Zug, Switzerland, 8 June 2004 – Infront Sports & Media has announced an agreement with Germany’s leading commercial broadcaster, RTL, for a package of live rights to the forthcoming 2006 FIFA World Cup™ in Germany. It remains subject to both parties’ formal Board approval.

RTL is acquiring live rights to all Sunday matches for the first three Sundays of the competition (excluding German participation). This will give a total of 7-8 matches (2 x 3 matches on the Sundays of the first round and 1 x 2 matches of the Sunday of the Round of Sixteen).

RTL will also show daily highlights throughout the competition, after midnight, as well as five preshows
on Sunday mornings. It has news access for the channel and for n-tv as well.

This focus on a ‘Super Sunday’ of soccer is a creative concept that dovetails perfectly with the agreement with Germany’s national broadcasters, ARD/ZDF (announced last month), providing an unprecedented variety of FIFA World Cup ™ viewer choice and free TV exposure in the host market.

Günter Netzer, the former German international, who is an Executive Director of Infront Sports & Media, said: ‘We are pleased to welcome RTL as one of our 2006 FIFA World Cup™ broadcast partners in Germany. We think this is probably the first time that three national free-to-air
broadcasters will show live matches of the FIFA World Cup™ in Germany. It’s a bonus for fans and a perfect illustration of how Infront’s implementation of FIFA’s open-market distribution policy is delivering winning results for everyone’.

The RTL agreement complements the recent deal announced by Infront with ARD/ZDF for the German territory promising excellent free-to-air coverage of live matches on three channels. In addition, RTL is a bonus for FIFA partners too. The official partners – or sponsors – of the FIFA World Cup™ will now have access to tremendous free-to-air coverage of the live matches, combined with access to the top commercial broadcaster in the host market, which means the prospect of additional advertising and programme sponsorship opportunities in support of their FIFA World Cup™ role.

Infront CEO Oscar Frei added, ‘RTL has a reputation of giving big sports events 100% commitment and it will be co-ordinating its FIFA World Cup™ coverage with its Sunday Formula One schedule, to ensure that fans enjoy uninterrupted live coverage of the FIFA World Cup.’
RTL is owned by Germany’s Bertelsmann.

For further information, please contact:

John Kristick
Infront Sports & Media AG
Tel. +41-41-723 15 15
Fax. +41-41-723 15 16
info@infrontsports.com
www.infrontsports.com