Media First as Hublot Launches Dedicated TV Channel at FT Business of Luxury Summit in Las Vegas and Becomes 'Official Timekeeper' of FT.com

Media First as Hublot Launches Dedicated TV Channel at FT Business of Luxury Summit in Las Vegas and Becomes 'Official Timekeeper' of FT.com

LONDON, May 25 /PRNewswire/ -- Innovative Swiss luxury watchmaker, Hublot, is marking its diamond sponsorship of the FT's Business of Luxury Summit in Las Vegas with the worldwide launch of its television channel, Hublot TV.

The Hublot brand is to extend its current online presence by launching its own television channel - a world first in the luxury watchmaking sector. The channel will broadcast Hublot programs 24 hours a day, seven days a week from 5 June 2006. The launch of the global channel will be complemented by a significant global advertising campaign. This includes a 12 month 'jewel box' position on the home page of FT.com, which starts in June 2006, making Hublot "the official timekeeper" for the FT website.

In addition, the speech of Hublot CEO Jean-Claude Biver to delegates at the FT Business of Luxury Summit will be made available on the FT.com homepage during a two-day roadblock campaign from 7-8 June. Throughout this period, advertisements on the FT.com homepage will be fully dedicated to Hublot and the worldwide launch of Hublot TV. All advertising spots during that period will feature the Hublot/Hublot TV campaign.

Jean-Claude Biver, CEO, Hublot, said: "We are delighted and honored to be the diamond sponsor of the FT Business of Luxury Summit. Our relationship with the Financial Times is instrumental in reaching business leaders with an appreciation of the finer things in life. Hublot TV signals a new style of communication for the luxury industry and we are proud to be the pioneers in this field, just as we are the pioneers of truly innovative fusion watchmaking."

Ben Hughes, FT worldwide advertising director, said: "We're delighted that Hublot has chosen to launch its dedicated TV channel at the FT Business of Luxury Summit and is to become the official timekeeper for FT.com. This is a media first for us. The FT brand has become synonymous with luxury goods advertising, following our unrivalled editorial coverage on the luxury industry and the tremendous success of How To Spend It magazine and this deal is testament to that."

The second annual FT Business of Luxury Summit takes place from 5-6 June at the Ritz-Carlton Resort in Las Vegas. Some 350 people are expected to attend this year's meeting, including senior executives, luxury consultants, brand experts, fund managers, M&A specialists, and securities and retail analysts. The Summit will include discussion sessions on pricing, distribution channels, mass market competition, licensing practices and consumer demand measurement.

For more information on the programme for the FT Business of Luxury Summit, visit http://www.ftbusinessofluxury.com/. Media registration is also available via the website.

About Hublot

In 1980, Hublot unexpectedly teamed gold with rubber to give birth to a unique timepiece. Twenty five years later, the brand has reinterpreted its DNA with a fresh exploration of its guiding principles, the fusion. Jean- Claude Biver, CEO of Hublot, has masterminded the launch of Big Bang, the latest icon which brings a new dynamic to the company which echoes its Fusion concept. Big Bang is the first watch to feature lateral recognition and represent the fusion of materials such as red gold and ceramic, tantalum and rubber, magnesium and titanium, and the fusion of movements combining the Tradition of Swiss Horology with the visionary Art of 21st century watchmaking. Internationally acclaimed, the Big Bang chronograph won numerous international awards when it launched in 2005.

About the Financial Times Group

The Financial Times Group, one of the world's leading business information companies, aims to provide a broad range of business information and services to the growing audience of internationally minded business people. The FT Group includes:

1. The Financial Times, one of the world's leading business newspapers,
is recognised internationally for its authority, integrity and
accuracy. Providing extensive news, comment and analysis, the
newspaper is printed in 23 cities across the globe, has a daily
circulation of over 445,000 and a readership of more than 1.4 million
people worldwide.

2. FT.com is one of the world's leading business information websites,
and the internet partner of the FT newspaper. Since its relaunch in
May 2002, the website has continued to be the definitive home for
business intelligence on the web, providing an essential source of
news, comment, data and analysis for the global business community.
FT.com attracts 4.8 million unique monthly users (ABC electronic
figures Jan 06), generating 41 million page views and has 84,000
subscribers. FT.com broke even in December 2002.

3. The FT Group's pan-European network of national business newspapers
and online services including France's leading business newspaper and
website, Les Echos and lesechos.fr. In February 2000, the FT launched
a new German language newspaper, FT Deutschland, with a fully
integrated online business news and data service.

4. Through FT Interactive Data, the FT Group is one of the world's
leading sources of securities pricing and specialist financial
information to global institutional, professional and individual
investors. Its products include eSignal, an online realtime streaming
quotation service for brokers and active traders.

5. FT Business, which produces specialist information on the retail,
personal and institutional finance industries. It publishes the UK's
premier personal finance magazine, Investors Chronicle, and The
Banker, Money Management and Financial Adviser for professional
advisers.

6. The Financial Times Group also has a stake in a number of joint
ventures, including;
-FTSE International, a joint venture with the London Stock Exchange.

-Vedomosti, Russia's leading business newspaper and a partnership
venture with Dow Jones and Independent Media

-A 50% stake in BDFM, publishers of South Africa's leading financial
newspapers and websites.

-A 50% stake in The Economist Group, which publishes the world's
leading weekly business and current affairs journal.

-A 13.85% stake in Business Standard, one of India's leading financial
newspapers. The FT Group is part of Pearson plc, the international
media group.

Contacts:
Sean Healy, 212-453-2438
healys@fleishman.com or
Michele Vana, 212-453-2214
vanam@fleishman.com

Source: Financial Times

CONTACT: Sean Healy, +1-212-453-2438, healys@fleishman.com, or Michele
Vana, +1-212-453-2214, vanam@fleishman.com both for Financial Times

Web site: http://www.ft.com/
http://www.ftbusinessofluxury.com/

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