MTG Ramps Up Sports Offerings

STOCKHOLM, October 6:
Modern Times Group has launched several new localized premium sports channels
in Sweden and Norway, and has renewed its rights to the Formula One and UEFA
Champions League.

Viasat Sport, Viasat
Football and Viasat Motor channels have been launched in Sweden, and Viasat
Sport and Viasat Motor in Norway. Viasat now operates five sports channels in
each of those markets. The new structure replaces the current Viasat Sport 1, 2
and 3 channels.

Hans-Holger Albrecht, the president and CEO of MTG, commented: “Quite
simply, we now have the most compelling sports lineup and the most attractive
channel offering across each of the Scandinavian markets. Pay-TV subscribers
increasingly want dedicated channels with premium local sports content and
coverage of the world’s major sporting events, and that is what we are
delivering on our own satellite platform, as well as to cable and IPTV networks
across the region. The migration of premium sports coverage to our pay-TV
channels reflects both the increasing number of localized sports channels in
our pay-TV package offerings and the positioning of these channels to provide
the very best sports entertainment for paying viewers. We are however
continuing to make some of the highest-profile sports events available on our
broader free-TV entertainment channels in each country, and providing an ever
increasing level of content via the Internet and to mobile devices.”

In related news, Viasat
has completed a new deal for the FIA Formula One World Championship for Sweden,
Norway and Denmark. The agreement provides Viasat with free- and pay-TV rights
for the 2009, 2010 and 2011 championships. In Sweden all live action (practice,
qualification, races) will be broadcast on the new Viasat Motor. In Norway all
live action will be broadcast on the new Norwegian premium sports channel
Viasat Sport.

MTG has also extended its
exclusive live UEFA Champions League football broadcasting rights in Sweden,
Norway and Denmark, until the spring of 2012. All of the games from the
Champions League will be aired on Viasat’s dedicated pay-TV sports channels and
free-TV entertainment channels.

—By Mansha Daswani