Ludia and FremantleMedia Enterprises Strike Exclusive Multiyear Agreement for 'American Idol'(R) Online Games

Ludia and FremantleMedia Enterprises Strike Exclusive Multiyear Agreement for 'American Idol'(R) Online Games

MONTREAL, Jan. 14 /PRNewswire/ -- Interactive entertainment company Ludia Inc. will create online games based on the highly successful "American Idol"(R) television series, it was jointly announced today by Alex Thabet, Founder and CEO of Ludia Inc., and Jason Turner, Director, Interactive FremantleMedia Enterprises, licensor for "American Idol." The exclusive multiyear deal will produce a gaming experience with multiple components including performance, online community and social networking.

"Creating games for 'American Idol,' a genre-defining television franchise, is a key milestone for Ludia," explained Thabet. "This deal reinforces our strategy of partnering powerhouse brands with our unique entertainment products."

"We are pleased to be working with Ludia to deliver one-of-a-kind games for one of the most important entertainment brands in the world," added Turner. "This game will offer an online destination to the millions of 'American Idol' fans out there of all ages, enabling them to actively participate in their own personal Idol experience."

The "American Idol" online games experience is slated to coincide with the show's 2009 season, and will be available on AmericanIdol.com and Ludia's other major online destination partners.

About Ludia Inc.

Ludia creates and distributes cross-platform interactive entertainment with mass consumer appeal. Ludia seamlessly integrates product placement opportunities as part of the entertainment experience and enables effective connections between brands and their target audiences. Based in Montreal, Canada, Ludia has completed its first round of financing from private investors last year. www.ludia.com

About FremantleMedia Enterprises & FremantleMedia

FremantleMedia Enterprises is the content exploitation arm of FremantleMedia, offering a one-stop-shop for all Licensing, Distribution and Home Entertainment. It is a division of FremantleMedia, one of the largest international creators and producers of entertainment brands in the world with leading prime time drama, serial drama, entertainment and factual entertainment programming in over 40 countries worldwide. FremantleMedia is a subsidiary of RTL Group, Europe's largest television and radio broadcast company, which is 90% owned by Bertelsmann AG, an integrated media and entertainment company that commands leading positions in the world's media markets. For further information, visit http://www.fremantlemedia.com/.

About FremantleMedia North America

FremantleMedia North America (FMNA) is the U.S. production division of global media giant FremantleMedia. Based in Burbank, California, FMNA produces entertaining and innovative television programs for network, cable and syndicated platforms, including the Emmy-nominated musical/reality phenomenon "American Idol" (FOX), "The Next Great American Band" (FOX), "America's Got Talent" (NBC), "American Inventor" (ABC), "Thank God You're Here" (NBC), "The Janice Dickinson Modeling Agency" (Oxygen), "Property Ladder" (TLC), "Family Feud" (syndicated), "Temptation" (syndicated), "Million Dollar Password" (CBS), and the longest-running game show in television history, "The Price Is Right" (CBS).

About American Idol

AMERICAN IDOL is created and executive-produced by Simon Fuller, founder of 19 Entertainment, Ltd.; and executive-produced by Cecile Frot-Coutaz, CEO, FremantleMedia North America, Inc.; Nigel Lythgoe, President, 19 Television; and Ken Warwick, Executive Producer, FremantleMedia North America, Inc.

About 19 Entertainment

19 Entertainment, Ltd., a wholly-owned subsidiary of CKX, Inc. (NASDAQ:CKXE), was founded by Simon Fuller 21 years ago and acquired by CKX in March 2005. The company is recognized as a leading creator, provider and promoter of globally successful, music-based entertainment, or "Entertainment Brands."

Simon Fuller, who serves as Chief Executive Officer of 19 Entertainment, is the creator of AMERICAN IDOL in the United States, "Pop Idol" in the UK, as well as versions of the IDOL format in more than 30 countries around the world. Fuller is also the co-creator of SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE, which aired in the U.S. on FOX during summer 2005 and was the top-rated television show in its time slot.

Fuller has made music history in the UK and the U.S.A., producing a stream of No. 1 hits and managing multi-platinum-selling acts. Fuller recently became the world's most successful manager - breaking a record set by the Beatles' manager Brian Epstein in the 1960s - when three of his artists occupied the No. 1, No. 2 and No. 3 positions on the U.S. single chart as well as the No. 1 position on the album chart.

19 Entertainment has been involved in the creation of 109 No. 1 singles and 87 No. 1 albums in the UK alone, with an impressive tally of 296 Top-40 albums and 465 Top-40 singles.

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Source: FremantleMedia Enterprises

CONTACT: Eva Jando of Ludia, Inc., +1-514-313-3370, eva@ludia.com

Web site:

http://www.fremantlemedia.com/
http://www.ludia.com/
http://www.americanidol.com/

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