MOSCOW, March 2, 2011 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- CTC Media, Inc. ("CTC Media" or "the Company") (Nasdaq:CTCM), Russia's leading independent media company, announces the launch of the CTC-International channel ("CTC-International") in Germany. CTC Media has signed an exclusive agreement to distribute the CTC-International channel via the Kartina TV IPTV network, with a one-year right to sublicense it to other IPTV networks across the territories of most European countries.
CTC-International is now available in three countries, following the channel's December 2009 launch in the USA and its June 2009 launch in Israel on the Yes satellite platform and the HOT cable network. The potential audience of CTC-International in all current territories of operations is approximately 15 million viewers. The international version of CTC combines the most successful and exciting programming of all three CTC Media channels – CTC, Domashny and DTV – with a broad range of high quality content, including series, sitcoms, drama, comedy and music entertainment TV shows.
Anton Kudryashov, Chief Executive Officer of CTC Media, commented: "We operate in a highly competitive environment and are constantly searching for new ways to expand our business. The launch of the international version of CTC in countries with a considerable number of Russian-speaking viewers, along with regional expansion in Russia and the CIS, is an important part of our strategy. We expect a high level of demand for our product in Germany, taking into account Kartina's low subscription fee and high pay-TV penetration in Germany."
Viacheslav Sinadski, Chief Strategy Officer of CTC Media, commented: "The launch of CTC-International in Germany is the first step in implementing on our expansion strategy in Europe. The distribution of CTC-International via the Kartina TV IPTV network is just the beginning, as there are approximately 5 million potential Russian-speaking viewers in Germany, providing plenty of scope for further development. We are therefore also considering options for distribution of CTC-International through cable and satellite networks. Our further plans include expanding into Canada as well as broadening our footprint across Europe."
Оlga Panfilova, Head of Marketing and Development of Kartina TV, commented: "We are delighted to start our IPTV cooperation with CTC Media in Europe. This will allow us to complement our offering with the international version of one of the most popular Russian channels, thereby expanding the number of its potential viewers among the Russian-speaking population in Europe."
For further information, please visit www.ctcmedia.ru
About CTC Media, Inc.
CTC Media is a leading independent media company in Russia, with operations throughout Russia and elsewhere in the CIS. It operates three free-to-air television networks in Russia - CTC, Domashny and DTV - as well as Channel 31 in Kazakhstan and TV company in Moldova, with a combined potential audience of over 150 million people. The international pay-TV version of the CTC channel is available in North America and Israel. CTC Media also owns two TV content production companies, Costafilm and Soho Media. The Company's common stock is traded on The NASDAQ Global Select Market under the symbol "CTCM". For more information on CTC Media, please visit www.ctcmedia.ru.
Certain statements in this press release that are not based on historical information are "forward-looking statements", including statements regarding the potential success of CTC-International in the German and other European markets. These forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual performance to be materially different from those implied by such forward-looking statements, including the risks described in the "Risk Factors" section of CTC Media's annual report on Form 10-K, filed with the SEC on March 1, 2011. You are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. CTC Media does not undertake any obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements because of new information, future events or otherwise.