MTG: Viasat Launches High Definition Television

STOCKHOLM, Sweden--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Regulatory News: Modern Times Group MTG AB (publ.) ('MTG' or 'the Group') (STO:MTGA) (STO:MTGB), the international entertainment broadcasting group, today announced that Viasat Broadcasting has launched its high definition television (HDTV) offering on its Nordic Satellite pay-TV platform, including two Viasat-branded premium HDTV channels - TV1000 HD and Viasat Sport HD. The initial line up of Viasat's HDTV channels consists of TV1000 HD and National Geographic Channel HD in Sweden, Norway, Denmark and Finland and Viasat Sport HD in Sweden, Norway and Finland. Viasat's Danish subscribers will have access to TV2 Sport HD channel which is produced by the MTG and TV2 Denmark joint venture. Viasat will continue to expand its HDTV offering moving forward and add new premium HD channels to the platform. The HDTV service will be offered to subscribers for SEK/NOK/DKK 99 per month. In order to view the Viasat HDTV channels, subscribers will also have to upgrade to an HD-compliant set-top box. At launch, two HD-ready set top boxes will be made available - a Viasat Plus HD PVR box from Pace, and a standard Viasat HD box made by Samsung. Both set-top boxes support the high definition 720p and 1080i formats and use NDS middleware and content security. Hans-Holger Albrecht, President and CEO of MTG, commented: "High definition television provides a significantly improved viewing experience, with crystal clear picture quality and vibrant colours. Our initial HD channel offering incorporates a mix of high profile premium sports, movies and documentary channels, and reflects the investments we have been making in our pay-TV platform over the past year in order to bring our subscribers the best and highest quality TV entertainment." *** Modern Times Group is a leading international entertainment broadcasting group with the second largest geographical broadcast footprint in Europe. MTG's Viasat Broadcasting is the largest free-to-air and satellite premium pay-TV operator in Scandinavia and the Baltics, and also operates channels in the Czech Republic, Russia, Hungary, Slovenia and the Balkans. Viasat channels are broadcast in a total of 24 countries and reach 100 million people. MTG is also the biggest shareholder in Russia's largest independent television network (CTC Media - NASDAQ: CTCM), and the number one commercial radio operator in the Nordic and Baltic regions. Modern Times Group MTG AB class A and B shares are listed on the OMX Nordic Exchange Large Cap market ('MTGA' and 'MTGB'). The information in this announcement is that which Modern Times Group MTG AB is required to disclose under the Securities Market Act and/or the Financial Instruments Trading Act. It was released for publication at 08.00 CET on 15 January 2008. This information was brought to you by Cision http://newsroom.cision.com