Sports Stars Media plc Broadcasting Contract and New Appointment (2774R)

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RNS Number : 2774R

Sports Stars Media plc

16 November 2012

Sports Stars Media plc

("SSM" or "the Group")

Broadcasting Contract and New Appointment

Sports Stars Media plc, the AIM-quoted sports stars media business, announces that a 3-year broadcasting contract for the Gombby's Green Island animation series ('Gombby') has been signed with Radio Televizija Bosne Hercegovine ('BHRT'), the public broadcaster of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The Group is also pleased to announce the appointment of Mr Bruno Van Speybroeck as an External Adviser on the Mourinho and the Special Ones project ('MSO').

Broadcasting Contract

The TV rights distributor, AWOL, has entered into a three-year agreement with BHRT, for the broadcast of Gombby. BHRT is an umbrella broadcasting organisation which transmits both nationally and worldwide and is the only member of the European Broadcasting Union from Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Broadcasting of Gombby in Bosnia and Herzegovina is expected to commence in early 2013, once the series has been dubbed into Bosnian. The value of the contract is nominal and the Group receives a management fee of 20% of the rights holder's revenues from the deal. More importantly, this new broadcasting contract will increase the exposure of Gombby, which is a prerequisitefor future merchandising.

The contract with BHRT follows on from the contract with Al Jazeera Children's Channel ('AJCC'), a Pan Arab edutainment television station, as announced on 20 July. Gombby is expected to be broadcast on AJCC in 22 Arabic-speaking territories in early 2013 once it has been dubbed into Arabic.

With these contracts, the total number of geographical territories in which Gombby is broadcast will rise to 25, which, in turn is expected to increase awareness of the Gombby brand and boost demand for licensed merchandise.

New Appointment

Mr Bruno Van Speybroeck has been appointed as an External Adviser to MSO, advising primarily on the MSO trading card game being developed by the Group, including its development, production, distribution routes and marketing across Europe and Asia. It is envisaged that Mr Van Speybroeck will also help to secure additional broadcasting opportunities as well as the licensing out of the property to other relevant industry players.

Mr Van Speybroeck was Chief Operating Officer of Upper Deck International, one of the world's leaders in the trading card game industry, between 2004 and 2010. Prior to that, he spent ten years as European Marketing and Sales Manager for Wizards of the Coast, during which period it was acquired by Hasbro, one of the largest American toy and board game companies.

CEO of Sports Stars Media, Ruben Dias, said:

"Closing an additional broadcasting contract with BHRT for Gombby's Green Island is a further demonstration of the global appeal and continued growth of Gombby.

"I am also pleased to welcome Bruno who brings over 18 years' senior international management experience and a rich and extensive focus on the trading card game industry, its different routes to market and its relations with the children's entertainment industry."

ENDS

For further information, please contact:

Sports Stars Media plc +351932436501

Ruben Dias, CEO

www.sportsstarsmedia.com

Nominated Adviser, Cairn Financial Adviser +44 207 148 7900

James Caithie/Avi Robinson

Broker, Dowgate Capital Stockbrokers Limited +44 129 351 7744

Neil Badger

Financial PR, Bishopsgate Communications

Nick Rome/Sam Allen/Matt Low +44 20 7562 3350

sportsstars@bishopsgatecommunications.com

Notes to editors

AWOL, a French company which licenses TV rights, has an exclusive TV distribution agreement with Big Storm Studios (BSS). Magnistage, a subsidiary of SSM, manages BSS's licensing of Gombby, for which Magnistage receives 20% of the revenues received by BSS in respect of Gombby.

This information is provided by RNS

The company news service from the London Stock Exchange

END

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