Hilversum, 23 Januari 2006 2waytraffic Group enters China.
Celador International closes new deals on Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?
2waytraffic N.V. (“2waytraffic” or “the Company”), the international developer and exploiter of interactive content, announced today that it has signed four commercial deals relating to its recently acquired format Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? The new licenses for the global quiz phenomenon, which were negotiated by Celador International, are in China, the USA, Slovenia and Slovakia. The move into China represents the Company’s first major deal in the rapidly evolving Asian television market.
China Media Power will produce and broadcast a Chinese version of Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? on a nationwide basis. China Media Power will produce a minimum of 104 episodes which will commence broadcasting from May 2007. The show will be seen in all major cities in China on the main television networks.
In the USA, Buena Vista Television has extended its deal for a further two years which will see the syndicated US version of the show on air until 2011. Five seasons into its national syndication run, the show has recently experienced a surge in ratings and has grown its audience faster on a year on year basis than any other first-run syndicated strip. In Slovenia, state broadcaster RTV has signed a deal to produce a minimum of 40 episodes, whilst in Slovakia, Slovak Television (STV) has agreed terms for a minimum of 35 episodes. Formerly broadcast in Slovenia on Pop TV and in Slovakia on TV Markiza, the show is due to re-launch in both territories in Spring of this year.
2waytraffic’s strategy, as set out at the time of the IPO and the re-admission to AIM in December last year, is to grow the business both organically and through selective acquisitions. The four acquisitions made in 2006 have extended the format library and moved the Company into the primetime TV market. These licensing deals extend 2waytraffic’s geographical footprint in the US, Europe and South East Asia.
Commenting on the licence agreements Kees Abrahams, CEO of 2waytraffic, said:
“Having acquired Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? in December last year, it is very encouraging to see the continued international interest in the format and that it will soon be broadcast in one of the most exciting growth markets globally. These new deals, and the renewal from Buena Vista, demonstrate the international appeal of the format and the excellent fit with the strategy we set out at the time of our IPO to exploit interactive formats and expand our activities internationally. We’re looking forward to the further roll out of this strategy in the coming year and are confident of the prospects for Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? within 2waytraffic.”
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