NRK,TV8 and Hallmark join ViaSat's platform
NRK, TV8 AND HALLMARK JOIN VIASAT'S PLATFORM Norway's public service television company NRK has concluded an agreement with ViaSat, according to which the company's NRK1 and NRK2 channels are to be distributed to ViaSat's Norwegian customers. At the same time will ViaSat's more than 400 000 Swedish households get the opportunity to view the popular economic channel TV8. The American 24- hours film channel Hallmark is also to be included in ViaSat's Nordic range. With these three latest contracts ViaSat now distributes and administers a total of 31 channels on the Nordic markets. With a customer register of over 940 000 paying DTH households the company is the region's market leader in the pay TV field. The new channels will further strengthen ViaSats offer and thereby contribute to the strong growth of DTH households. "I am extremely pleased by the fact that NRK is joining us. It shows that ViaSat has a strong position in the market and is able to attract the best and strongest brands to join us", says Hans-Holger Albrecht, CEO of the MTG pay-tv division. "NRK and TV8 are very powerful services and will guarantee us further growths in the Norwegian and the Swedish market, respectively. With Hallmark, we will add another 24 hour film service, which will complement our offer in a perfect way and will boost ViaSat's position of being the Nr. 1 in terms of offering movies to the households". ViaSat Plus over 200 000 ViaSat's "Plus" package, which was launched 18 months ago, has now passed the 200 000 subscribers mark and is the largest package in the Nordic market. "The new sales and marketing strategy has been successful and we are carefully adding new services to our platform. We have, no doubt, the best value-for-money concept in the market. That's why we, at this point, do not see any need to create a digital offer, as long as we have this growth rates in the analogue world and the consumer can receive better service for less money", concludes Hans-Holger Albrecht. For further information, please visit www.mtg.se, or email info@mtg.se or contact: Hans-Holger Albrecht, President & CEO tel: +46 8 562 000 50 Matthew Hooper, Investor & Press Relations tel: +44 20 7321 5010 Modern Times Group MTG AB has seven business areas: Viasat Broadcasting (free-to-air and pay TV channels in nine countries), Radio (seven networks in five countries), New Media (the Everyday interactive TV portal, Internet portal, Mobile portal, and teletext services), Publishing (financial news and information services), Modern Interactive (home shopping, e-commerce, and logistics), SDI Media (subtitling and dubbing services), and Modern Studios (content production and library). Modern Times Group MTG AB's class A and B shares are listed on the Stockholmsbörsen O-list (symbols: MTGA and MTGB) and on the Nasdaq National Market in New York (symbol: MTGNY). MODERN TIMES GROUP MTG AB Skeppsbron 18, Box 2094, SE-103 13 Stockholm, Sweden Tel. +46 8 562 000 50 Fax. +46 8 20 50 74 (Publ) Registration No. 556309- 9158 www.mtg.se ------------------------------------------------------------ This information was brought to you by Waymaker http://www.waymaker.net The following files are available for download: http://www.waymaker.net/bitonline/2004/01/07/20040107BIT00010/wkr0001.doc http://www.waymaker.net/bitonline/2004/01/07/20040107BIT00010/wkr0002.pdf