TV1000 REACHES HALF A MILLION SUBSCRIBERS Modern Times Group MTG AB ("MTG"), the international media group, today announced that its TV1000 and TV1000 Cinema premium television channels now have over 500,000 subscribers, up 23% since the beginning of 2001. TV1000 has the largest number of subscribers of any Pay TV channel in the Nordic region. TV1000, which was launched in 1991, is broadcast by MTG's Viasat Broadcasting. The two channels are part of the Viasat Gold Pay TV package on Viasat Broadcasting's DTH digital TV platform, which has the largest number of digital TV subscribers in the Nordic region. Viasat Broadcasting is the third largest Pay TV operator in Europe and had over 486,000 DTH Pay TV customers at the end of June 2001. TV1000 is also available through third party cable TV and small antenna networks in the Nordic region. The premium TV1000 and TV1000 Cinema channels offer blockbuster movies, and major sports and music events. As part of the roll-out of Viasat's digital TV offering, each programme on TV1000 and TV1000 Cinema is broadcast three times a day on a multiplexed platform, which enables viewers to view content at their convenience. Hans-Holger Albrecht, President and CEO of MTG, commented: "This is a great milestone for TV1000, which has become the leading Pay TV channel in the Nordic region. Both TV1000 and TV1000 Cinema are core channels within our Pay TV operations, and are broadcast on our satellite digital TV platform." "We were the first of the European broadcasters to close down the analogue transmission of our Pay TV channels (in May 2001), following the transition of all Viasat premium package subscribers from analogue to digital just 6 months after the launch of the conversion of subscribers to digital TV services in October 2000." For further information, please visit www.mtg.se, email info@mtg.se, or contact: Hans-Holger Albrecht, President & CEO tel: +46 (0) 8 562 000 50 Matthew Hooper, Investor & Press Relations tel: +44 (0) 20 7321 5010 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 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/2001/08/30/20010830BIT00940/bit0002.doc http://www.waymaker.net/bitonline/2001/08/30/20010830BIT00940/bit0002.pdf