By Andy Baggott
February 2 2006

Modern Times Group (MTG) are the 90% owner of BET24, our new shirt sponsor - here's some information on them, from their website.. Modern Times Group is an international media group with operations in more than 30 countries around the world and principal broadcasting businesses in Scandinavia, the Baltic States, Hungary and Russia. MTG is the largest Free-to-air and Pay-TV operator in the Nordic and Baltic regions and the largest commercial radio operator in Northern Europe. MTG's Viasat channels reach over 60 million people in 19 countries every day and MTG Radio's stations reach 3 million daily listeners. The Viasat Broadcasting DTH satellite TV platform offers digital multi-channel TV packages of over 50 own-produced and third party entertainment channels. MTG is a leading European direct response TV network operator, broadcasting home shopping channels into 100 million homes, as well as one of the world's leading orginators and producers of Reality TV formats.

MTG Over the Years:

1987 TV3 launched in Sweden on New Year’s Eve as Scandinavia’s first commercial TV channel.

1988 Number of TV3 viewers increases from 1.2 million at launch to 3.4 million at end of 1988. TV3 broadcast to Denmark and Norway. Strix launches independent TV production.

1989 Pay-TV channel TV1000 launched and TV-Shop sells products and services on TV3.

1990 TV3 achieves 45% penetration in Sweden and commands 90% of TV advertising market. Acquisition of majority shareholding in Svensk Text (SDI Media).

1991 TV3 reports annual profit. TV4 granted license as Sweden’s third terrestrial TV station. Kinnevik acquires 30% shareholding in TV4. Launch of Viasat DTH satellite pay-TV platform.

1992 ZTV’s first year as independent channel. Kinnevik’s media companies report annual profit.

1993 P4 Radio Hele Norge receives national commercial radio broadcasting license in Norway. First commercial radio licenses obtained in Sweden. TV3 commences Teletext broadcasting. Terrestrial TV channels launched in Estonia and Lithuania.

1994 TV4 becomes largest channel in Sweden. TV6 launched.

1995 MTG incorporated as Kinnevik subsidiary. Metro launched in Stockholm. Minority holding acquired in Finanstidningen daily business newspaper.

1996 Satellite TV distribution platform switched from Astra to NSAB. RIX FM radio network formed through mergers. ZTV and TV6 merged to form 3+ in Denmark.

1997 Shares in MTG distributed to Kinnevik shareholders and listed on Stockholm Börsinformation and Nasdaq National Market in New York. Second Metro edition published in Prague. Strix becomes first company in the world to produce the Survivor reality TV format.

1998 TV3 acquires TV channel in Latvia. Viasat’s satellite TV subscribers exceed 1 million. Commercial radio operations launched in Estonia and Latvia. Metro launches editions in Gothenburg and Budapest.

1999 Metro launched in Malmö, Helsinki and the Netherlands. Monthly magazine Kapital launched in Sweden. Internet portal Everyday.com introduced. Swedish business channel TV8 acquired. MTG’s shares quoted on Stockholmsbörsen O-list.

2000 Annual General Meeting approves distribution of Metro International S.A. share capital to MTG shareholders. Hans-Holger Albrecht appointed President and CEO of MTG. Viasat3 begins broadcasting in Hungary. PIN24 launches on Sky TV’s platform in UK.

2001 Viasat becomes first European satellite TV broadcaster to switch off analog transmission of premium pay-TV channels following successful transition to digital TV. TV3 awarded national terrestrial broadcasting license in Latvia. Digital home-shopping channel PIN24 launched in Denmark. MTG acquires 75% of Russian national commercial TV channel. Options to Strix reality TV formats sold in over 30 countries to date. Viasat launches four new digital pay-TV channels in Nordic region. EUR 120 million convertible subordinated bonds issued to fund further expansion. Number of Viasat digital DTH subscribers increases to over 550,000 by year-end.

2002 Acquisition of 37% of StoryFirst Communications, Inc. and of Lugna Favoriter and WOW 105.5 Swedish radio stations. New TV3 schedule recovers share of viewing in Scandinavia. Doubling of Eastern European TV revenues. Launch of PIN24 in Germany, Austria and Switzerland and of Tango TV in Lithuania. Increase in number of digital DTH subscribers to 617,000 and more than doubling of pay-TV operating income. TV1000 and Baltic operations both report first annual profits, and TV-Shop turned around. SEK 423 million increase in operating free cash flow.