ORANGE COUNTY, Calif. - Adult Entertainment Capital has confirmed the appointment of Mark Graff as Vice Chairman of the Board following the acquisition of Graff's broadcast venture ComedyNet.
"Mark is the perfect fit for us, with his 30 years of experience in the media industry," said Milton "Todd" Ault III, president and CEO of Adult Entertainment Capital. "He's covered cable and broadcast from behind the camera, all the way to the boardroom. His business sense is unimpeachable. Mark knows that it takes more than content to extend this multi-billion dollar industry even further."
Graff is well-known in the adult industry as founder of the Spice Channel, which he launched in 1989 as a competitor to Playboy TV. Playboy Enterprises acquired Spice for $100 million in 1999. Graff later helped create the first streaming video networks for the Internet as CEO of American Interactive Media, and went on to launch Playgirl TV and Wicked On Demand through his company Trans Digital Media.
"This is a great time to come back into adult, as the market has become more horizontal than vertical," said Graff. "Our focus is more on infrastructure than purely content, and the companies in our portfolio will reflect that. By doing this, our investors profit from an industry that sees new types of adult oriented businesses formed every day.
"This industry was entirely focused on producing content, and there was only broadcast or physical product to contemplate," Graff continued. "We've moved far beyond that with internet and mobile delivery platforms. Adult entertainment encompasses so many different sources at this time; it is expanding the economic paradigm. You can have DVDs, broadcast, internet, clubs and resorts, services and products, that all work together or individually to enhance each other. I'm looking at the infrastructure of the entire industry and what can be accomplished by putting together different aspects to make a cohesive business model. This is what mainstream businesses have always done to strengthen their market share, and that's the kind of synergy Adult Entertainment Capital is looking for in our investments."
Graff will continue as CEO of ComedyNet, which broadcasts to 19 million homes through most major cable operators, and is carried on broadband portals such as Sling Media, HULU and ActiveVideo and through subscription services on most AT&T, Verizon and Sprint cell phones. ComedyNet's uncut and uncensored events are carried by Events on Demand.
For information on the financial services and investment opportunities Adult Entertainment Capital has to offer, visit www.adultentertainmentcapital.com, or email [email protected].
