Latest news with #FAST
Malaysian Reserve
21 hours ago
- Business
- Malaysian Reserve
HARTBEAT AND SUNDIAL MEDIA & TECHNOLOGY GROUP ANNOUNCE PARTNERSHIP TO LAUNCH ESSENCE-BRANDED FAST CHANNEL
First-of-Its-Kind Platform Will Serve Black Women Through Premium Content and Original Programming LOS ANGELES, June 18, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Hartbeat, the global entertainment company founded by Kevin Hart, and Sundial Media & Technology Group (SMTG), a human connections company and home to iconic brands like ESSENCE, AFROPUNK, and Refinery29, today announced a partnership to launch an ESSENCE-branded FAST (Free Ad-Supported Streaming Television) channel. This collaboration addresses a significant gap in the streaming landscape by creating the first major streaming platform specifically designed for Black women, combining SMTG's robust content library with Hartbeat's award-winning, premium production and creative capabilities. The partnership emerges at a pivotal moment when Black viewership on Connected TV (CTV) and FAST platforms is experiencing explosive growth, yet programming specifically tailored to Black women remains underserved across major streaming platforms. According to recent industry data, Black households over-index significantly in CTV consumption, with streaming viewership among Black audiences growing 40% year-over-year, while targeted content remains severely underrepresented. 'Hartbeat has consistently identified and served underrepresented markets,' said Jeff Clanagan, President and Chief Distribution Officer of Hartbeat. 'This ESSENCE-branded FAST channel represents another strategic opportunity to create authentic content for an audience that has been overlooked by traditional streaming platforms. We're not just launching a channel – we're creating a cultural destination.' 'For decades, we've built iconic brands like ESSENCE and AFROPUNK that celebrate and serve diverse communities through powerful content and unforgettable experiences,' said Kirk McDonald, CEO of Sundial Media & Technology Group. 'This partnership with Hartbeat allows us to extend those brands into the streaming ecosystem for the first time, creating a dedicated platform where Black women can see themselves authentically represented in premium entertainment.' The FAST channel will feature a dynamic mix of acquired programming from SMTG's extensive library and original content produced through the partnership. Hartbeat's production team will develop exclusive content that celebrates Black women's experiences, achievements, and cultural contributions. 'This groundbreaking partnership highlights ESSENCE's commitment to innovation and premium storytelling, ensuring Black women are not only seen, but centered, in the next frontier of media,' said Michele Ghee, ESSENCE Chief Content Officer. 'We're proud to introduce an ESSENCE-branded FAST channel that elevates the voices, experiences, and culture of our audience, offering access to curated, empowering content whenever and wherever she wants it. We're not just launching a channel; we're creating a new space for our community to see themselves reflected and celebrated in bold, authentic ways. ' An integral part of this partnership includes leveraging the relationships of Hartbeat and ESSENCE to engage with established Black women actresses, writers, and directors, providing them with a platform for creative freedom and empowering them to produce authentic content. It will provide sustainable funding for premium programming and create new revenue streams for Black women creatives, while delivering authentic brand messaging that resonates with the target demographic. The collaboration harnesses the combined power of two iconic brands in Black culture. For 55 years, ESSENCE has served as the definitive voice of Black women, celebrating their beauty, brilliance, and influence across generations. SMTG's powerhouse portfolio of platforms reaches millions of culturally engaged consumers and commands deep audience loyalty, anchored by tentpole experiences like the ESSENCE Festival of Culture® and Beautycon™. Hartbeat provides world-class production capabilities, digital distribution expertise, and proven success in creating culturally relevant content that resonates with diverse audiences. Hartbeat's track record includes building the Laugh Out Loud Network into the #1 cultural comedy network; producing acclaimed series including 'Number One on the Call Sheet' for Apple TV+' and 'Fight Night' on Peacock; and championing diverse voices, launching programs like Women Write Now, which champions Black female writers in Hollywood. The channel will launch across all major Connected TV, YouTube, and FAST platforms, leveraging Hartbeat's extensive distribution network to ensure maximum reach and accessibility for Black women across all viewing