FUN Technologies signs casual-gaming agreement with LYCOS Europe
Deal signifies latest step in FUN's aggressive European expansion plan
July 17, 2006
TORONTO, Canada - FUN Technologies Inc. ("FUN"), one of the world's leading online casual gaming providers, announced today that its wholly owned subsidiary, SkillJam EU Limited ("SkillJam"), has signed a two-year, exclusive agreement to create a private-label skill-gaming platform for LYCOS Europe.
Under the terms of the pan-European casual-gaming agreement, SkillJam will develop, operate and support the pay-for-play gaming sites for eight LYCOS Europe portals: UK, Germany, France, Spain, Italy, Holland, Sweden ( www.spray.se), and Denmark ( www.jubii.dk). Stock-listed LYCOS Europe is one of the leading European portal providers and reaches around 30 million unique users within its network every month. The global media group Bertelsmann AG holds 20 percent of the LYCOS Europe shares.
SkillJam is a multi-channel provider of skill-gaming technology and solutions. It develops and distributes private-label gaming solutions for a broad network of partner destination sites in the U.S. and abroad, including AOL, MSN's Zone.com and Virgin Games.
Lorne Abony, the CEO of FUN Technologies, commented on the new agreement, "This represents an important stride forward as we continue investing in our European growth strategy, and gives our Games division the opportunity to substantially bolster its growing member base. We have built a fantastic relationship with LYCOS Inc., and are delighted to now be partnering with LYCOS Europe as well."
Michael Rohowski, Chief Sales Officer for LYCOS Europe, said, "LYCOS Europe is focused on providing a range of content and services to meet all our users' online needs and casual gaming is a core element of our offer to our community. We will continue to seek long-term relationships with best-of-breed partners to deliver content across a wide range of arenas and we felt that SkillJam would give users the most compelling proposition in this market. Our partnership with SkillJam opens up a good growth opportunity for our European network."
For more information, contact:
FUN Technologies
Michel Cassius, Managing Director, EMEA
+44 207 025 8302
Media Contact:
Allison Rynak, Director of PR
+1 617 614 3734
About FUN Technologies Inc.
FUN Technologies Inc. is one of the world's leading online casual gaming providers. FUN's strategy is to provide its cutting-edge gaming systems to top distribution partners around the world. FUN is 51% owned by Liberty Media Corporation, and FUN's common shares are listed on both the Toronto Stock Exchange and the Alternative Investment Market (AIM) of the London Stock Exchange under the symbol "FUN".
About FUN Games
FUN Technologies' FUN Games division, comprised of its wholly owned subsidiaries SkillJam, WorldWinner and Octopi, develops and distributes casual games solutions with a focus on free play and cash competitions across online, mobile and iTV platforms. Its broad network of partner sites includes leading global brands such as AOL Games, EA-Pogo, GSN, Lycos, MSN Games, Real Networks and Virgin Games. With more than 27 million registered players internationally, FUN Games hosts ten million tournaments and awards millions of dollars in prizes every month.
About LYCOS Europe
LYCOS Europe (ISIN NL0000233195) is one of the leading European internet destinations operating a pan-European network of websites in eight languages. The company's combination of search, communication services, content channels, Internet access, homepage building and online communities addresses a wide range of target groups. The LYCOS Europe Network provides an attractive medium not only for consumers but also for advertisers and e-commerce partners throughout Europe. Every month around 30 million users visit the LYCOS Europe portal and partner network. With websites covering Austria, Denmark, France, Germany, Great Britain, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland, LYCOS Europe has a large geographical reach in Europe. LYCOS Europe is stock-listed in Germany and France, its main shareholders are Bertelsmann AG and Telefónica SA. For more information please visit the corporate homepage www.lycos-europe.com.