetaMedia technology ensured fans across America enjoyed a flawless stream of the fight.

Encore Drive-In Nights and its exclusive network of hundreds of outdoor venues have activated a completely new audience of fans who are not traditionally reached by touring routes of the biggest stars. Fans across the country are searching for innovative ways to enjoy live experiences amid the pandemic and beyond, and now they have the opportunity to experience the biggest events on the biggest stages without having to leave their communities or pay high ticket prices.

“People will always seek new experiences and our model allows fans to enjoy live concerts and sports outside of the traditional arena setting, which will last long after we’re past this virus,” said Encore Live CEO Walter Kinzie. “This partnership will enable millions of fans who generally don’t attend large live shows to safely experience some of the biggest performances on earth, live once they return. UFC 257 was a great test case for us, proving that MetaMedia’s live-streaming content delivery technology is the best in the business regardless if a venue is in a suburban area with strong internet or rural area with limited cell reception. We just can’t wait to kick off our 2021 season!”

”During the most challenging year in modern history, Encore made it possible for hundreds of thousands of music fans to safely gather outdoors across North America to enjoy the communal experience of watching performances from the biggest stars in music.” said Jason Brenek, CEO of MetaMedia.  “MetaMedia is honored to support Encore in 2021 by expanding its entertainment programming to include live-streamed music and sports, and bring people across the world some much-needed joy and connection.”

Covid-19 has resulted in the cancellation of an untold number of live events. Debuting last summer, Encore Live’s innovative drive-in model proved to be a safe, enjoyable alternative for fans. Between June and September, Encore Live’s events safely entertained more than 900,000 fans, proving to be one of the few options that allowed entertainers to reach fans at scale. MetaMedia, the world’s first commercial cloud-based content delivery platform for cinemas, drive-ins and other out-of-home venues will expand Encore Live’s ability to deliver to significantly more outdoor venues across the country this Spring. For more information about Encore Drive-In Nights and upcoming acts, visit encorenights.com.

About Encore Drive-In Nights
Encore Drive-In Nights showcases the world’s most iconic stars and live experiences with performances for drive-in venues and outdoor venues across North America and around the world.  From the safety of your vehicle, you will enjoy an exclusive experience under the night sky.  Drive-in.  Rock out.

About MetaMedia
MetaMedia is an entertainment technology company that creates next-generation technologies and new revenue-generating opportunities for content producers and cinemas. MetaMedia created and launched the MetaMedia Entertainment Network™ the first global, cloud-based distribution platform. Powered by Microsoft Azure, the MetaMedia Entertainment Network TM provides for the secure, rapid and cost-effective delivery of movies, trailers, advertisements, live-streamed events and other big-screen programming to cinemas, drive-ins, arenas, and other out-of-home venues. MetaMedia is headquartered in Los Angeles. For more information, please visit www.metamedia.global.

© 2021 MetaMedia Tech Inc., a Delaware Company.

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Jason Brenek

Chief Executive Officer

Leveraging two decades of senior executive experience across multiple sectors of the film and entertainment industry, Jason Brenek assembled a group of powerful industry leaders with incomparable experience and relationships to forge the building blocks of MetaMedia. As Chief Executive Officer of MetaMedia, Brenek focuses intently on realizing the operational, economic and programming benefits of creating a next-generation distribution network, which are mutually-beneficial to content producers and cinemas around the world.

Prior to MetaMedia, Brenek was President of IMAX HOME at the IMAX Corporation, where he led business and engineering teams around the world to develop and launch multiple new products, technologies, and platforms. Before IMAX, Brenek spent over a decade in senior management roles at The Walt Disney Studios. While serving as Senior Vice President of International In-Home and Head of Global Business Development and Strategic Partnerships, Brenek established partnerships with global brands including Netflix, Google, Amazon, Apple. and Samsung to distribute Disney-owned content across new digital/OTT platforms, television, and retail. Brenek previously served as Disney's Senior Vice President of Worldwide Digital Cinema and Cinema Programming, overseeing the company's global transition from analog to digital cinema. Brenek also developed and co-produced two Disney feature films and multiple live sporting events in cinemas with ESPN. Brenek received his Master of Business Administration from Harvard Business School and his Bachelor of Business Administration from the University of Texas at Austin.

