Viasat to broadcast Swedish Premier League football

Viasat to broadcast Swedish Premier League football

Stockholm
April 23, 2001
17.22 CEST

VIASAT TO BROADCAST SWEDISH PREMIER LEAGUE FOOTBALL Viasat will begin live broadcasting of the Swedish Premier League football matches on Viasat Ticket. With this, Viasat will launch its pay- per-view service for digital television subscribers. Satellite-dish owners will be able to follow their favorite teams through Viasat's cooperation with cable operator com hem, which offers the same service to its digital TV subscribers. Lars-Åke Lagrell, chairman of the Swedish Football Association, commented: "This is good for football fans, and it's good for football. Viasat and com hem compliment each other, and the cooperation allows fans to follow the clubs on TV in a way which was previously impossible. The introduction of pay-per-view on digital television is perfect for the Swedish Premier League." This year's season has just begun, and for the first time ever all matches will be available for live broadcast for TV viewers. Pay-per- view has been launched for all matches except the Match of the Week, which is already broadcasted. This means that digital television viewers can now choose between six of seven matches weekly, normally three on Sunday and three on Monday. Viewers pay for the match or matches they select. The first matches of the season have been available to cable operator com hem's digital TV subscribers. Now, com hem and Viasat have signed an agreement that allows Viasat's digital TV subscribers the same opportunity. In all, more than 400 Premier League matches will be aired during a three-year period. Viasat will launch Viasat Ticket, its brand for pay-per-view within the digital television platform, in mid-May. "Sweden's high level of interest in football means this cooperation is a breakthrough for pay-per-view in Sweden," says Ulf Groth, president of Viasat. "Just consider all the people who can now follow their favorite teams when the teams are playing away matches." "The Swedish Premier League has been incredibly popular," says Henrik Enfors, vice president of com hem. "We can only see advantages in Viasat offering its satellite subscribers the same opportunity as our digital TV customers. Together we can develop the broadcasts further so that even more viewers will be able to see Premier League matches live." The Viasat Broacasting business area of Modern Times Group MTG AB began its transition to a digital TV platform at the end of 2000. Strong new sales and installation of digital set-top boxes among Viasat Gold subscribers have made Viasat the leading player in digital television in the Nordic countries. For further information, please visit www.mtg.se, send an email to info@mtg.se, or contact: Hans-Holger Albrecht, CEO & President +46-8-562 000 50 Matthew Hooper, Investor enquiries +44 (0) 7768 440 414 Bert Willborg, Media enquiries +46 707 27 70 22 Modern Times Group MTG AB has seven business areas: Viasat Broadcasting (free and pay TV comprising 18 television channels in eight countries), Radio (seven networks in five countries), New Media (the Everyday interactive TV portal, Internet portal, and teletext services), Publishing (financial news and media services, other magazine and book publishing), Modern Interactive (traditional home shopping, e-commerce, and logistics), SDI Media (subtitling and dubbing services), and Modern Studios (content production and film library). Modern Times Group MTG AB's class A and B shares are listed on Stockholmsbörsen (O list, symbols: MTGA and MTGB) and on the Nasdaq National Market in New York (symbol: MTGNY). ------------------------------------------------------------ This information was brought to you by BIT http://www.bit.se The following files are available for download: http://www.bit.se/bitonline/2001/04/23/20010423BIT01480/bit0001.doc http://www.bit.se/bitonline/2001/04/23/20010423BIT01480/bit0001.pdf

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