EXTREME ENTERTAINMENT SECURES EXTREME SPORTS CHANNEL BRANDED BLOCK ON FREE TV IN ITALY, REACHING 17 MILLION HOMES

Extreme Entertainment, the worlds leading distributor of Action Sports programming, is very pleased to announce it has added Sport Italia to its expanding list of Extreme Sports Channel ‘Branded Block’ clients.

Sport Italia is the new terrestrial free to air channel in Italy dedicated to sport reaching 17 million homes, and is the latest channel to add an Extreme branded programme block to its schedule.

Sport Italia fully understood the benefits of taking an Extreme Sports Channel branded block, which include the full on air kit and marketing support made up of branded stings, promos, bumpers, interstitials, and marketing materials all of which enable broadcasters to clearly define a strand dedicated to Extreme sports.

The long term deal comprises 150 hours of sports and adventure programming; split into 100 hours of pure extreme sports, with 50 hours of lifestyle and adventure. The block will start transmitting in March 2005, initially in the 13.00 - 14.00 and 17.30 - 18.30.timeslots on a daily basis from Monday to Friday.

Extreme Entertainment, the distribution arm of the Extreme Group, has secured a number of ‘branded blocks’ of programming on behalf of its sister company, The Extreme Sports Channel; either with mainstream channels where the strategy is to establish a branded weekly slot, or with dedicated sports channels who want to utilise the Extreme brand more regularly to attract and retain the specific, yet elusive youth demographic. Other branded blocks have been placed with channels in the Middle East, India, Spain and Africa, and a number of other high profile deals are expected to be announced imminently.

Ben Barrett, MD of Extreme Entertainment said of this latest deal: “We are delighted to have secured this deal, which represents a solid distribution contract for Extreme Entertainment, provides the Extreme Sports Channel with a strong brand presence in a key European market, and most importantly of all delivers Sport Italia with some top quality content packaged with the leading and most recognisable TV brand in this genre. This is great a deal that benefits all parties, and goes to confirm the strength of the branded block model”.

Editor’s Note:
Extreme Entertainment provides broadcasters worldwide with entertaining, high quality and innovative content in a wide variety of genres. With established creative partnerships globally, Extreme Entertainment harnesses the best elements of the Producer / Distributor relationship in order to deliver great programming to terrestrial, cable, satellite, broadband and mobile channels. Extreme Entertainment has now grown and established its entertainment umbrella, adding new categories to its portfolio, including Formats, Lifestyle and Factual as well as maintaining the long-standing genres of Science & Technology, Sports and Travel and Adventure. With a leading position in the global TV market, Extreme Entertainment counts National Geographic, Discovery, Sony Pictures Entertainment, Channel 4 and Fox amongst its clients. Extreme Entertainment is part of the Extreme Group
http://www.extreme-entertainment.tv