Danny C. Stein

Chairman

Danny Stein is a seasoned, growth-oriented media and technology executive with 30 years of operating and investment experience across media, technology, and consumer businesses. Stein has managed across the full life-cycle of deal origination, deal execution, business building and exit for small and mid- cap public, private and distressed companies. Stein is a digital media innovator having built a portfolio of businesses as CEO of Dimensional Associates 2003-2014, including as the Executive Chairman of the Orchard Enterprises, a global music and entertainment company, specializing in media distribution and 1091 Pictures, a digital and theatrical distribution company. From 2015-2016, Stein was the Senior Vice President, Growth Investments of MacAndrews and Forbes Holdings, Inc., a company that acquires and manages a diversified portfolio of public and private companies across various industry segments.  In that role, Stein’s focus was on building and investing in digital media and technology-enabled businesses. Through MacAndrews and Forbes, Stein also served as President of New Media and Corporate Development at Deluxe Entertainment (a wholly owned subsidiary of MacAndrews of Forbes), responsible for Corporate Development, M&A, Strategy, Digital Media and Innovation.

Chuck Goldwater

President, North America

For over two decades, Chuck Goldwater has served as a senior executive in the entertainment and cinema exhibition industry which has earned him incomparable industry-wide trust and respect. As President, North America for MetaMedia, Goldwater draws upon his broad understanding and deep connections to exhibitors and studios across the country to create a robust network of exhibitor and studio partnerships for MetaMedia. He also applies his knack and experience for building successful entertainment startups to MetaMedia's growing infrastructure and success.

Prior to MetaMedia, Goldwater was co-founder and CEO at cinema chain New Vision Theaters. Before that, Goldwater served as Vice President of Strategic Initiatives at Carmike Cinemas, which acquired Digiplex Destinations, a cinema chain where Goldwater served as Executive Vice President and a member of the Board of Directors. At New Vision, Carmike, and Digiplex, Goldwater was an energetic and effective advocate for alternative programming and “event cinema” as a means of increasing seat utilization and creating incremental revenue for exhibitors. Before Digiplex, Goldwater was President of Cinedigm (formerly known as AccessIT), the company credited with deploying the first digital cinema infrastructure and electronic delivery network. Previously, Goldwater was selected by the then seven largest Hollywood studios to serve as Chief Executive Officer of Digital Cinema Initiatives (“DCI”), a joint venture that created the industry-wide specifications and the technical quality and security architecture for digital cinema systems. Goldwater was also inducted into the industry’s ShowEast Hall of Fame and is a Will Rogers/Motion Picture Pioneers Foundation Board Advisory Member.

Shaiwal “Shay” Priyadarshi

Chief Technology Officer (CTO)

A dynamic inventor with over a dozen patents, Shaiwal "Shay" Priyadarshi is a trusted leader and mentor to high-performing tech teams, executives and business partners. For over 25 years, Priyadarshi has assembled and led front-end and back-end engineering teams, developed market-leading products and intellectual property that spans from embedded systems and data centers to leading cloud platforms such as Amazon Web Services, Microsoft Azure, Google Cloud Platform and Oracle Cloud. As chief technology officer (CTO) for MetaMedia, Priyadarshi continues to maintain his exemplary track record of overseeing innovative products from concept to delivery.

Prior to MetaMedia, Priyadarshi was CTO of IMAX Home, where he developed the world's highest-quality, internet-delivered video playback system needed to support IMAX Corporation’s pioneering technologies. Before IMAX, he served as CTO of PRIMA Cinema where he led the research, development and approval processes of the world's first and only movie service that was authorized to distribute new Hollywood movies to private home theaters. And previous to PRIMA Cinema, he worked as director of engineering at DivX, where he led the development of new technologies that power many leading streaming services today. Priyadarshi received his Bachelor of Engineering in Computer Science and Electronics from the University of Edinburgh, Scotland.