STOCKHOLM, Sweden, April 29, 2002 (PRIMEZONE) -- Modern Times Group MTG AB (Nasdaq:MTGNY), the international media group, today announced that it has acquired the Scandinavian TV broadcasting rights to the "Fight of the century" between Lennox Lewis and Mike Tyson on Saturday, June 8. Viasat Broadcasting will be selling tickets to watch the World Championship fight live and exclusive on Viasat Ticket, MTG's dedicated Pay per view TV channel.
Mike Tyson and Lennox Lewis are two of the greatest boxers of the century. Lennox Lewis is putting his three World Heavyweight Championship belts at stake -- the WBC, IBF and IBO titles, in the most eagerly awaited fight since Boxing's historic 'Rumble in the Jungle' and 'Thriller in Manila.' Viasat will use its exclusive rights to broadcast not only the actual fight but also the pre-fight build-up including guest interviews, background profiles, information and statistics, highlights of the two fighters extraordinary careers to date, footage of other historic title fights and much, much more. The fight will only be available to Viasat's digital Pay-TV satellite customers on the Viasat Ticket channel.
Viasat Broadcasting set a new Nordic Pay per view buy-rate record last October when over 75,000 pay per view tickets were sold to Viasat Pay-TV subscribers to watch the fight between Mike Tyson and Danish veteran Brian Nielsen. The fight attracted over 400,000 viewers in total.
Hans-Holger Albrecht, President and CEO of MTG, commented: "This is oneof the biggest sporting events of the decade and we are thrilled to beable to offer it to Viasat digital subscribers exclusively. Not onlywill this increase the average revenue per user but also significantlyraise the profile of the unparalleled reach of Viasat Pay-TV channels inthe Nordic countries and Hungary."
For further information, please visit www.mtg.se, email info@mtg.se, orcontact:Hans-Holger Albrecht, President & CEO tel: +46 (0) 8562 000 50Matthew Hooper, Investor & Press Relations tel: +44 (0) 207321 5010
Modern Times Group, MTG AB has six business areas: Viasat Broadcasting(Free-to-air and Pay TV channels in nine countries, and the new mediabusinesses - teletext operations and the Everyday interactive TV,internet and mobile portals), Radio (local and national networks in fivecountries), Publishing (financial news and information services), ModernInteractive (home shopping, e-commerce and logistics), SDI Media(subtitling and dubbing services), and Modern Studios (contentproduction and rights library).
Modern Times Group MTG AB's class A and B shares are listed on the Stockholmsborsen O-list (symbols: MTGA and MTGB) and ADRs are listed on the NASDAQ National Market (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
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