MTG: VIASAT EXTENDS UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE BROADCASTING RIGHTS IN THE BALTICS AND
ACQUIRES EXCLUSIVE PREMIER LEAGUE RIGHTS IN GHANA
Modern Times Group MTG AB (publ.) (‘MTG' or ‘the Group'), the international
entertainment broadcasting group, today announced that it has extended its
exclusive live broadcasting rights to the UEFA Champions League in Estonia,
Latvia and Lithuania until the end of the 2011/2012 season. MTG also announced
that Viasat has acquired the exclusive live free-to-air broadcasting rights to
the English Premier League for Viasat1 in Ghana.
The UEFA Champions League matches will be broadcast on Viasat's TV6 channels in
Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, and on pay-TV channel Viasat Sport Baltic across
the region. Viasat has been broadcasting the UEFA Champions League in the Baltic
countries since 2002, and also has the exclusive broadcasting rights to the
championship in Sweden, Norway and Denmark. Viasat has also extended the
non-exclusive rights to the UEFA Champions League for Bulgaria and Finland until
the end of the 2011/2012 season.
Viasat1 in Ghana was launched in December 2008 and is MTG's first African
free-TV channel. The English Premier League will be the first sports rights
aired on the channel, premiering with the match between Everton and Arsenal on
15 August 2009. The rights have been acquired for one year, and Viasat will
broadcast a minimum of 33 matches from the 2009/2010 season.
Hans-Holger Albrecht, President & CEO of MTG, commented: “The extension of the
UEFA Champions League rights in the Baltic countries continue to demonstrate our
commitment to deliver the best premium sports content to our viewers. Our
acquisition of the Premier League rights in Ghana is the next step in the
development of our first African channel. We are proud to continue our work to
implement MTG's successful business model in the country, whilst offering
viewers the very best in premium sports entertainment.”
***
For further information, please visit www.mtg.se or contact:
Hans-Holger Albrecht, President & CEO
Tel: +46 (0) 8 562 000 50
Investor & Analyst Enquiries:
Matthew Hooper: +44 (0) 7768 440 414
Email: investor.relations@mtg.se
Media Enquiries:
Bert Willborg +44 (0) 791 2280 850
Email: bert.willborg@mtg.se
Modern Times Group is a leading international entertainment broadcasting group
with the second largest geographical broadcast footprint in Europe. MTG's Viasat
Broadcasting is the largest free-TV and satellite premium pay-TV operator in
Scandinavia and the Baltics, and also operates free-TV channels in the Czech
Republic, Hungary, Slovenia Bulgaria, Macedonia and Ghana. MTG's TV assets are
broadcast in a total of 30 countries and have 125 million viewers. MTG is also
the major shareholder in Russia's largest independent television broadcaster
(CTC Media - Nasdaq: CTCM), and the number one commercial radio operator in the
Nordic and Baltic regions.
Modern Times Group MTG AB Class A and B shares are listed on Nasdaq OMX
Stockholm's Large Cap market (‘MTGA' and ‘MTGB').
The information in this announcement is that which Modern Times Group MTG AB is
required to disclose under the Securities Market Act and/or the Financial
Instruments Trading Act. It was released for publication at 08.00 CET on 13
August 2009.
MTG: VIASAT EXTENDS UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE BROADCASTING RIGHTS IN THE BALTICS AND ACQUIRES EXCLUSIVE PREMIER LEAGUE RIGHTS IN GHANA
| Source: Modern Times Group MTG AB
Attachments
