MTV NETWORKS INTERNATIONAL AND PROFMEDIA RENEW DEAL FOR MTV RUSSIA

Multi-year agreement expanded to include digital media and events rights

Moscow/London, 2 June, 2010 – MTV Networks International (MTVNI), a division of Viacom Inc. (NYSE: VIA, VIA.B), and ProfMedia Holding Co. and its subsidiary, Energia TV, today announced a multi-year agreement that will grant Energia TV the exclusive rights to continue broadcasting a free-to-air, localised MTV service in the Russian Federation.

MTV Russia first launched on 25 September 1998.  According to TNS Gallup, MTV Russia covered 75% of the target 11-34 age group at the beginning of 2010. The TV channel is present in 280 towns and cities through a network of 21 own stations and 377 partner stations. The channel’s total audience was 40 million. Coverage rates built up during the recent 12 months was 75% of all urban dwellers in towns and cities with 100,000 population and larger.

In addition to television rights, MTVNI will grant Energia TV ancillary rights to the MTV brand in Russia including online, mobile and events, further expanding on the existing licensing agreement between the two companies. Besides,  the contract grants Energia TV the exclusive right to broadcast all MTV ceremonies live (MTV Music Awards, MTV Movie Awards, etc.), and gives unlimited access to the MTV program catalog that lists popular shows such as Pimp My Ride, Room Raiders,  Cribs and many others.

Yulia Solovyova, Executive Vice-President of ProfMedia, one of Russia’s largest and most diversified media companies said: “MTV Russia is the longest standing licensee-operated MTV service and we’re proud to be working with MTVNI to further grow and expand our partnership to include both digital media and events. Russian youth are incredibly savvy when it comes to technology and we want to ensure we remain ahead of the curve and offer our audiences multiple ways to interact with their favourite brand.”

“MTV’s global audience is larger than that of all Russian channels combined. Our job is to treat our viewers with the best of what young people watch all over the world”, says Roman Sarkisov, MTV Russia’s CEO.

Bhavneet Singh, Managing Director and Executive Vice President, Emerging Markets, MTVNI commented: “With a population of nearly 150 million people and an ever-increasing youth population of nearly 50 million, Russia continues to be a hugely important market for MTVNI to grow and develop. After 13 incredibly exciting years in the Russian market, we’re really looking forward to working with ProfMedia to take MTV to the next level and to evolve MTV into a truly 360 degree brand, thereby creating the go-to multi-platform destination for Russian youth.”

About MTVNI’s Emerging Markets
MTVNI’s Emerging Markets Group is one of the fastest growing regions in the company’s portfolio of multi-platform businesses. The Emerging Markets Group manages 29 television channels, 30 websites, one video portal and four mobile TV channels encompassing the MTV, VH1, Nickelodeon, VIVA and Comedy Central and COLORS brands in Central & Eastern Europe, Russia, Africa, the Middle East and India. Additionally, the Emerging Markets portfolio includes MTVNHD, MTVNI’s first international high definition channel dedicated to music and kids which is operated by the Emerging Markets Group of behalf of MTVNI. MTVNI is owned by Viacom Inc (NYSE: VIA, VIA.B). 

About MTV Networks International                 
MTV Networks International includes the premier multimedia entertainment brands MTV: Music Television, VH1, Nickelodeon, MTVNHD, TMF (The Music Factory), VIVA, Flux, Paramount Comedy, Comedy Central and Game One. MTV Networks' brands are seen globally in 632 million households in 162 countries and 33 languages via 174 locally programmed and operated TV channels and more than 400 digital media properties.  The company's diverse holdings also include interests in television syndication, digital media, publishing, home video, radio, recorded music, licensing & merchandising and two feature film divisions, MTV Films and Nickelodeon Movies.  MTV Networks is a unit of Viacom Inc. (NYSE: VIA, VIA.B).