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<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=1 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD><SPAN class=TopStory>BIG TV DEAL</SPAN>
<SPAN class=Subheadline>CFU, SportsMax sign multi-million dollar TV deal</SPAN></TD></TR><TR><TD>BY KAYON RAYNOR Observer staff reporter raynork@jamaicaobserver.com
Tuesday, February 27, 2007
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<P class=StoryText align=justify>The Caribbean's only 24-hour sports cable channel - Jamaica's SportsMax - through its parent company International Media Content Limited (IMC), yesterday became the region's top provider of television coverage for football by signing an eight-year, multi-million US dollar deal with JD International (JDI), which acts on behalf of the Caribbean Football Union (CFU).<P class=StoryText align=justify>The deal gives IMC/SportsMax the exclusive broadcast rights for a comprehensive football package, which will include the 2010 and 2014 senior FIFA World Cups and will begin with the broadcast of this year's FIFA Under-17 and Under-20 World Cups.
Both IMC and JDI were tightlipped as to value of the deal, but well-placed Observer sources indicate that IMC would be doling out between US$18 and US$20 million over the duration of the contract which will run from 2007-2014.<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=5 width=330 align=center border=0><TBODY><TR><TD>
</TD></TR><TR><TD><SPAN class=Description>Caribbean Football Union boss Austin 'Jack' Warner (second left) shakes hands with IMC chairman Patrick Rousseau after signing a US$multi-million broadcast rights deal in Trinidad and Tobago yesterday. Sharing the moment are Philip Martin (left), IMC's deputy chairman; CFU manager Cheryl Abram and Oliver McIntosh president and CEO of SportsMax. </SPAN></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><P class=StoryText align=justify>Austin 'Jack' Warner (CONCACAF president) in his capacity as president of the Caribbean Football Union (CFU) signed on the behalf of the regional body, while Jamaican and IMC chairman Patrick Rousseau signed for the media group. The signing took place in Trinidad and Tobago.<P class=StoryText align=justify>"Football continues to enjoy significant popularity and growth in the Caribbean. The JDI'S objective is to ensure that we utilise the best technology and platform available to bring the beautiful game to our football-loving television audience across the entire region," said FIFA vice-president Warner, who negotiated the deal on behalf of JDI.<P class=StoryText align=justify>IMC chairman Rousseau acknowledged that the deal was another big step for his company's goal of remaining the leading provider of sports content in the Caribbean.<P class=StoryText align=justify>"Our successful experience from the transmission of the FIFA 2006 World Cup GermanyT to approximately 40 million households in the Caribbean in three languages, was unprecedented and will be very valuable as we bring even more FIFA football content to the Caribbean over the next eight years," he said.
IMC is incorporated in St Lucia and is the 100% owner of SportsMax Limited. IMC's primary business is the acquisition of television and radio broadcasting rights for international, regional and local sporting events.<P class=StoryText align=justify>President and CEO of IMC subsidiary SportsMax Limited, Oliver McIntosh, who was present at the signing, said the deal represents a phenomenal day for football in the Caribbean.
"The partnership between the JDI and IMC means that the Caribbean television audience will see more football over the next eight years than ever before," McIntosh noted.<P class=StoryText align=justify>The agreement between the JDI and IMC includes broadcasting rights to 29 countries in the Caribbean and will require IMC to distribute the FIFA properties in English, Spanish and French. A key tenet of the agreement is that the FIFA 2010 and 2014 World Cup tournaments be broadcast on free-to-air
<SPAN class=Subheadline>CFU, SportsMax sign multi-million dollar TV deal</SPAN></TD></TR><TR><TD>BY KAYON RAYNOR Observer staff reporter raynork@jamaicaobserver.com
Tuesday, February 27, 2007
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
<P class=StoryText align=justify>The Caribbean's only 24-hour sports cable channel - Jamaica's SportsMax - through its parent company International Media Content Limited (IMC), yesterday became the region's top provider of television coverage for football by signing an eight-year, multi-million US dollar deal with JD International (JDI), which acts on behalf of the Caribbean Football Union (CFU).<P class=StoryText align=justify>The deal gives IMC/SportsMax the exclusive broadcast rights for a comprehensive football package, which will include the 2010 and 2014 senior FIFA World Cups and will begin with the broadcast of this year's FIFA Under-17 and Under-20 World Cups.
Both IMC and JDI were tightlipped as to value of the deal, but well-placed Observer sources indicate that IMC would be doling out between US$18 and US$20 million over the duration of the contract which will run from 2007-2014.<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=5 width=330 align=center border=0><TBODY><TR><TD>
</TD></TR><TR><TD><SPAN class=Description>Caribbean Football Union boss Austin 'Jack' Warner (second left) shakes hands with IMC chairman Patrick Rousseau after signing a US$multi-million broadcast rights deal in Trinidad and Tobago yesterday. Sharing the moment are Philip Martin (left), IMC's deputy chairman; CFU manager Cheryl Abram and Oliver McIntosh president and CEO of SportsMax. </SPAN></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><P class=StoryText align=justify>Austin 'Jack' Warner (CONCACAF president) in his capacity as president of the Caribbean Football Union (CFU) signed on the behalf of the regional body, while Jamaican and IMC chairman Patrick Rousseau signed for the media group. The signing took place in Trinidad and Tobago.<P class=StoryText align=justify>"Football continues to enjoy significant popularity and growth in the Caribbean. The JDI'S objective is to ensure that we utilise the best technology and platform available to bring the beautiful game to our football-loving television audience across the entire region," said FIFA vice-president Warner, who negotiated the deal on behalf of JDI.<P class=StoryText align=justify>IMC chairman Rousseau acknowledged that the deal was another big step for his company's goal of remaining the leading provider of sports content in the Caribbean.<P class=StoryText align=justify>"Our successful experience from the transmission of the FIFA 2006 World Cup GermanyT to approximately 40 million households in the Caribbean in three languages, was unprecedented and will be very valuable as we bring even more FIFA football content to the Caribbean over the next eight years," he said.IMC is incorporated in St Lucia and is the 100% owner of SportsMax Limited. IMC's primary business is the acquisition of television and radio broadcasting rights for international, regional and local sporting events.<P class=StoryText align=justify>President and CEO of IMC subsidiary SportsMax Limited, Oliver McIntosh, who was present at the signing, said the deal represents a phenomenal day for football in the Caribbean.
"The partnership between the JDI and IMC means that the Caribbean television audience will see more football over the next eight years than ever before," McIntosh noted.<P class=StoryText align=justify>The agreement between the JDI and IMC includes broadcasting rights to 29 countries in the Caribbean and will require IMC to distribute the FIFA properties in English, Spanish and French. A key tenet of the agreement is that the FIFA 2010 and 2014 World Cup tournaments be broadcast on free-to-air
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