Paramount Home Entertainment International and Universal Pictures International Entertainment Announce New Distribution Agreement in Italy

Paramount Home Entertainment International and Universal Pictures International Entertainment Announce New Distribution Agreement in Italy

Paramount Home Entertainment titles to be distributed by UPIE in Italy beginning April 2011

HOLLYWOOD, Calif., and LONDON, Jan. 11, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Universal Pictures International Entertainment (UPIE) and Paramount Home Entertainment International (PHEI) today announced that they have reached an agreement for UPIE to distribute Paramount product for home entertainment in Italy. The announcement was made by Dennis Maguire, Worldwide President of Paramount Home Entertainment and Eddie Cunningham, President, Universal Pictures International Entertainment.

Under the five-year agreement beginning in April 2011, Universal Pictures Italy will distribute Paramount's home entertainment product in the country, including film and TV releases on DVD and Blu-ray. The agreement covers the operations, finance, sales and marketing functions for PHEI products distributed in the territory. The first titles to be released under the new arrangement will include Dinner For Schmucks and "NCIS: Los Angeles" Season 1.

"After carefully evaluating the efficiencies of distributing our product through one distributor in Italy, we believe that this agreement will allow us to better serve our customers in this important territory and, at the same time, maximize performance across our entire portfolio of products," said Dennis Maguire, Worldwide President, PHE. "We look forward to working with Universal to grow our business in Italy through streamlined operations."

"We are pleased to have formed this agreement with Paramount in Italy, utilizing Universal's first class home entertainment distribution operation to continue to offer Paramount's quality entertainment products to consumers and increase growth opportunities in this very important European market," said Eddie Cunningham, President, UPIE.

About Universal Pictures International Entertainment

Universal Pictures International Entertainment is part of NBC Universal - one of the world's leading media and entertainment companies in the development, production, and marketing of entertainment, news, and information to a global audience. Formed in May 2004 through the combining of NBC and Vivendi Universal Entertainment, NBC Universal owns and operates a valuable portfolio of news and entertainment networks, a premier motion picture company, significant television production operations, a leading television stations group, and world-renowned theme parks. NBC Universal is 80%-owned by General Electric, with 20% controlled by Vivendi.

About Paramount Home Entertainment International

Paramount Home Entertainment International (PHEI) is part of Paramount Pictures Corporation (PPC), a global producer and distributor of filmed entertainment. PPC is a unit of Viacom (NYSE: VIA, VIA.B), a leading content company with prominent and respected film, television and digital entertainment brands. PHEI is responsible for the sales, marketing and distribution of home entertainment products on behalf of various parties including: Paramount Pictures, Paramount Vantage, Paramount Classics, Paramount Famous Productions, Nickelodeon, MTV, Comedy Central, CBS and PBS and for providing home entertainment fulfillment services for DreamWorks Animation Home Entertainment.

SOURCE Paramount Home Entertainment International; Universal Pictures International Entertainment

Paramount Home Entertainment International; Universal Pictures International Entertainment

CONTACT: Denise Bassett, +44 207 307.6639, Denise.bassett@nbcuni.com, for Universal Pictures International Entertainment; or Brenda Ciccone, +1-323-956-8091, brenda_ciccone@paramount.com, for Paramount Home Entertainment

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