NVCP Names Licensing Agent for Central and Eastern Europe, Russia

LONDON/NEW YORK, June 19: In a multi-year agreement, Nickelodeon
& Viacom Consumer Products (NVCP) has appointed Plus Licens as the
exclusive Central and Eastern European licensing agent for its global
franchises, including SpongeBob SquarePants and Dora the Explorer.

As part of the deal, Plus Licens will manage key local
partnerships including Egmont, H&M, Magma, Ars Una and C-Toys, in
coordination with NVCP, and oversee the toys, apparel, stationery, food,
confectionary and publishing categories.

The company hopes to maximize key business opportunities
with partners in the region, such as the leading Croatian retail outlet Magma,
which has already achieved success with a number of SpongeBob SquarePants launches. Further successes include territories such
as Hungary and Russia, which have seen the launch of apparel and publishing
categories, with a dedicated SpongeBob SquarePants branded magazine launching this year. A Dora
the Explorer consumer products program is
expected to roll out during 2007, commencing in Russia and CIS before expanding
into other key territories.

“This deal reflects our confidence in Plus Licens who
continue to do a fantastic job representing our portfolio of hit properties in
the Nordic region, as well as our recognition of Central and Eastern Europe as
an increasingly important market,” commented Jean-Philippe Randisi, the VP and
managing director of NVCP for EMEA. “Plus Licens’ expertise and knowledge of
our characters and properties makes them the ideal partner to move our business
into an exciting new growth phase.”

Nickelodeon launched into the region in 1998 via a 24-hour
pan-regional European feed. Broadcasting in English, Hungarian and Russian, the
cable and satellite channel reaches 1.38 million households across the region
including territories such as Estonia, Hungary and Ukraine. In addition,
Nickelodeon programming is syndicated to third-party broadcasters throughout
the region.