-- Contract closed directly with FIFA, without middleman
-- Premiere to be only German Broadcaster to show all 64 games of
World Cup finals live
-- Greater exclusivity: 18 World Cup games can be seen only on Premiere
-- Live football from South Africa at prime time
MUNICH, Germany, June 29, 2005 (PRIMEZONE) -- Premiere has obtained comprehensive broadcasting rights to the 2010 Soccer World Cup in South Africa. Premiere will be the only station in Germany and Austria to broadcast all 64 games of the 2010 FIFA World Cup(tm) live. Eighteen of these matches will be shown exclusively on Premiere. Additionally, Premiere has obtained all pay TV rights for German-speaking Switzerland. In a bidding process that lasted several months, Premiere beat competing channels and sports rights agencies to obtain the rights. This was the first time Premiere has succeeded in acquiring the pay TV rights for a large international sporting event directly from the rights holder. FIFA and Premiere agreed not to disclose the terms of the contract concluded between the two parties.
Dr. Georg Kofler, Chief Executive Officer of Premiere AG, commented on the outcome of the bid: "We achieved all of our most important goals for the negotiations. After 2002 and 2006, Premiere will again be able to offer its subscribers a complete World Cup guarantee in 2010. Compared to the 2006 World Cup in Germany, our 2010 offering will be even more exclusive. We also succeeded in negotiating a direct contract with FIFA without going through an intermediary. The fact that we gained the trust of the world's largest sports association proves that Premiere has established itself as a trusted figure in the German TV market. The rights to the 2010 World Cup will support Premiere's long-term, enduring position as the number one broadcaster for live soccer."
The live matches from South Africa will reach Premiere audiences at prime time - there will be no time difference. The 2006 FIFA World Cup(tm) in Germany will give viewers a taste of the 2010 World Cup. In 2006, Premiere will be the only German TV channel to show all 64 games of the FIFA World Cup live. Eight of these games will be exclusive to Premiere. For the first time in the history of television, Premiere will broadcast all 64 games in the new high-resolution format HDTV (High Definition Television). Subscribers will also be able to view World Cup matches at the camera angles of their choice. Premiere will also offer conference channels for games which are being played parallel. A separate 24-hour World Cup channel will broadcast analyses, highlights and repeats around the clock.
This press release can be found on the Internet at info.premiere.de.