preferences and devices. ABOUT HARTBEATFounded by Kevin Hart, Hartbeat is the global, multi-platform entertainment company creating content and experiences at the intersection of comedy and culture – with a mission to keep the world laughing together. Hartbeat finances, develops, and produces content for all platforms; connects with consumers around the world through events and the company's expansive distribution network; and co-creates entertainment and builds award-winning IP alongside brands. Hartbeat's flagship consumer brand, the LOL! Network, reaches audiences across its O&O social media, audio, and OTT partners. Led by an award-winning team, Hartbeat is a valuable partner to the biggest entertainment companies, platforms and brands in the world, driving cultural currency and generating sales, subscriptions, buzz, and conversation with some of the most coveted audiences. ABOUT SUNDIAL MEDIA & TECHNOLOGY GROUPSundial Media & Technology Group (SMTG) is a human connections company — the signal powered by culture, scaled by technology, and built for community. SMTG connects, elevates, and empowers the most influential consumer segment in the market: HER, the Chief Influence Officer. With over 100 years of community knowledge and insights, SMTG is redefining the media model into a next-generation platform. Powered by proprietary intelligence and AI technology, it activates an ecosystem that scales HER influence and economic power. Its portfolio includes some of the most iconic, purpose-driven brands and experiences shaping culture today—ESSENCE (Girls United, ESSENCE Studios, ESSENCE Festival of Culture™), Refinery29, AFROPUNK, Beautycon™ (including NaturallyCurly), the Global Black Economic Forum, the Academy for Advancing Excellence, and the New Voices Fund. Through storytelling, products, and platforms, SMTG delivers the tools and technology to shape the future of media, commerce, and community—on HER terms. ABOUT ESSENCE COMMUNICATIONS MEDIA GROUP Communications is the number one—and only 100% Black-owned—media, technology and commerce company at scale dedicated to Black women and communities. With a community of more than 31 million Black women, ESSENCE inspires a global audience through diverse storytelling and immersive original content rooted in Culture, Equity and Celebration. The brand's multi-platform presence in/ publishing, experiential and online encompasses its namesake magazine; digital, video and social platforms; television specials; books; and signature live events, including Black Women in Music, Black Women in Hollywood, ESSENCE Black Women in Sports, Fashion House, Street Style and the ESSENCE Festival of Culture®. Media Contacts:Skai Blue Media for Sundial Media & Technology Group:TeamSMG@ Metro Public Relations for Hartbeathartbeat@
Yahoo
a day ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Verisk selects One Inc's PremiumPay for insurance payments
Verisk has integrated One Inc's One PremiumPay into its Flexible Architecture, Simplified Technology (FAST), a platform designed to streamline life insurance operations. This allows inbound payment functionalities to be incorporated directly into the configurable architecture of the FAST system. With this move, Verisk aims to assist life insurers in their digital transformation efforts by minimising physical and indirect payment methods within the life and annuity market. The FAST platform supports insurers throughout the life insurance life cycle, encompassing product development, customer self-service, policy administration and claims management. By incorporating One Inc's payment technology, Verisk's FAST platform now enables carriers to offer an digital payment experience and streamline communication with policyholders. It also simplifies the digitalisation process and automates critical operations across various insurance lines, reducing costs and outdated practices associated with digital transformation. One Inc CEO Ian Drysdale said: 'This product integration offers a critical path to unlocking value from digital payments tailored to the needs of life insurers. We can eliminate the typical barriers of custom integrations and enable carriers to adopt modern inbound payment capabilities with greater speed and efficiency. This collaboration emphasises our strengths to modernise the life insurance landscape while offering a unified platform for payments.' Verisk underwriting solutions co-president Saurabh Khemka stated: 'At Verisk, we are committed to helping life insurers by providing data-rich solutions to achieve greater speed, flexibility and operational efficiency. By integrating digital payment capabilities in collaboration with PremiumPay, carriers can accelerate their modernisation efforts, reduce complexity and deliver improved customer experiences without the time and cost associated with updating their existing platforms.' In April, Verisk introduced a new catastrophe model to assist insurers in assessing the financial impact of strikes, riots and civil commotion within the US market. "Verisk selects One Inc's PremiumPay for insurance payments " was originally created and published by Life Insurance International, a GlobalData owned brand. The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
