• Highly anticipated series next up for lighting track
• Exclusive footage to be previewed at South by Southwest

AUSTIN, Texas -- (Business Wire)

Syfy, the media destination for imagination-based entertainment, and Philips (NYSE: PHG; AEX: PHIA), the global leader in lighting, announce the continuation of their award-winning partnership with Syfy’s upcoming, highly anticipated epic series, “The Expanse.”

Steven Strait stars as Holden in Syfy's upcoming series The Expanse. (Photo: Business Wire)

Building on the success of Syfy’s Sharknado 2 and 12 Monkeys, Syfy and Philips Hue will offer viewers the ability to enhance The Expanse experience with a unique “light track” that uses audio cues and translates them into ambient lighting effects. For each episode in the 10-episode series, the Philips Hue bulbs change color and intensity to reflect scenes in the show, adding heightened engagement and a new dimension to immersive television.

The Expanse, the most ambitious series in Syfy history, will premiere fourth quarter 2015. Based on The New York Times’ bestselling series, The Expanse stars Thomas Jane (The Punisher, Hung), Steven Strait (Magic City, City Island) and Shohreh Aghdashloo (24, The House of Sand and Fog). The thrilling series is set two hundred years in the future, after mankind has colonized the solar system. A hardened detective (Jane) and a rogue ship’s captain (Strait) come together for what starts as the case of a missing young woman and evolves into a race across the solar system to expose the greatest conspiracy in human history.

To celebrate this next step for lighting and television, Syfy and Philips are offering a first look at The Expanse at this year’s Film and Interactive Fusion Party on Saturday, March 14 at SXSW in Austin, Texas. Film, Interactive, Gold and Platinum Badges attendees at SXSW will get an exclusive look at the highly anticipated drama, set to a light-track that matches the action on screen with Philips Hue bulbs’ connected lighting experience. Attendees will also have the opportunity to see Philips connected commercial Color Kinetics LEDs and control systems at work inside the venue.

“Syfy is consistently at the forefront of utilizing technology for transmedia storytelling,” said Matthew Chiavelli, Vice President, Digital Media & Strategy, Syfy. “The footage we are seeing from The Expanse has us incredibly excited about utilizing technology with Philips to the fullest. Not only do we have outer space as a canvas - but the special effects and action will make this our most compelling Philips Hue experience to date.”

“As connected lighting experts, we continue to create new and innovative ways for consumers to engage with and experience light,” said Amy Huntington, president, Philips Lighting - Americas. “Working with Syfy on 12 Monkeys, Sharknado, and Sharknado 2, we have pioneered unique lighting experiences, changing the way viewers interact with their favorite TV shows and movies and our partnership continues to set new standards in home entertainment.”

Collaborations with developers and partners like Syfy underline the flexibility of what is the leading connected lighting system for the home. With more than 230 third-party apps, Philips Hue can sync your lights to music, simulate a sunrise effect, flash your team colors when they score and even wake you gently in the morning. Just as 12 Monkeys and Sharknado 2 opened the door to a new dimension in TV viewing, The Expanse will push the envelope to a whole new level, perhaps redefining the very way people will watch TV in the future.

To download Syfy Sync:
http://bit.ly/1b2l7um

To purchase Philips Hue:
http://meethue.com/

To learn more about “The Expanse”:
http://www.syfy.com/theexpanse

Syfy is a media destination for imagination-based entertainment. With year round acclaimed original series, events, blockbuster movies, classic science fiction and fantasy programming, a dynamic Web site (www.syfy.com), and a portfolio of adjacent business (Syfy Ventures), Syfy is a passport to limitless possibilities. Originally launched in 1992 as SCI FI Channel, and currently in 96 million homes, Syfy is a network of NBCUniversal, one of the world's leading media and entertainment companies. NBCUniversal is a subsidiary of Comcast Corporation. (Syfy. Imagine Greater.)

About Royal Philips:

Royal Philips (NYSE: PHG, AEX: PHIA) is a diversified health and well-being company, focused on improving people’s lives through meaningful innovation in the areas of Healthcare, Consumer Lifestyle and Lighting. Headquartered in the Netherlands, Philips posted 2014 sales of EUR 21.4 billion and employs approximately 105,000 employees with sales and services in more than 100 countries. The company is a leader in cardiac care, acute care and home healthcare, energy efficient lighting solutions and new lighting applications, as well as male shaving and grooming and oral healthcare. News from Philips is located at www.philips.com/newscenter.

Photos/Multimedia Gallery Available: http://www.businesswire.com/multimedia/home/20150313005256/en/

Contacts:

Syfy PR Contact:
Syfy / NBC Universal Communications
Paul Campbell, 212-664-3673
Paul.Campbell@nbcuni.com
or
Philips PR Contact:
Philips/Lighting Communications
Silvie Casanova, 978-657-7467
silvie.casanova@philips.com

Source: Royal Philips