London, 12 August 2005: – The age old dilemma of where to go on holiday has now received a new twist – thanks to a brand new initiative by P&O Cruises and TWI.

It may even make it easier for women to persuade their menfolk to plump for a cruise break – because they now won’t have to miss any Premiership football while they’re at sea. They will even get a more extensive service than their next-door neighbours back at home.

In a ground-breaking deal between TWI and P&O Cruises, passengers on board will now be able to watch the majority of the 380 FA Premier League matches for the 2005/06 season which starts this weekend. (13 August)

The matches will be beamed live by satellite by TWI, the world’s largest independent sports producer and distributor, from TWI’s West London HQ directly into the ships’ bars, benefiting around 18,000 passengers on holiday in Europe and the Caribbean at any one time.

And for the first time, they’ll be able to see live matches kicking off at 3pm on Saturdays, which under current rules are unavailable to TV viewers back home in the UK. P&O Cruises, Britain’s favourite cruise line, also has the ability to record the games so that they can be shown at a more suitable hour if the time zone they are sailing in makes it impossible to tune in.

Richard Wise, TWI’s Vice President, Head of Ancillary Sales, said: “TWI has worked closely with P&O Cruises in the last few years to provide live premium sporting events to their passengers. P&O Cruises is showing great commitment to sports and this has resulted in being the first cruise line to be offering a full season of Premiership matches to their passengers.

“An initial trial period proved incredibly popular on board with P&O Cruises quickly discovering there was a real demand for the Premiership.  They see the ability to offer Premier League matches as a real asset to their onboard entertainment services, and we are delighted to be working with them to help provide what their passengers want.”

Philip Price, Head of Brand Marketing, P&O Cruises, said “Premiership football attracts millions of viewers throughout the season and we are delighted to ensure that our passengers do not miss any of the action while they are on board.”

Notes to Editors:
About TWI
TWI is the  television, broadcast and new media arm of the IMG, the world’s premier sports marketing agency. It is the world’s largest independent producer, packager and distributor of sports programming, producing more than 6,000 hours and distributing nearly 9,000 hours of live events and original programming each year, across 200 countries and covering more than 240 sports.

From rights expertise, production, and distribution, to sponsorship and consulting. TWI is in a unique position to provide a comprehensive raft of services to its customers. As well as its own original programming, it also delivers sports news 365 days of the year to 850 million people via its partnership with APTN in SNTV, the world’s only dedicated sports news TV agency,  and to millions of passengers worldwide via more than 50 airlines and cruise ships. TWI also has the world’s largest sports library, managing more than 250,000 hours of footage on behalf of clients.

With 40 offices worldwide and production centres in London, Hong Kong, New Delhi, New York, Seoul and Sydney, TWI continues to represent some of the world’s most prestigious brands and sporting events. These include the International Olympic Committee, The Nobel Institute, The All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club (Wimbledon), The Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews (The Open), and the FA Premier League. TWI has also been appointed Host Broadcaster of the Melbourne 2006 Commonwealth Games and Host Broadcaster of the 15th Asian Games Doha 2006, the world’s largest Outside Broadcast. TWI is also consultant and distributor of the 32nd America’s Cup, and, together with IMG, has been re-appointed  commercial brokers for the next two Rugby World Cups in 2007 and 2011.

TWI’s non sports-programming includes I’d Do Anything, for the BBC, The 2005 Oscars, the BAFTA-award-winning Colour of War documentary series, and the forthcoming All*Star Cup celebrity golf tournament to be screened on Sky One this month (27-29 August).

Media information: Madeleine Pallas, PR Manager, Europe, IMG & TWI. Tel: +44 (0) 208 233 7425/+ 44 (0) 7973 326 422 or email: mpallas@imgworld.com

About P&O Cruises
P&O Cruises has been operating cruise ships for 160 years and combines innovation, professionalism and unrivalled experience on its fleet of five liners.  P&O Cruises offer predominantly British passengers the most stylish and friendly holidays afloat with destinations including the Caribbean, South America, Scandinavia, Mediterranean, Canary Islands and Round the World cruises.

Media Information: Michele Andjel, PR Manager. Tel: +44 (0) 2380 65 6652 /+44 (0) 7730 732 072 or email: Michele.andjel@carnivalukgroup.com