TDGA Holdings, the UK-based media company founded by Thomas Reemer and Deborah Sass and led by former News Corp Europe chief Marty Pompadur, has announced its exclusive partnership with Asia’s digital media conglomerate, One Digital Entertainment.
With this partnership, One Digital Entertainment is tasked with strategically building the brand ‘Space Hero’ through product strategy, regional development, media alliances and brand marketing for the global casting show where contestants compete for a trip into space exclusively for the territories of India, South East Asia and MENA.
‘Space Hero’ will be the global casting show to send a civilian into space as part of a $ 155million six-day mission orbiting Earth and synching with the ISS.
It is a global media company that unites citizens around the World and inspires community, collaboration and innovation here on Earth through a biennial competition where people from all walks of life have the chance to compete and select one of their peers for a mission to space. Through interactive, immersive, produced and user-generated content, the ‘Space Hero’ platform encourages participants and fans to be inspired by the wonder of space to create change at home.
The reality show will commence with 24 contestants from around the world, twelve men and twelve women, twelve from emerging countries and twelve from developed countries. They will be housed in the Space Village, a future facing sustainable experience, but with space age technologies and the experiential feel of space.
The show will document their lives as they prepare to compete for the venture into space on the free-flyer mission. On the show, the contestants will have their emotional, mental and physical strength tested, similar to how astronauts train before a flight. While in the Space Village, the 'Space Hero' house, activities, challenges and voting will narrow down the list of candidates until only one person remains.
The entire mission will be live streamed round-the-clock and live interactions with the participants are possible.
The show is expected to air in 2023, and anyone over the age of 18 with a basic level of English can apply for the competition.
‘Space Hero’ is planning 15 seasons over the next 30 years, eventually flying beyond the ISS, to the Moon and Mars.
The ‘Space Hero’ project is supported by over 70 space agencies and space institutions globally plus over 55 private space companies from around the world.
On April 12, 2021, marking the 60th anniversary of the first human in space, Yuri Gagarin, Space Hero signed a Space Act Agreement (SAA) with NASA becoming the first media company to do so in decades.
"We are glad to have partnered with One Digital Entertainment who shall bring in their robust expertise for the territories of South East Asia, India and MENA regions. These territories have very high online participation for some of the biggest global events and we are excited to further expand our operations in order to build various business and marketing synergies via our partners One Digital Entertainment," said Thomas Reemer, Creator and Founding Partner, Space Hero.
“Space travel has been a dream for millions for many decades and Space Hero is making that dream a reality giving the common man an opportunity to engage with space. We are thrilled to join hands with Space Hero to forefront its trajectory within the Asian communities,” said Shabir Momin, Managing Director and Co-Founder, One Digital Entertainment.
"The opportunity of space exploration is not limited to specific citizens, countries or for defined income groups any more. Space is one of the most inaccessible industries in the world. Space Hero is giving you that access! With our mission to make Space Hero a truly global platform that is united by people from different countries and of different colour, creed and race, the partnership with One Digital Entertainment solidifies our commitments towards the same," said Deborah Sass, Founding Partner and Co-CEO, Space Hero.
"It is indeed a proud moment as this partnership marks Space Hero’s maiden partnership in Asian region. We aspire to strengthen Space Hero’s long-term vision with strategic and unique partnerships within the media gamut. Space Hero is setting benchmarks in the space media business, and we are excited to use our experience in the various verticals to bring these projects to a global audience,” said Gurpreet Singh, COO and Co-Founder, One Digital Entertainment.