Internet Gold's Smile.Media and Teddy Productions to Create Internet Video Company
15 Novembre 2006 - 3:00PM
PR Newswire (US)
PETACH TIKVA, Israel, November 15 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ --
Internet Gold, (NASDAQ:IGLD)(TASE:IGLD) today announced that
smile.media ltd., its fully-owned subsidiary, has signed an
agreement with Teddy Productions, one of Israel's leading
entertainment production groups, to establish an internet video
company. The new company will establish an Israeli internet video
portal and will produce a broad range of internet video programs.
smile.media will hold 50.1% of the new company and the owners of
Teddy Productions will hold the remaining 49.9%. Teddy Productions
is owned by Tmira and Dudu Yardeni, who for the past three decades
have been pioneering leaders of Israel's entertainment and media
industries. Today, Teddy Productions produces a variety of
television/media programs and live events. It also has exclusive
relationships with leading Israeli artists and pop-media talents.
"We are excited to partner with Teddy Productions to benefit from
the exciting internet video phenomenon," said Eli Holtzman,
Internet Gold's CEO. "Throughout the world, internet video is
attracting huge audiences and commanding a growing portion of
internet media budgets. The Israeli market, with more than 95% of
all Internet users hooked up via broadband, is ripe for this
cutting-edge entertainment format. We believe that leading video
sites will become a fertile source of revenues over the next few
years as larger portions of advertising budgets are being shifted
from traditional off-line media to the internet. Our strategic plan
is to develop a wide variety of unique video content which will be
promoted in synergy with our broad range of e-media properties to
achieve leadership in this important and growing source of
advertising revenues. "In teaming up with Teddy, we will benefit
from the brand, talent and content properties that they have
developed over the last 30 years and their deep understanding of
Israeli entertainment tastes. Together, we will create a unique
internet video portal, extending smile.media's positioning as
Israel's #1 internet media group," Mr. Holtzman concluded. About
Internet Gold Internet Gold is Israel's leading IP Group with a
major presence across all Internet-related sectors. Its
smile.communications segment offers a variety of Internet access
and related value-added services, international telephony and
enterprise/IT integration services. Its smile.media segment manages
a growing portfolio of Internet portals and e-Commerce sites.
Internet Gold has entered into an agreement to acquire 60% of the
control and equity in 012 Golden Lines Ltd ("012") based on a
valuation of US$ 140 million. 012 is a major Internet Service
Provider with revenues of $ 138.8 million in 2005 and is also a
leader in Israel's Voice Over Broadband domestic telephony. The
agreement is subject to the approval of both boards of directors
and the relevant regulatory authorities. According to the
agreement, following the acquisition, 012 will merge with IGLD's
Communications activities. Internet Gold is part of the Eurocom
Communications Group. Its shares trade on the Nasdaq National
Market and on the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange. For additional
information about Internet Gold, please visit its investors' site
at http://www.igld.com/. Certain statements made herein that use
the words "estimate," "project," "intend," "expect," "believe" and
similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking
statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation
Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements involve known
and unknown risks and uncertainties which could cause the actual
results, performance or achievements of the Company to be
materially different from those which may be expressed or implied
by such statements, including, among others, changes in general
economic and business conditions and specifically, decline in
demand for the Company's services, inability to timely develop and
introduce new technologies, services and applications and loss of
market share and pressure on prices resulting from competition. For
additional information regarding these and other risks and
uncertainties associated with the Company's business, reference is
made to the Company's Annual Report filed with the Securities and
Exchange Commission and its other reports as filed from time to
time with the Securities and Exchange Commission. For further
information, please contact: Lee Roth KCSA Worldwide
+1-212-896-1209 In Israel: Mor Dagan Investor Relations
+972-3-516-7620 Ms. Idit Azulay, Internet Gold +972-3-939-9848
DATASOURCE: Internet Gold CONTACT: For further information, please
contact: Lee Roth, KCSA Worldwide, +1-212-896-1209; In Israel: Mor
Dagan, Investor Relations, +972-3-516-7620; Ms. Idit Azulay,
Internet Gold, +972-3-939-9848,
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