WORLDWIDE TRAILER LAUNCH EFFORT FOR WALT DISNEY PICTURES’ “PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: AT WORLD’S END” RESULTS IN UNPRECEDENTED GLOBAL VIEWERSHIP

Worldwide Audience in Excess of 350 million Viewers Watched Brand-New Trailer via Broadcast & Online Placement



As a result of a carefully coordinated global launch effort, the theatrical trailer for Walt Disney Pictures/Jerry Bruckheimer Films “Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End” has reached the largest worldwide audience ever for a theatrical trailer debut, capturing more than 350 million viewers in a 24-hour period.

The trailer launch commenced on Monday, March 19th, with its initial debut during the season premiere ABC’s “Dancing with the Stars” (8-10PM EST/PST), which captured a nationwide audience of more than 22 million viewers, making it a clear ratings champ and the #1 show for the evening.

Immediately following the broadcast, over 13 million fans viewed the trailer in a 24-hour period, due to a globally synchronized online debut effort in over 30 countries across the globe. Within 48 hours, there were over 25 million views around the world. In the U.S., Yahoo.com had the High Definition exclusive and broke the previous HD for the most views [1.1 million views] in one day. Internationally, top placement was negotiated with key online partners [Yahoo, MSN, ProSieben], in tandem with a domestic partnership with Yahoo! and Disney.com. Viral countdown players were also seeded online, allowing fans from around the world to debut the trailer on their own websites and personal pages.

Simultaneously, the international broadcast television “roadblock” rolled out in 61 countries worldwide, with simulcasts on popular programs and primetime new shows in such countries as the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, Mexico, Korea, and Latin America and Russia – amounting to a never-before-captured audience of more than 300 million viewers across the globe, with Japan alone pulling in an impressive 52 million viewers.

Commenting on the efforts, Jim Gallagher, President, Buena Vista Pictures Marketing said, “While we expected a good degree of anticipation and enthusiasm for the new trailer – the final figures for viewers across the globe over the past few days have truly exceeded our wildest expectations. I am proud of our efforts on behalf of coordinating the Worldwide Trailer Launch for ‘Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End’ and am thankful for the cooperation of all of our partners worldwide who helped make this an incredibly successful endeavor.”

“Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End” picks up where the record-breaking 2006 smash hit left off, with heroes Will Turner (Orlando Bloom) and Elizabeth Swann (Keira Knightley) allied with Captain Barbossa (Geoffrey Rush) in a desperate quest to free Captain Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp) from his mind-bending trap in Davy Jones’ locker. With the terrifying ghost ship, The Flying Dutchman, and its commander Davy Jones under the control of the East India Trading Company, there is havoc on the Seven Seas. Navigating through treachery, betrayal and wild waters, the heroic trio must forge their way to exotic Singapore and confront the cunning Pirate Sao Feng (Chow Yun-Fat). Now headed beyond the very ends of the earth, each must ultimately choose a side in a final titanic battle – as not only their lives and fortunes, but the entire future of the freedom-loving Pirate way hangs in the balance. Produced by Jerry Bruckheimer and directed by Gore Verbinski from a screenplay written by Ted Elliott & Terry Rossio, the beloved cast sets sail again on a fresh new adventure in May 2007.