One Inc Launches Pre-Built Payment Integration for Verisk's FAST Life Insurance Platform
PremiumPay® to Simplify Inbound Payments and Improve Speed for Policyholders FOLSOM, Calif., June 18, 2025--(BUSINESS WIRE)--One Inc, the leading digital payments network for the insurance industry, today announced the launch of a pre-built payment integration for Verisk's FAST ("Flexible Architecture, Simplified Technology"), a modern, flexible platform designed to streamline and scale life insurance operations. This new integration connects One Inc's industry-leading PremiumPay® for inbound payment capabilities directly into FAST's configurable system architecture, helping carriers accelerate their digital transformation by reducing the need for physical and non-direct payments in the life and annuity market. Verisk (Nasdaq: VRSK), a leading global data analytics and technology provider, and its FAST platform enable life insurers to quickly modernize and mitigate challenges spanning the life insurance life cycle, such as product development, customer self-service, policy administration and claims management. The company's integrated solutions accelerate carriers' time to market and deliver a superior digital policyholder experience. Integrating One Inc's payment technology within Verisk's FAST platform enables carriers to: Offer a modern payment experience and enhance communication with policyholders via one convenient platform. Simplify digitalization and automate critical processes to drive greater efficiency and scalability across life and annuity lines. Mitigate outdated strategies and operational costs associated with digitalization. "At Verisk, we are committed to helping life insurers by providing data-rich solutions to achieve greater speed, flexibility and operational efficiency," said Saurabh Khemka, co-president of underwriting solutions at Verisk. "By integrating digital payment capabilities in collaboration with PremiumPay, carriers can accelerate their modernization efforts, reduce complexity and deliver improved customer experiences without the time and cost associated with updating their existing platforms." "This product integration offers a critical path to unlocking value from digital payments tailored to the needs of life insurers," said Ian Drysdale, CEO of One Inc. "We can eliminate the typical barriers of custom integrations and enable carriers to adopt modern inbound payment capabilities with greater speed and efficiency. This collaboration emphasizes our strengths to modernize the life insurance landscape while offering a unified platform for payments." About One Inc One Inc is modernizing the insurance industry for over 270 carriers through a unified and frictionless payment network. Specializing solely in insurance, One Inc enhances carrier operations by cutting costs, boosting security, and improving customer experience. Their all-inclusive digital payments platform offers diverse payment options, multi-channel communications, and swift claim settlements, even for complex cases. As a leading digital payments platform, One Inc handles billions in premiums and claims annually. Recently acknowledged by CNBC as one of the World's Top Fintech Companies and consistently listed on the Inc. 5000 list of Fastest-Growing Companies over the past three years, One Inc stands as a leader in fintech innovation. For more details, please visit About Verisk Verisk (Nasdaq: VRSK) is a leading strategic data analytics and technology partner to the global insurance industry. It empowers clients to strengthen operating efficiency, improve underwriting and claims outcomes, combat fraud and make informed decisions about global risks, including climate change, extreme events, sustainability and political issues. Through advanced data analytics, software, scientific research and deep industry knowledge, Verisk helps build global resilience for individuals, communities and businesses. With teams across more than 20 countries, Verisk consistently earns certification by Great Place to Work and fosters an inclusive culture where all team members feel they belong. For more, visit and the Verisk Newsroom. View source version on Contacts Media Contact: Will LinkStanton Public Relations & Marketingoneinc@ (646) 502-3570 Morgan (551) 655-7858 Sign in to access your portfolio
Business Wire
2 days ago
- Business
- Business Wire
One Inc Launches Pre-Built Payment Integration for Verisk's FAST Life Insurance Platform
