KC Global Media Asia, the brainchild of former Sony executives Andy Kaplan and George Chien, has unveiled a new YouTube-first adventure reality competition series, AXN Ultimate Challenge: Sarawak. The show, a collaboration between KCGM Asia-owned entertainment brand AXN Asia and the Sarawak Tourism Board, will deliver “an original destination-led entertainment initiative to worldwide audiences”.
Premiering today, July 31, on AXN Asia YouTube channel, AXN Ultimate Challenge takes four content creators deep into the heart of Malaysian state Sarawak, located on the island of Borneo. Estelle Fly & Saffron Sharpe (Team A) will compete with Khenji Saito & Adam Manuel (Team B) – testing their skill, nerve, and teamwork across a series of challenges. They will also “immerse themselves in local communities, experience cultural encounters and uncover hidden gems rarely seen on screen”.
The 4 x 15-minute show is produced by KCGM Studios and hosted by Mark O’Dea. The competitors will also be shooting their own content, offering an authentic look at the adventure from their individual perspectives.
George Chien, KC Global Media’s co-founder, president & chief executive officer, said: “Our forward-thinking team has created an immersive adventure with AXN Ultimate Challenge: Sarawak that puts the culture, people and spirit of adventure at the heart of the story. We look forward to audiences across the world becoming inspired to experience Sarawak for themselves. And we look forward to seeing where the KC Global Media / AXN Ultimate Challenge can explore next.”
The partners said the show highlights a “growing trend of screen tourism”, where new audiences can discover destinations through original entertainment content.
“Sarawak is a destination where adventure, culture and nature come together through authentic experiences deeply connected to our landscapes, communities and way of life,” said Dr. Sharzede Datu Haji Salleh Askor, CEO of the Sarawak Tourism Board. “AXN Ultimate Challenge: Sarawak offers viewers an exciting way to discover this diversity – from challenges inspired by our natural environment to cultural encounters and local stories that make every journey here unique. We hope the series will inspire audiences across the region to discover Sarawak, Malaysia for themselves.”
KC Global Media Asia’s portfolio of brands in Asia includes English-language general entertainment network AXN, Japanese anime content network Animax, Korean general entertainment network, ONE, English language FAST network KCM, and AXN Sports. It also has a JV with JOURNY, a brand of NextTrip, Inc., bringing travel and lifestyle content to 94m households across Asia Pacific, the Middle East, and Africa.
