MTG LAUNCHES VIASAT 3D

MTG LAUNCHES VIASAT 3D

Stockholm
December 16, 2010
08.00 CET
Modern Times Group MTG AB (publ.) (‘MTG’ or ‘the Group’), the international entertainment broadcasting group, today announced that Viasat Broadcasting is the first Scandinavian pay-TV operator to launch a 3D TV service. Viasat 3D is now made available to satellite subscribers through Viasat’s digital OnDemand set-top box and will feature live football matches from UEFA Champions League, as well as streamed 3D video on demand movie content.

Viasat will offer live 3D matches from the final stages of the current UEFA Champions League season. The draw for the Round of the last 16 teams occurs tomorrow, and will decide who faces who for the eight matches on 15-16 and 22-23 February and on 8-9 and 15-16 March. The quarter finals are set for 5-6 and 12-13 April, whilst the semi finals are set for 26-27 April and 3-4 May. The final takes place at Wembley Stadium in London on Saturday 28 May. Viasat has the rights to UEFA Champions League in Sweden, Norway and Denmark.  

The Viasat 3D on-demand service also makes animated movies like “Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs” as well as Sci-Fi and horror movies available on a pay-per-day basis. Viasat’s current digital OnDemand set-top boxes already have the capacity for 3D TV content, and subscribers will only need a 3D enabled TV set.

The launch of Viasat 3D is made in partnership with Samsung. The live 3D satellite broadcasts will be made in co-operation with SES-Astra.

Hans-Holger Albrecht, President & CEO of MTG, commented: “We are proud to be the first broadcaster in Scandinavia to offer 3D TV content to our subscribers. Our leading premium sports rights, combined with a selection of movies, allows us to be at the forefront of TV technology. 3D is still in the very early stages of development, and we expect more 3D content to be made available in the future. We look forward to bringing that content to our subscribers and to continue strengthening Viasat’s leading premium offering.”

 

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For further information, please visit www.mtg.se or contact:

Hans-Holger Albrecht, President & CEOTel: +46 (0) 8 562 000 50 

Investor & Analyst Enquiries:Matthew HooperTel: +44 (0) 7768 440 414Email: investor.relations@mtg.se 

Media Enquiries:Bert WillborgTel: +44 (0) 791 2280 850Email: bert.willborg@mtg.se     

Modern Times Group is a leading international entertainment broadcasting group with the largest geographical broadcast footprint in Europe. MTG's Viasat Broadcasting is the leading free-TV and pay-TV operator in Scandinavia and the Baltics, and has broadcasting operations in Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Hungary, Slovenia, Russia, Ukraine and Ghana. Viasat’s free-TV and pay-TV channels and pay-TV platforms attract a total of 125 million viewers in 31 countries. MTG is also the major shareholder in Russia’s largest independent television broadcaster (CTC Media – Nasdaq: CTCM), and the number one commercial radio operator and internet retailer of entertainment products in the Nordic region.

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 Markets Act. This information was released for publication at 08.00 CET on 16 December 2010. 

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