FOLSOM, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- One Inc, the leading digital payments network for the insurance industry, today announced the launch of a pre-built payment integration for Verisk's FAST ('Flexible Architecture, Simplified Technology'), a modern, flexible platform designed to streamline and scale life insurance operations. This new integration connects One Inc's industry-leading PremiumPay® for inbound payment capabilities directly into FAST's configurable system architecture, helping carriers accelerate their digital transformation by reducing the need for physical and non-direct payments in the life and annuity market. Verisk (Nasdaq: VRSK), a leading global data analytics and technology provider, and its FAST platform enable life insurers to quickly modernize and mitigate challenges spanning the life insurance life cycle, such as product development, customer self-service, policy administration and claims management. The company's integrated solutions accelerate carriers' time to market and deliver a superior digital policyholder experience. Integrating One Inc's payment technology within Verisk's FAST platform enables carriers to: Offer a modern payment experience and enhance communication with policyholders via one convenient platform. Simplify digitalization and automate critical processes to drive greater efficiency and scalability across life and annuity lines. Mitigate outdated strategies and operational costs associated with digitalization. 'At Verisk, we are committed to helping life insurers by providing data-rich solutions to achieve greater speed, flexibility and operational efficiency,' said Saurabh Khemka, co-president of underwriting solutions at Verisk. 'By integrating digital payment capabilities in collaboration with PremiumPay, carriers can accelerate their modernization efforts, reduce complexity and deliver improved customer experiences without the time and cost associated with updating their existing platforms.' 'This product integration offers a critical path to unlocking value from digital payments tailored to the needs of life insurers,' said Ian Drysdale, CEO of One Inc. 'We can eliminate the typical barriers of custom integrations and enable carriers to adopt modern inbound payment capabilities with greater speed and efficiency. This collaboration emphasizes our strengths to modernize the life insurance landscape while offering a unified platform for payments.' About One Inc One Inc is modernizing the insurance industry for over 270 carriers through a unified and frictionless payment network. Specializing solely in insurance, One Inc enhances carrier operations by cutting costs, boosting security, and improving customer experience. Their all-inclusive digital payments platform offers diverse payment options, multi-channel communications, and swift claim settlements, even for complex cases. As a leading digital payments platform, One Inc handles billions in premiums and claims annually. Recently acknowledged by CNBC as one of the World's Top Fintech Companies and consistently listed on the Inc. 5000 list of Fastest-Growing Companies over the past three years, One Inc stands as a leader in fintech innovation. For more details, please visit About Verisk Verisk (Nasdaq: VRSK) is a leading strategic data analytics and technology partner to the global insurance industry. It empowers clients to strengthen operating efficiency, improve underwriting and claims outcomes, combat fraud and make informed decisions about global risks, including climate change, extreme events, sustainability and political issues. Through advanced data analytics, software, scientific research and deep industry knowledge, Verisk helps build global resilience for individuals, communities and businesses. With teams across more than 20 countries, Verisk consistently earns certification by Great Place to Work and fosters an inclusive culture where all team members feel they belong. For more, visit and the Verisk Newsroom.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
SUNY New Paltz Announces Partnership with eCampus.com as New Official Online Bookstore to Launch in the Summer of 2025
