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TV Guide Announces Cross-Platform Integrated Agreement With NBC for the 2006 Torino Olympic Winter Games

Posted on: Monday, 6 February 2006, 12:00 CST

TV Guide and NBC Olympics have signed an integrated programming and marketing agreement across multiple platforms - TV Guide Channel, TV Guide Interactive, and TV Guide Magazine -- to support NBC's exclusive coverage of the Olympic Winter Games from Torino, Italy, February 10-26.

The agreement combines TV Guide's television guidance expertise, reach, and technology with NBC's Emmy Award-winning Olympic coverage, making it easier for viewers to enjoy the full breadth of NBC's unprecedented coverage of the Torino Olympic Winter Games. The networks of NBC -- NBC, MSNBC, CNBC, USA Networks, and Universal HD -- will offer the most in-depth Winter Olympics coverage in history, while NBC's Spanish-language network, Telemundo, will provide non-English language highlight coverage.

"NBC will broadcast the Torino Olympic Winter Games for more than 418 hours over 17 straight days. This extensive coverage offers viewers a vast array of choices, which creates a challenge to finding the events quickly and easily," said Ryan O'Hara, president, TV Guide Channel.

"Our agreement with NBC Olympics cuts to the core of what TV Guide is all about - offering comprehensive guidance to viewers in an entertaining and engaging way regarding the wide variety of television choices," he added. "We're pleased to partner again with NBC and look forward to enhancing the viewers' experience of the Olympic Winter Games."

The TV Guide and NBC Olympics agreement includes the following cross-platform elements:

TV Guide Channel's Watch This!...The Olympics - TV Guide Channel will incorporate comprehensive tune-in information for all of NBC's Olympic coverage - including interviews and profiles of athletes -- into its daily centerpiece segment, Watch This!, hosted by John Henson, a three-minute segment airing at :57 of each hour, updated to point viewers to programs worth watching in the next hour.

TV Guide Channel's Enhanced On-Screen Program Listings - TV Guide Channel will feature a dedicated Olympic Winter Games area in its scrolling program listings, making it the best destination for viewers with its quick, at-a-glance guide to which events are on - where and when.

Also, throughout the Olympic Winter Games, TV Guide Channel's on-screen program listings will be enhanced with a U.S.A. Medal Count, updated twice daily, which will keep viewers informed of the latest gold, silver, and bronze medals captured, while Olympic Updates will provide viewers with the latest Olympic-related information.

TV Guide Interactive NBC Olympics Icon - TV Guide Interactive is the most widely-deployed interactive program guide (IPG) for digital cable and is currently available in approximately 14 million homes. As part of its main menu, it will feature a 24-hour interactive NBC Olympics icon, which viewers may click on for quick and easy access to the most up-to-date program listings and information on the Olympic Winter Games airing across NBC's broadcast and cable networks.

TV Guide Magazine's Olympic Winter Games Coverage and Listings - For three weeks beginning with the February 6th issue, TV Guide magazine will feature coverage of the Olympic Winter Games including an NBC Olympics TV listings guide to the events.

NBC Promotes "Tune In" to TV Guide Channel - Throughout its coverage of the Olympic Winter Games, NBC will direct viewers to the TV Guide Channel for the most comprehensive Olympic viewing information about what's on now, what's coming up in the next hour, and in the upcoming days.

About Gemstar-TV Guide

Gemstar-TV Guide International, Inc. (NASDAQ: GMST) is a leading media, entertainment and technology company that develops, licenses, markets and distributes technologies, products and services targeted at the television guidance and home entertainment needs of consumers worldwide. The Company's businesses include: television media and publishing properties; interactive program guide services and products; and technology and intellectual property licensing. Additional information about the Company can be found at www.gemstartvguide.com.

This news release contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties, including risks and uncertainties related to the transformation of our TV Guide magazine publishing business; timely availability and market acceptance of products and services incorporating the Company's technologies and content; our investment in new and existing businesses, including TV Guide magazine, TV Guide Spot, and TV Guide Mobile; the impact of competitive products and pricing; ongoing and potential future litigation; and the other risks detailed from time to time in the Company's SEC reports, including the most recent reports on Forms 10-K, 10-Q and 8-K, each as it may be amended from time to time. The Company assumes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements.

Note to Editors: Gemstar and TV Guide are trademarks or registered trademarks of Gemstar-TV Guide International, Inc. and/or its subsidiaries. The names of other companies, products, and services used herein are for identification purposes only and may be trademarks of their respective owners.

About NBC Olympics

NBC, "America's Olympic Network," owns the exclusive U.S. media rights to the Olympic Games, television's most powerful property, through 2012, which includes Torino, Italy in 2006, Beijing in 2008, Vancouver in 2010 and London in 2012. This February, NBC Universal will present an unprecedented 418 hours of coverage from the 2006 Olympic Winter Games from Torino, Italy (February 10-26, 2006). In August 2004, 203 million viewers watched as the networks of NBC Universal--NBC, MSNBC, CNBC, USA, Bravo, Telemundo, and NBC's HD affiliates--offered a record 1,210 hours of Olympic coverage from Athens. In February 2002, 187 million watched the Salt Lake Olympic Games on NBC, MSNBC and CNBC. For additional information, log onto NBCOlympics.com, the Internet's preeminent source for Olympic results, video, photos, news and athlete profiles through the Torino Games. NBCOlympics.com will be the only site in the United States featuring competition video of complete runs and routines, real-time results and medal counts for every event, an interactive television viewing guide to help visitors navigate the 418 hours of Olympic programming on the NBC Universal networks, and comprehensive, multimedia-filled profiles on every American Olympian.

Source: Business Wire

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