CKH INNOVATIONS OPPORTUNITIES DEVELOPMENT PARTNERS WITH BLACKNUT TO PROVIDE CLOUD GAMING SERVICES; DREI AUSTRIA THE FIRST TO LAUNCH WITH ‘DREI HOMEPLAY’

CKH Innovations Opportunities Development partners with Blacknut to provide cloud gaming services; Drei Austria the first to launch with ‘Drei HomePlay’

Vienna, Austria - May 06, 2021 - Cloud-gaming specialist Blacknut and CKH Innovations Opportunities Development (CKH IOD) a telecom unit of CK Hutchison Holdings, have partnered to bring cloud gaming to their customers across Europe and beyond. Drei Austria is the first 3 Group mobile operator to invest in this new innovative content. Drei Austria will offer a whole new experience of entertainment through a new service called Drei HomePlay.

Drei HomePlay’s subscription will bring unlimited access to a catalogue of family-friendly premium games. Customers that subscribe to the service for a monthly fee of 9.99€ will have access to a dedicated application with a catalogue of over 500 family-friendly games. The catalogue includes games from all genres, including racing simulation, adventure, strategy, role-playing games and more.

Drei Homeplay will allow each subscriber to create up to 5 player profiles per account and works across desktop, mobile and selected SmartTVs. Blacknut’s platform also allows players to have a full crossplay experience, meaning they can switch between devices without losing their game saves or progress.

CKH Innovations Opportunities Development (CKH IOD) is the international development hub of CK Hutchison, which creates innovative technologies and services built on CK Hutchison's mobile networks.

According to market analyst Omdia, cloud gaming is expected to grow into a $4 billion market this year, up 188% compared to 2020, and is expected to more than triple by 2025.

Blacknut’s cloud gaming business solution enables ISPs, device manufacturers, OTT services and media companies to quickly launch their own streaming games services. Blacknut is already providing cloud gaming services for a number of telecom operators and is available to consumers in 40 countries.

“We’ve been working with CKH IOD for some time to develop an ambitious strategy to bring Innovation and Gaming to all their customers”, said Olivier Avaro, CEO of Blacknut, “The forthcoming launch with Drei in Austria is the first step towards bringing the fun and convenience of cloud gaming to millions of subscribers."

“We selected Blacknut not only for its extensive expertise in cloud gaming but also because of their great scalable streaming technology ideally designed for carriers and their ability to deploy it to reach even more users and gamers,” said Guenter Lischka, Division Manager Consumer of Drei. “We are proud to be the pilot country within the 3 Group to bring cloud gaming to our subscribers in Austria, and look forward to growing our partnership with Blacknut.”

Francesco Zampini, Director of Devices, Products and Services at CKH IOD, stated, “We are very glad to start this global collaboration with an innovative company like Blacknut. Their cloud gaming platform will be a core element of our Group gaming strategy, enabling seamless multi-screen access and immersive experiences across a rich and dynamic portfolio of games unlocking the power of our 5G Networks for our Customers.”

New and existing Drei customers can subscribe to Drei HomePlay for €9.99 from the 6th of May. Drei HomePlay will give access to over 500 games on Windows, Mac OS, Android Mobile, Tablets, Android SmartTVs and Amazon Fire TV. For more info, please visit www.drei.at/homeplay

About Blacknut
Blacknut is the world's leading pure player cloud gaming service dedicated to the general public, distributed both direct to consumers and B2B through ISPs, device manufacturers, OTT services & Media companies. Blacknut offers the largest catalogue of premium games with 500+ titles carefully selected for the whole family, all included in a monthly subscription. The service is now available across Europe, Asia & North America on a wide range of devices, including mobiles, set-top-boxes and Smart TVs. Blacknut was founded in 2016 by Olivier Avaro (CEO) and is headquartered in Rennes, France, with offices in Paris, Seoul and San Francisco.

About CKH Innovations Opportunities Development
CKH Innovations Opportunities Development is a telecom unit and international development hub of CK Hutchison, creating international and global technological innovations that are built on one of CK Hutchison's strongest assets, our mobile networks.
We offer customised global mobile communications and data solutions that create new digital value and unprecedented opportunities for business. Our collaborative approach combined with our world-class network and experience means we are best placed to help our customers design, adapt, develop and scale solutions faster.

About Drei
Hutchison Drei Austria GmbH is a 100% subsidiary of CK Hutchison Holdings Limited (Hong Kong) and part of the 3Group Europe’s division “3Scandinavia & Austria“. By the end of December 2020, Drei achieved total interim revenue of 850 million euros with about 3.7 million customers. As a leading Austrian telecommunications provider, the company offers mobile communication, internet, fixed-line, TV and business solutions from a single source. Next to the biggest network of branded stores by an Austrian telecommunications provider and an encompassing customer service for residential and business customers, Drei provides the densest 4G network with a 98% coverage in population. In June 2019 Drei launched Austria‘s first, real, comprehensive 5G network in Linz. More information: www.drei.at.

For more information, please contact:

Big Ideas Machine
Amy Ballantyne
Tel: +44(0)7837965914
E-mail: amy@bigideasmachine.com

Hutchison Drei Austria GmbH
Tom Tesch
Tel.: +43 (0) 660 66033701
E-mail: tom.tesch@drei.com
Web: www.drei.at/Presse