Press Releases

London, UK (19 January 2012 ) - Sony Pictures Television (SPT) Networks today announced it is expanding its UK presence by wholly acquiring the channels business Dolphin Broadcasting Limited, and taking a majority stake in advertising sales house Dolphin TV Limited.

The acquisition of Dolphin's channels business will add five new channels to SPT's UK network portfolio, building on SPT's launch of the Sony Entertainment Television channel in April this year. The stake in Dolphin TV Ltd is an important step in SPT's long term goal to build an advertising sales business across Europe, joining other SPT advertising joint ventures in territories including Romania and Croatia.

"Increasing our foothold in the UK is an important part of our EMEA growth plan," explains Eddie Nelson, senior vice president, Networks, EMEA, at SPT. "As a well established specialist in the UK's multichannel market, Dolphin is an ideal fit for SPT as we develop our channel portfolio and focus on expanding Dolphin's market share of advertising sales. We are extremely excited about working with Dolphin's existing clients and developing the teleshopping business."

David Goffin, Managing Director, Dolphin TV, said: "Sony Pictures Television is a great strategic fit for our own channels and our advertising sales business. Naturally we are delighted to become part of SPT. The UK sales market is rapidly evolving and this allows us to invest in our core areas of spot and teleshopping sales."

Dolphin's channels business will now merge with SPT's existing UK networks business, led by svp broadcast and channel development, Kate Marsh, who reports into Nelson. The five Dolphin television channels are Movies4Men, Movies4Men+1, Movies4Men2, Movies4Men2+1 and Men&Movies. They are available on Sky and Freesat, as well as Freeview in Manchester. The channels target an older, male demographic, offering movies and television content including war, western and action films.

Dolphin TV, the advertising business, will continue to operate under the same name and management team, and from the same office in London. The business is led by Goffin, who now reports into Nelson. Current Dolphin TV spot advertising clients include CSC Media Group's True Movies and the Welsh broadcaster, S4C; with teleshopping clients Channel 4, ITV, BskyB, Chello and Ulster TV.

SPT's network of channels now reaches more than half a billion homes globally. This new deal means there are now 46 SPT channels operating across the EMEA region, broadcasting across 52 territories and in 19 languages. In the UK, SPT already operates Sony Entertainment Television, offering scripted television and movie content, targeting a female demographic, and available in 13.8 million homes.

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 produces 6,000+ hours of programming annually in over 70 countries. SPT is a leader in local language productions, some of which are co-produced with local partners, and sells SPE-owned formats around the world. 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.

ABOUT DOLPHIN
Dolphin TV is a UK based multichannel broadcaster and sales house. Privately-owned and operated, Dolphin launched in the UK in 2002. The sales business has focused on two distinct areas; firstly across the entire digital television market it has long been the market-leader in teleshopping, working with all the main broadcasters; with secondly the spot sales business is an established brand in the UK advertising sales marketplace, launching, positioning, advising and developing many digital channels over the last 10 years.

For further information, contact:
Mark Macdonald,
Executive Director, SPT Communications
Mark_macdonald@spe.sony.com
+44 20 7533 1363