Press Releases

LONDON and DUBAI (October 25, 2011) - Sony Pictures Television (SPT) today announced the opening of a local sales office in the Middle East. This new office will be responsible for licensing films and television series from Sony Pictures' distribution catalogue as well as finished, local content produced by SPT's production company in the region, SPT Arabia.

Based in Dubai, the distribution office will report directly into SPT's regional EMEA headquarters in London. Heading up this new office will be Ziad Yaghi, who is appointed executive director, sales, for the Middle East. Yaghi will be responsible for SPT's distribution activity across the Middle East, in particular expanding business with local broadcasters in each territory as well as managing existing output deals with regional broadcasters. He will report to Damian Newton, senior vice president, sales, Middle East, Central & Eastern Europe, Greece, Turkey and Cyprus.

Stuart Baxter, senior executive vice president, EMEA distribution, said: "Recent years have seen a boom in new TV channel launches across the Middle East, offering a real growth market that SPT's distribution business can thrive in. This new office is part of our ongoing commitment to get closer to our clients and gain a greater understanding of their needs. Ziad brings impressive Middle East experience and, under his leadership, I'm certain this new base is set to become an important asset to our business."

Prior to joining SPT, Yaghi was Director Legal at Dubai Entertainment and Media Organisation. He has also served as Director and Founder of the Dubai Film Market, Director Media Regulatory Affairs for TECOM Authority, and Legal Counsel & Director of Acquisitions, VOD for ORBIT.

Other local distribution offices in the EMEA region include London, Paris, Rome, Moscow, Madrid and Munich.

ENDS

About Sony Pictures Television

Sony Pictures Television is one of the television industry's leading content providers. It produces and distributes programming in every genre, including series, telefilms, theatrical releases and family entertainment around the world and for every platform: broadcast and cable television, first-run and off-network syndication and digital distribution. In addition to one of the industry's largest libraries of feature films and television shows, SPT boasts a current program slate that includes the top-rated daytime dramas and game shows, landmark off-network series, original animated series and critically acclaimed primetime dramas, comedies and telefilms. Internationally, SPT is a leader in local language productions around the world, some of which are co-produced with local partners, and sells SPE-owned formats in approximately 70 countries. To better serve its clients and partners worldwide, SPT maintains offices throughout the world, including Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Hungary, India, Italy, Japan, Korea, Mexico, the Netherlands, the People's Republic of China, Russia, Singapore, Spain, Venezuela and the United Kingdom. SPT's worldwide television networks portfolio is a key strategy in SPE's long-range commitment to the global marketplace, with 120 channel feeds, which are available in 159 countries reaching more than 543 million households worldwide. SPT also creates original content for and manages SPE's premium video website, Crackle.

Additionally, SPT owns Dutch entertainment company 2waytraffic, production company Embassy Row and Sony Movie Channel, and is a part owner of cable channel GSN, new 3D channel 3net, FEARnet, the premier horror/thriller website and VOD service, and national media sales company ITN Networks, Inc. SPT advertiser sales is one of the premiere national advertising sales companies, handling the commercial inventory in SPT's syndicated series as well as in all of SPE's digital businesses in the United States. SPT (www.sonypicturestelevision.com) is a Sony Pictures Entertainment company.

For more information contact:

Mark Macdonald
Executive Director, Corporate Communications
Sony Pictures Television (EMEA)
Mark_macdonald@spe.sony.com
+44 (0)20 7533 1363