SWD Sportsworld

RNS Number:0899J
Sports & Outdoor Media International PLC
13 April 2000


Not for release, publication or distribution in or into the United States,
Canada or Japan

Sportsworld Media Group plc ("Sportsworld")

RECOMMENDED OFFER (THE "OFFER") BY INVESTEC HENDERSON CROSTHWAITE ("INVESTEC")
ON BEHALF OF SPORTSWORLD FOR SPORTS & OUTDOOR MEDIA INTERNATIONAL PLC ("SOMI")

97.66 PER CENT. ACCEPTANCES OF THE OFFER

SPORTSWORLD EXTENDS TIME FOR ACCEPTANCE OF OFFER FOR SOMI

Sportsworld announces that, as at 3.00 pm on 13 April 2000, being the second
closing date of the Offer, valid acceptances of the Offer had been received in
respect of 32,980,693 SOMI Shares, representing approximately 97.66 per cent.
of the existing issued share capital of SOMI. 

The Offer was declared unconditional as to acceptances on 31 March 2000.
Sportsworld announces that all remaining conditions, other than that relating
to the Admission of the new Sportsworld Shares to the Official List ("the
Admission Condition") and that relating to the granting of consent by the
Treasurer of the Commonwealth of Australia for acceptances of the Offer ("the
Australian Treasury Condition"), have now been satisfied or waived. It is
expected that the Australian Treasury Condition will be satisfied shortly and
that Sportsworld will thereafter be in a position to declare the Offer
unconditional in all respects. 

The Offer has been extended for a further seven days and will remain open for
acceptances.  The next closing date for the Offer will be 3.00 pm on 20 April
2000.  The Cash Alternative has also been extended to 20 April 2000 when it
will close unless Sportsworld and Investec agree to extend it. The Cash
Alternative continues to be conditional on the Offer becoming or being
declared unconditional in all respects. SOMI Shareholders who have not yet
accepted the Offer but wish to do so should complete and return their Forms of
Acceptance as soon as possible and in any event so as to be received by no
later than 3.00 pm on 20 April 2000.  The procedures for acceptance of the
Offer are set out on pages 11 to 13 of the offer document dated 9 March 2000
(the "Offer Document") and in the Form of Acceptance.  

Prior to the announcement of the Offer, Sportsworld had obtained irrevocable
undertakings to accept the Offer from certain SOMI Shareholders and each of
the SOMI Directors (in respect of their own and associated beneficial
holdings) amounting, in aggregate, to 25,585,200 SOMI Shares, representing
approximately 75.76 per cent. of the existing issued share capital of SOMI and
a further 2,041,115 SOMI Shares over which certain SOMI Directors have
options, subject to exercise and issue (representing approximately 5.70 per
cent. of the issued share capital of SOMI as it would be on exercise of those
options).  Valid acceptances have been received in respect of the existing
25,585,200 SOMI Shares the subject of these undertakings, representing
approximately 75.76 per cent. of the existing issued share capital of SOMI. As
at the date of this announcement, none of the options referred to above had
been exercised.

It was stated in the announcement made on 31 March 2000 that as at that date,
Sportsworld had acquired during the Offer Period 408,685 SOMI Shares,
representing approximately 1.21 per cent. of the existing issued share capital
of SOMI, at a price of 150 pence per SOMI Share.  This figure incorrectly
included 215,789 SOMI Shares in respect of which the Offer had already been
accepted by the shareholder concerned who purported to sell these shares to
Sportsworld.  Accordingly, during the Offer Period, Sportsworld has actually
acquired 192,896 SOMI Shares, representing approximately 0.57 per cent. of the
existing issued share capital of SOMI, at a price of 150 pence per SOMI Share,
equal to the value of the Cash Alternative.

Save as disclosed above, neither Sportsworld nor any person acting, or deemed
to be acting, in concert with them held any SOMI Shares (or rights over SOMI
Shares) prior to the commencement of the Offer Period, nor has any such person
acquired or agreed to acquire any SOMI Shares (or rights over SOMI Shares)
since that time and no acceptances of the Offer have been received from such
persons acting, or deemed to be acting, in concert with Sportsworld.


Terms defined in the Offer Document have the same meaning in this press
announcement.

For further information contact:

Sportsworld                                                      020 7240 9626
Geoff Brown, Chief Executive
Andy Fletcher, Chief Financial Officer

Investec                                                         020 7597 5970
Jagjit Mundi, Managing
Director of Corporate Finance

Financial Dynamics                                               020 7831 3113
Tim Spratt, Director
Tania Wild

The Offer has not been made, directly or indirectly, in or into, the United
States, Canada or Japan and this announcement is not being, nor should it be,
posted or otherwise distributed or sent in or into the United States, Canada
or Japan.  The new Sportsworld Shares and Loan Notes which may be issued
pursuant to the Offer have not been and will not be registered under the
Securities Act or under the relevant securities laws of any state or other
jurisdiction of the United States, Canada or Japan.  Accordingly, the new
Sportsworld Shares and the Loan Notes may not (unless an exemption from the
Securities Act or such other laws is available) be offered, sold, resold or
delivered, directly or indirectly, in or into the United States, Canada or
Japan or other jurisdiction where this would constitute a violation of the
relevant laws of, or require registration thereof in, such jurisdiction or to,
or for the account or benefit of, any North American person or a person in or
resident of Japan.  All SOMI Shareholders not resident in the UK (including
nominees, trustees or custodians who have a contractual or legal obligation
to, or otherwise intend to, forward this announcement to any jurisdiction
outside the UK) should read the further notes in this regard which are
contained in paragraph 8 of Part B and paragraph (d) of Part C of Appendix I
to the Offer Document before taking any action.

Investec Henderson Crosthwaite is a division of Investec Bank (UK) Limited,
which is regulated in the United Kingdom by The Securities and Futures
Authority Limited, is acting for Sportsworld and no one else in connection
with the Offer and will not be responsible to anyone other than Sportsworld
for providing the protections afforded to clients of Investec Henderson
Crosthwaite or for giving advice in relation to the Offer.


END
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