EM.Sport Media and Premiere extend strategic cooperation

[BGonaSTICK]

• Production framework agreement with PLAZAMEDIA extended until 2013

• EM.Sport Media AG participates in Premiere Star with a 5 percent holding

• Collaboration extension with Junior.TV until 2012

• DSF acquires rights package from Premiere

• EM.Sport Media: Sound foundation for further growth within the Group

• Premiere: Services by Germany’s largest sports TV producer secured in the long-term

EM.Sport Media AG and subsidiaries have today concluded extensive and long-term agreements with Premiere AG, thereby significantly intensifying their strategic cooperation.

Extension of the framework agreement with PLAZAMEDIA
PLAZAMEDIA GmbH TV & Film Produktion, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the EM.Sport Media Group, has today agreed a substantial extension of its cooperation with Premiere Fernsehen GmbH & Co. KG and has prematurely extended the existing framework contract for extensive production services until December 31, 2013. The agreement guarantees an additional contract volume for PLAZAMEDIA of a lower three-digit million Euro amount.

As part of the aforesaid partnership, PLAZAMEDIA will also continue to provide, amongst others, the complete transmission of the Premiere sports program for Premiere in the inside production sector, together with the HD offer of Premiere, post-production, studio production or the production of the conference channel for the Champions League games. Amongst others, PLAZAMEDIA will also continue to produce the Champions League and the multi-channel transmissions of Formula 1 in the outside production sector.

The essential production-related services (including the conference channel) provided for the previous legal owner Arena for the live recording of the German 1st Soccer League and the 2nd Soccer League in Pay-TV will now be provided for Premiere for the 2007/2008 and 2008/2009 seasons.

EM.Sport Media AG acquires a holding in Premiere Star GmbH
In addition, EM.Sport Media AG has today acquired a 5 percent holding in Premiere Star GmbH from Premiere Fernsehen GmbH & Co. KG. EM.Sport Media AG will pay a single-digit million Euro amount for the shares. Premiere Star bundles and markets existing and new Pay-TV stations.

Transmission of the Junior Channel on Premiere until 2012
Premiere Fernsehen GmbH & Co. KG has also exercised its extension option for transmission of the Junior Channel on Premiere to the EM.Sport Media subsidiary Junior.TV GmbH & Co. KG. The agreement now runs until December 31, 2012 (previously December 31, 2009) and envisages the exclusive transmission of the Junior Channel through Premiere as in the past.

DSF acquires a rights package from Premiere
Finally, DSF Deutsches Sportfernsehen GmbH has acquired a sporting rights package for exploitation on the Free-TV, Pay-TV and IPTV platforms for a licensing fee of a lower single-digit million Euro amount. Amongst others, the package comprises non-exclusive transmission rights to the highlights of the English Premier League until 2009/2010.

Michael Börnicke, Chairman of the Management Board of Premiere AG: "The intensification of collaboration with Germany’s largest sports TV producer PLAZAMEDIA ensures long-term technical and creative services on a high level for Premiere. The participation of EM.Sport Media AG underlines the growth potential of Premiere Star."

Werner E. Klatten, Chairman of the Management Board of EM.Sport Media AG: „As a result of these extensive strategic agreements with Premiere, we are intensifying our broad and successful collaboration. It constitutes a major component for the significant growth course of the EM.Sport Media Group. The extension of collaboration between PLAZAMEDIA and Premiere not only represents a constructive capacity utilization for PLAZAMEDIA to a very large extent but also underlines once again the unchallenged skills and competence of our production company. The investment in Premiere Star is a promising financial investment in the Pay-TV sector and the agreement between Junior.TV and Premiere again shows the intrinsic value of the Entertainment sector currently available for sale.“

Source: Premiere