NPT.L Regulatory News (NPT)

16 Nov 2005 07:01

Stream Group PLC16 November 2005 Stream Group plc16 November 2005 STREAM GROUP PLC ("Stream" or the "Company") Stream and The Poker Channel launch Mobile Poker Stream Group plc, the mobile content and applications provider, today announcedthe signing of an exclusive agreement with The Poker Channel to provide andpromote mobile poker and other mobile gaming products. This follows theannouncement on 13 October 2005 when Stream announced the signing of anexclusive Agreement with EGET of Finland as their global partner for thedevelopment of mobile games. The first product, launched today, will be mobile poker which will be promotedby The Poker Channel under the online brand "Poker Heaven". The Poker Channel is available free to all Sky subscribers and has a BARBaudited audience of in excess of 870,000 UK viewers per month. By early 2006 ThePoker Channel expects to be available to a further 25 million homes acrossEurope. An estimated 29 million adults in the UK gamble at least once per month of which79% spend £10 or more a week on online poker bets. UK online gaming generatesaround £19 million a day of which £6-8million is generated on Poker. At present online poker activity is almost exclusively confined to the Internet.The introduction of mobile based poker will make poker available to playerswithout the need for a PC and presents a huge opportunity to grow the pokermarket even further. Gordon Robson, Executive Chairman of Stream Group plc, said: "Poker is the most popular Internet based game and therefore it is the perfectgame to launch on mobile. The Poker Channel is enjoying huge success as theworld's first television channel dedicated to poker and therefore is an idealpartner for our mobile poker product." Crispin Nieboer, Managing Director of The Poker Channel, said: "We are delighted to be working with Stream on the development of our onlinepoker products. Our viewers will now be able to enjoy the "Poker Heaven"experience whether they are by a PC or out and about with their mobile phone." Contacts: Stream Group plcGordon Robson, Executive Chairman Tel: 020 7299 2880 The Poker ChannelCrispin Nieboer, Managing Director Tel: 020 8600 2698 Flagship GroupSusie Pagan / Toby Mitchenall Tel: 020 7886 8440 END This information is provided by RNS The company news service from the London Stock Exchange