January 2006

EXTREME GROUP APPOINTS GLOBAL FOOTWEAR AGENT

Performance Brands, the UK’s leading sports licensing agency, has just been appointed by Extreme Group to help find worldwide footwear partners in order to develop footwear lines for the brand globally.

With a team headed up by David Ball, Performance Brands, will be looking for major footwear manufacturers that can develop and distribute footwear ranges for the Extreme brand across the World. The chosen company/ies will need to have sound manufacturing and distribution networks in place and be recognised as leaders in the footwear sector. One of the most important capabilities these companies will need is good product development, an understanding of the action sports market and the youth lifestyle surrounding it.

The new footwear manufacturer will need to have technical experience, in order to develop a lifestyle range of Extreme footwear and exclusive technical shoes that have appeal across all extreme sports. Products will be both fashionable and functional and will be carefully selected not to stay in line with the brand ethos. Extreme is also planning to launch an Ex Tech range. These premium performance-led products will include advanced, technical apparel and equipment aimed at core athletes, breaking through the barriers of current action sports wear and delivering for those into the lifestyle.

Working closely with Nicola Gilson, Extreme’s newly appointed brand licensing manager, David will be looking to build long term relationships with key industry players; negotiations are already taking place with a number of potential partners and a deal is likely to be signed by the end of quarter 1 2006. Commenting on his appointment, Al Gosling, CEO Extreme Group and founder of the Extreme Sports Channel said: ”Performance Brands has extensive experience in working with some of the most innovative brands out there. We’re not interested in just cashing in on the ‘ex’ brand, but are looking to make a difference, offering relevant products and building the brand in the process.”

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For further press info, interviews and images:
Anna Penney, t: +44 (0) 20 7244 1000; m: +44 (0) 7766 918900; e: anna@extreme.com w: www.extrememediagroup.com

Notes to editors:

Extreme was started in 1995 by Al Gosling, founder of the Extreme Sports Channel. Aged 24, passionate about extreme sports and unable to find a job that interested him, Al had a goal of establishing the world’s leading extreme sports media company. Today Extreme is collection of businesses, with a shared brand and values delivering a range of lifestyle products and services including, Extreme Entertainment (TV distribution) Extreme Retail, Extreme Mobile (mobile phone service), Extreme Drinks, Extreme Hotels and Ex Parks (sports theme parks). Extreme employs 247 people and operates in more than 70 countries around the world.

Performance Brands is the UK’s leading brand licensing business, established in 2002, by David Barrington, ex-head of Pentland Sports Group and David Ball, who has worked for Unilever, Calvin Klein, Tesco. The company now has a team of 13. Recent clients include: Reebok, Kappa, Base London, Full Circle, Boxfresh, Fat Face, Gola, Acupuncture and PunkyFish.

NB. Please note the products shown are for illustration only and do not currently exist.