12 October 2004
The commercial launch of the new Showtime website, (www.showtimearabia.com), took place this week at the company's Dubai headquarters in front of an audience of leading marketers and media buyers. They came to hear about why this new media opportunity should be taken so seriously from both Showtime executives and their new on-line specialist partners, NetAdvantage.

The answer to this lies primarily in the massive growth in internet usage, estimated to reach 17.2 million users next year, linked to a steady rise in the subscriptions for Showtime, the region's largest pay TV network. According to Marc Conneely, Showtime's Vice President Advertising Sales & New Business Development, "the profile of our customers is identical to those people logging on to the net with 90% being local or Expat Arabs."

It's well documented that Showtime's growing customer base is affluent. Their own research indicates that 72% earn in excess of $3,500 per month, which in itself represents a powerful marketing opportunity via conventional advertising on their 50+ channels. But by linking this asset with their new website, Showtime have created an additional layer of communication that should excite even the most sceptical of media buyers.

Conneely said "the fact is that our subscribers are heavy on-line users. We predict that our own site will generate 1.7 million impressions per month by the year end with the vast majority of these coming from internet users in Saudi Arabia, the UAE and the Levant area."

"We are very excited about this new partnership, working with a leading brand like Showtime will be a great opportunity to combine our diversified experience in online advertising with Showtime's great brand equity", said Duri Al-Ajrami, Regional Manager for Net Advantage.

"On air promotions for www.showtimearabia.com is keeping subscribers informed about what's on the site and encouraging repeat visits," Al Ajrami added.

The ad formats are a first too for Arab portals. The two new banner sizes (728 x 90 pixels and 160 x 600 pixels) conform to the new international standards. The multiplicity of different channels on the website aims to match any advertiser's needs in terms of profile with the ability to target users seeking entertainment, sports, news, music, documentaries and family.

-Ends-

About Showtime
In the Middle East, Showtime is the trading name of Gulf DTH which is a joint media venture between the Kuwait Projects Company (Holding) and Viacom Inc.

Showtime, a joint media venture of Viacom and Kuwait Projects Company (KIPCO), is the leading digital satellite pay -TV network in the Middle East and North Africa. With offices in Dubai, UAE; Saudi Arabia; Egypt; Jordan; and London, the network offers 50 premium television channels, including 10 CD audio channels, with a broadcast reach of more than 20 countries. With a combination of house channels including Al Sha Sha, The Movie Channel, Movietime and TVLand, and pass through channels Showtime boasts exclusively such global brand names as Discovery, E! Entertainment, Hallmark, MTV Europe Paramount Comedy Channel, and Xtreme Sports amongst others.

About NetAdvantage
A fully owned subsidiary of Riyadh-based National Technology Group (NTG), one of the largest and fastest growing Information and Communications Technology (ICT) conglomerates in the Arab world, NetAdvantage provides online advertisers and publishers with services and solutions for the Internet and mobile industry in the Arab world that enables them to maximize their return on investments and rapidly grow their businesses.

NetAdvantage leverages its relationships and know-how of the websites as well as the advertisers community, its ability to invest in best of bread talent in the region and building a sophisticated advertising platform, to aggregate and sign up the most popular and most sought websites as part of its advertising networks and offering them to advertising agencies and direct advertisers, creating an efficient and reliable, well resourced, advertising platform that will create profits and benefits to partner websites and offer a clear value proposition for the advertising community in the Arab world.

NetAdvantage offers advertisers a wide range of products and services including banner space, targeted email campaigns, online promotions, search engine-based advertising, and mobile SMS advertising.

Issued on behalf of Showtime by Momentum
For information:
Maida Talhami
Tel: +971 4 3901630
Mobile: +971 507347728
Email: Maida@momentum.cc

© Press Release 2004