SUNY New Paltz becomes the tenth State University of New York (SUNY) System school to partner with LEXINGTON, Ky., June 18, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- has been chosen as the official course materials partner for SUNY New Paltz, providing a comprehensive online bookstore platform. Located just 90 minutes from New York City in a vibrant college town, SUNY New Paltz is a competitive, four-year university offering a wide range of undergraduate majors in business, liberal arts and sciences, engineering, fine and performing arts, and education. was selected following a thorough evaluation, which highlighted the company's strong alignment with the university's mission to enrich the experiences of both students and faculty. SUNY New Paltz is the latest addition to a growing group of SUNY system schools—including Brockport, Canton, Cobleskill, Cortland, Morrisville, Oneonta, Potsdam, Stony Brook, and SUNY Environmental Science & Forestry—that have selected as their comprehensive course materials provider. This partnership aims to deliver convenient and affordable access to course materials through a personalized online storefront. The platform will integrate seamlessly with SUNY New Paltz's Student Information System, streamlining the ordering process through Single Sign-On (SSO) and allowing students to easily order materials. Key benefits of this new partnership include exceptional customer service, a broader selection of cost-effective options, and the ability to meet the increasing demand for digital content. Students will have access to new, used, and rental textbooks, as well as various digital materials. Additionally, an exclusive Marketplace will allow students to purchase textbooks and course materials from third-party sellers at discounted prices. Students are ensured the most affordable options for textbooks and course materials with price match guarantee and will receive dedicated customer support via email, chat, or phone. will also offer free shipping to the Gear Shop, where students can conveniently pick up their course materials in store. Our strategic partner University Gear Shop will provide a modern spirit store at SUNY New Paltz. University Gear Shop integrates seamlessly with eCampus Ship2Store Software to ensure efficient package distribution, book buyback, and rental returns in the New Paltz Gear Shop. The new partnership with offers significant benefits to both SUNY New Paltz students and faculty. Faculty will have access to the FAST adoption platform, which simplifies the research and selection of course materials from over 10 million titles, regardless of publisher or platform. The platform includes pricing comparisons, adoption metrics, and a student readiness dashboard for real-time insights into purchasing behaviors. Faculty can make adoption changes, order desk copies, and access custom materials like lab manuals—all in one place. also provides a dedicated account management team to support faculty with training, guidance, and clear communication, ensuring a smooth transition to the new system. Robust analytics dashboards give leadership visibility into key data, enabling informed decisions at both the institutional and departmental levels. "We've decided to partner with eCampus and University Gear Shop to provide the campus with the most cutting-edge providers of textbooks and spirit wear available in the marketplace," said Steven Deutsch, Executive Director of Campus Auxiliary Services (CAS), an independent not-for-profit organization that contracts with SUNY New Paltz to provide goods and services to enhance the student experience. About SUNY New Paltz Located in the heart of a dynamic college town, 90 minutes from New York City, SUNY New Paltz is a highly selective university of more than 7,000 undergraduate and graduate students. One of the most well-regarded public universities in the nation, SUNY New Paltz delivers more than 100 programs in Business, Liberal Arts, Sciences, Engineering, Fine & Performing Arts and Education. New Paltz is a community where talented and independent minded people from around the world create close personal links with real scholars and artists who love to teach. About Campus Auxiliary Services New Paltz Campus Auxiliary Services, Inc. (CAS) is an independent not-for-profit organization that contracts with SUNY New Paltz to provide services such as the bookstore. CAS's mission is to provide goods and services to enrich daily life at SUNY New Paltz. About is a premier online retailer of textbooks and digital course materials. Consistently exceeding industry standards, mission is to provide the easiest, fastest, and most affordable way for K-12 and higher education students to buy, rent, or sell textbooks and digital content. Founded on July 2, 1999, reshaped the textbook industry by taking the traditional college bookstore online. Remaining an edtech leader in future-proof course material solutions, serves over 400 schools, colleges, and universities. Their comprehensive course material solutions suite includes full-service online bookstores, inclusive access and equitable access programs, and expert campus store operations and management. Through products that simplify the adoption, management, and procurement of course materials, propels student success by delivering the right course materials, at the right time, and the right price. Learn more at and Press Contact: Tiffaney Lavoie859-514-6885http:// View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE
