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Mastercard launches Pay Local, enabling Asia’s digital wallet providers to process card payments from more than 2 billion Mastercard cardholders

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International travelers can now pay like locals at more than 35 million merchants across Asia Pacific

SINGAPORE, Nov. 5, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Ahead of the Singapore FinTech Festival, Mastercard today introduced Mastercard Pay Local, a global service that makes it easy for consumers to make card payments to merchants using local digital wallets. With Mastercard Pay Local, resident cardholders or international travelers can easily link their credit or debit cards to a digital wallet and immediately shop at participating merchants, without needing to set up or top up a prepaid account.  

Leading wallets in Asia Pacific, such as DANA in Indonesia, Touch ‘n Go in Malaysia, Bakong in Cambodia, and LankaPay in Sri Lanka, will use Mastercard Pay Local to facilitate payments for consumers at more than 35 million merchants in the region that accept these wallets. Beyond Asia Pacific, the service is also geared towards regions where digital wallets are widely used for everyday purchases, such as Latin America, Eastern Europe, and the Middle East and Africa.

Mastercard Pay Local benefits everyone involved:

Residents can pay the micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) that do not accept traditional card payments, while tourists and international travelers can enjoy convenient, seamless payments across the destinations they’re visiting.Hundreds of millions of MSMEs can experience increased reach with minimal infrastructure investment or disruptions to their operations.Wallet operators can extend their customer base by attracting individuals who primarily use cards, providing a smooth consumer experience and achieving quicker time to market.Card issuers can deliver more points of acceptance for the consumers they serve.

“With Pay Local, Mastercard is extending its global network to partner wallets and expanding acceptance by making it possible for Asia’s digital wallets to process card-based payments. This creates a low-cost, simple, stable, and secure connection between over 35 million merchants in Asia Pacific and two billion Mastercard cardholders,” said Sandeep Malhotra, executive vice president, Products & Innovation, Asia Pacific, Mastercard. “Locals benefit from new payment options while tourists can use their cards as they do at home, making travel infinitely easier, with one less thing to worry about while on the road.”

Pay Local builds upon Mastercard’s existing collaborations with leading wallet providers, including Alipay and Weixin Pay in the Chinese Mainland and Octopus in Hong Kong SAR, to offer a convenient way for international visitors to pay like locals when traveling to these locations, regardless of where in the world their Mastercard card was issued.

In addition, a range of digital wallets across the region already accept Mastercard cards for funding, enabling easy payments at merchant locations that accept these wallets, including GrabPay in Southeast Asia, Maya in the Philippines, ShopBack in Singapore, and TrueMoney in Thailand.

Businesses that would like to learn more about Mastercard Pay Local should visit the information page and fill out the form. A member of Mastercard’s team will get in contact with more details.

Hear from our partners:

DANA:
“At DANA, we are committed to enhancing the accessibility and convenience of digital payments for all users. By collaborating with Mastercard, we are excited to offer international travelers a seamless way to register and bind their cards to DANA, furthering our mission of bridging financial inclusion across borders. This collaboration reflects our dedication to improving user experience and supporting global financial mobility as we anticipate increased international travel,” said Darrick Rochili, chief innovation officer of DANA.

Touch ‘n Go:
“As Malaysia’s leading digital wallet and financial services provider, we are proud to have expanded our services beyond national borders, enabling users to travel cashless and make seamless payments internationally. Our collaboration with Mastercard underscores the strength of our open platform strategy, allowing us to extend cashless payment solutions to international travelers visiting Malaysia, contributing to the country’s tourism industry and economy. We are pleased to offer inbound tourists the convenience of cashless transactions via QR payment at over 2 million merchants, retail outlets, and service providers across Malaysia,” said Alan Ni, CEO at TNG Digital.

About Mastercard
Mastercard powers economies and empowers people in 200+ countries and territories worldwide. Together with our customers, we’re building a sustainable economy where everyone can prosper. We support a wide range of digital payments choices, making transactions safe, simple, smart and accessible. Our technology and innovation, partnerships and networks combine to deliver a unique set of products and services that help people, businesses and governments realize their greatest potential.
www.mastercard.com 

 

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SOURCE Mastercard

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Cineverse Podcast Network Expands with Midnight Pulp and RetroCrush Audio Series, and New True Crime Show Creepy Places

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New Shows Join Top-10 Podcast Network as it Celebrates Record Growth Driven by Popular Horror Lineup Under the BloodyFM Sub-brand

LOS ANGELES, Nov. 25, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Cineverse Podcast Network, the audio division of next-gen entertainment studio Cineverse (Nasdaq: CNVS), has today announced a major expansion that goes well beyond its horror roots. Now home to popular entertainment, true crime and horror podcasts, the Cineverse Podcast Network is well-positioned to build upon its recent success.

In fact, Cineverse has grown its podcast revenue 98% during the fiscal quarter that ended Sept. 30 year over year and 60% from the previous quarter. The Cineverse Podcast Network also recorded 15 million downloads and listens in October, setting a new monthly record.

Among the drivers of this growth is Creepy Places: A True Crime Podcast, which recently launched via a partnership between Cineverse’s fan-first horror brand Bloody Disgusting and host Jon Grilz. The popular show at the intersection of true crime and historical hauntings has attracted 1.3 million monthly downloads since premiering in September and joins other additions to Cineverse’s growing podcast portfolio:

The iconic horror brand Dead Meat brings its dedicated fan base and over 200 episodes to Cineverse with the recently signed Dead Meat Podcast, hosted by Chelsea Rebecca and James A. Janisse, creators of the Dead Meat YouTube channel with over 6.6 million subscribers.Extending Cineverse’s popular action/cult movie streaming brand of the same name, Midnight Pulp will premiere in 2025. Hosted by Diana Prince, who plays “Darcy the Mail Girl” on Shudder’s top series The Last Drive-in with Joe Bob Briggs, each episode of the podcast will explore an entry from the streaming video channel, with Prince taking questions from listeners on everything from relationship advice to movie recommendations.Following a soft launch earlier this year, RetroCrush is Cineverse’s first official podcast created for anime fans. Hosts Malcolm Crawford, C2 and “it’s Eman” – three well-known anime fans – explore the hidden gems and popular shows featured on Cineverse’s RetroCrush streaming channel in weekly episodes.

“From partnering with talent and IP that come with pre-existing fan bases, to leveraging our owned-and-operated brands like Bloody Disgusting, Midnight Pulp and RetroCrush – all part of the company through strategic acquisitions from the past few years – we have quietly built one of the industry’s top podcast networks,” said Cineverse President and Chief Strategy Officer Erick Opeka. “Creators and partners – including advertisers, platforms and studios – are seeing this success and now coming to us to explore opportunities to work together in audio, and we are well-positioned to grow even further in the new year.”

These new podcasts follow other recently released shows on the Cineverse Podcast Network:

Mayfair Watchers Society: The chart-topping fiction podcast returned in May with Season 2, featuring 24 episodes every other week. Created in partnership with Trevor Henderson, the author of Scarewaves and prominent horror artist, the series brings Henderson’s creatures to life and features a full cast, original music and immersive sound design.Nightmare Soup: The horror fiction anthology podcast also premiered earlier this year, taking listeners back to their favorite horror stories from childhood. Inspired by iconic books like Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark and Goosebumps, the 10-episode series airs every other Sunday.

Now home to more than 50 shows and ranking among the top 10 podcast networks by audience, the Cineverse Podcast Network has set the stage for significant ad sales growth over the next few quarters.

ABOUT CINEVERSE

On a mission to uplift storytellers and entertain fans with the power of technology, Cineverse  (NASDAQ: CNVS) distributes over 71,000 premium films, series, and podcasts. Engaging over 150 million unique monthly users, Cineverse delivers more than one billion minutes of curated content each month – connecting fans with stories that resonate.

With properties like the box office sensation Terrifier 3, iconic horror destination Bloody Disgusting, the Bob Ross Channel, women’s entertainment channel Dove, and a leading podcast network, Cineverse is the first stop for audiences seeking authentic and experiential content. From a vibrant range of content and fandom channels, to next-gen advertising offerings and streaming solutions, Cineverse is setting the stage for a new era of entertainment.

Press Contacts:

For Media
The Lippin Group for Cineverse, cineverse@lippingroup.com

For Investors
Julie Milstead, investorrelations@cineverse.com

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/cineverse-podcast-network-expands-with-midnight-pulp-and-retrocrush-audio-series-and-new-true-crime-show-creepy-places-302315624.html

SOURCE Cineverse Corp.

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Neighborly Appoints Stacy Lynn Bourgeois as Chief Marketing Officer

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WACO, Texas, Nov. 25, 2024 /PRNewswire/ —  Neighborly®, the world’s largest home services company, today announced the appointment of Stacy Lynn Bourgeois as its new Chief Marketing Officer (CMO), effective December 2. She will serve as a member of Neighborly’s corporate leadership team and report directly to CEO Mike Davis.

Stacy Lynn brings a wide array of experience in business and brand strategy, organizational leadership, customer insight, data analytics, and marketing technology,” said Davis. “Her expertise and innovative approach to marketing will be instrumental in helping us better connect with our customers, differentiating our brands, making Neighborly and our service brands ridiculously easy to do business with while navigating an increasingly competitive landscape.”

The fanatical focus on the end consumer also serves Neighborly’s core mission of driving same-store sales growth with its franchise business owners. Bourgeois’ mixed background in both franchising and non-franchised business makes her uniquely qualified to deliver for both our customers, end-consumers, and franchise business owners.

Bourgeois is a strategic marketer who has driven double-digit growth while compiling a breadth of experiences. Throughout her career, she has launched new physical and digital products as well as a new restaurant concept at Yum! brands, stood up several new teams such as performance marketing and data science, implemented a new marketing technology stack, and led Pizza Hut through an agency review and countless creative campaigns.

She joins Neighborly from Amazon, where she broadened her scope from marketing to business more holistically in roles such as Global Head of Product, Quality & Operations for Amazon Renewed or U.S. Head of Musical Instruments. In her time with Amazon, she’s enhanced the discoverability of preowned products, increased conversion rates, simplified customer experience, improved operations, and owned a multibillion-dollar P&L. Even in general management-focused roles, she’s anchored on driving growth through the customer – such as offering free lessons with an instrument purchase on Amazon.

I am thrilled to be joining the incredible team at Neighborly and support our franchise owners,” said Bourgeois. “Customers invite Neighborly and our brands into their homes, which is deeply personal and requires tremendous trust. My goal is to earn this trust by listening to and innovating for customers in a way that builds lasting relationships with our amazing brands.”

Bourgeois will be based in Irving, Texas.

About Neighborly®

Neighborly® is the world’s largest home services company with more than 30 brands and 5,500 franchises collectively serving 14 million+ customers by repairing, maintaining, and enhancing their homes and businesses. Through Neighborly.com and the Neighborly mobile app, we connect consumers to local service providers that meet rigorous franchisor standards across 19 service categories. More information about Neighborly, and its franchise concepts, is available at Neighborlybrands.com. To learn about franchising opportunities with Neighborly, click here.

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/neighborly-appoints-stacy-lynn-bourgeois-as-chief-marketing-officer-302315116.html

SOURCE Neighborly

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EHA Highlights Commitment to Innovation and Collaboration at ASH Annual Meeting

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THE HAGUE, Netherlands, Nov. 25, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — The European Hematology Association (EHA) will showcase its dedication to advancing research and fostering collaboration at the 66th American Society of Hematology (ASH) Annual Meeting and Exposition from December 7-10, 2024, in San Diego, California, USA.

The partnership between EHA and ASH is testament to both organizations’ commitment to progress and improving patient care. The EHA-ASH Joint Symposium, scheduled for Sunday, December 8 from 12:30-13:30 (PDT), will focus on myelodysplastic syndromes, showcasing expert insights from Amy DeZern of Johns Hopkins University and Matteo Della Porta of Humanitas Cancer Center. EHA President Antonio Almeida remarked, “The collaboration between EHA and ASH holds immense significance for the global medical community. Both organizations serve as pivotal platforms for advancing the understanding, research, education, and treatment of blood disorders. […] By combining our strengths, together, we can enhance research, education, advocacy, and patient care, generating significant benefits that resonate across nations and communities.” This joint session is another milestone in a fruitful collaboration that continues to shape the future of hematology.

In 2024, EHA reached unprecedented levels of engagement, connecting more professionals than ever. Membership surged by 25%, bringing EHA’s community to over 8,300 members, and the EHA2024 Congress attracted a record-breaking 17,900 delegates. This growth reflects EHA’s commitment to a member-focused approach, empowering professionals to exchange knowledge, collaborate on research, and share best practices on a global scale.

HemaSphere, EHA’s peer-reviewed journal, has recently achieved a significant milestone with a 2023 Impact Factor of 11.9, ranking it seventh among hematology journals globally. This development is a testament to the high-quality, cutting-edge research that HemaSphere publishes and its value to the hematology community.

With a vision for “Borderless Hematology,” EHA will continue to drive global connectivity, innovation, and excellence.

ASH delegates are invited to learn about EHA at booth #300.

About EHA

The European Hematology Association (EHA) is a membership organization serving a community of over 8,000 medical professionals, researchers, and scientists with an active interest in hematology. EHA is the largest Europe-based organization connecting hematologists worldwide and supports career development and research, harmonizes hematology education, and advocates for hematologists and hematology.

Website: www.ehaweb.org

“Towards prevention, cure, and quality of life for all patients with blood disorders”.

Logo – https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2461261/4811631/European_Hematology_Association_Logo.jpg 

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/eha-highlights-commitment-to-innovation-and-collaboration-at-ash-annual-meeting-302313636.html

SOURCE European Hematology Association (EHA)

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