China Paves the Way for HD in Sports with Vizrt Graphics

Vizrt announces today that CCTV-5 Sports, China Central Television’s 24-hour sports channel, has ordered Vizrt’s latest graphics systems for a total volume of US$ 0.75M. The Vizrt sale to CCTV5 includes the mixture of a standard definition graphics system for live broadcasts of domestic and foreign sports events and news as well as China’s first high-definition graphics system for an HD studio.
The Vizrt sale to CCTV5 includes the mixture of a standard definition graphics system for live broadcasts of domestic and foreign sports events and news as well as China’s first high-definition graphics system for an HD studio. The new graphics installation will be used for all major sports events for this year including the World Soccer Championships and the Asian Games in Doha, Qatar. The early adoption of live HDTV sports production and transmission is generally acknowledged to be an excellent way for CCTV5 to acquire the necessary know-how and experience to cover the 2008 Olympics in HD format.

CCTV-5 broadcasts more than 1,000 live programs each year, and reaches more than 300 million viewers throughout China. Vizrt has been gaining ground within China’s largest national TV network through its first sale of a graphics system to CCTV’s national 24-hour News network in May last year. This year, CMA, the Chinese Meteorological Administration, bought Vizrt graphics with which it will launch a 24-hour Weather channel within the CCTV network from May 2006. Furthermore, the CCTV-5 Sports sale was made largely on the recommendation of CCTV-News, which has enjoyed considerable success with its own Vizrt system. CCTV network encompasses nineteen public channels and a further eleven digital channels.

About Vizrt:

Vizrt is the world’s leading provider of HD/SD real-time 2D and true 3D broadcast graphics. The company’s software suite offers a complete graphics solution including: character generation, content management and newsroom integration, 3D tickers, virtual studio, 3D weather application with data integration, Curious Software map creation tools, virtual sports analysis, information display and virtual effects. All Vizrt’s graphics products are powered by a single core renderer, the unique and powerful Viz|Engine™. Vizrt’s graphics solution goes beyond the visual aspect and includes highly customized user interfaces for the designer, operator, journalist and engineer. The world’s leading broadcasters, such as CNN, CBS, Fox, BBC, Sky, ITN, ZDF, Star TV, TV Today, CCTV and NHK as well as Production houses and Corporate institutions, including both the New York and London Stock Exchange, use the Vizrt’s software suite. Vizrt is a public company traded on the Frankfurt Prime Standard and on the Oslo Main List: VIZ, ISIN: IL0010838154. For further information please refer to www.vizrt.com

Forward looking statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements with respect to the business, financial condition and results of operations of Vizrt and its affiliates. These statements are based on the current expectations or beliefs of Vizrt’s management and are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results or performance of the Company to differ materially from those contemplated in such forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties relate to changes in technology and market requirements, the company’s concentration on one industry, decline in demand for the company’s products and those of its affiliates, inability to timely develop and introduce new technologies, products and applications, and loss of market share and pressure on pricing resulting from competition, which could cause the actual results or performance of the company to differ materially from those contemplated in such forward-looking statements. Vizrt undertakes no obligation to publicly release any revisions to these forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date hereof or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events.

Contact Information

Bjarne Berg

President & CEO

Vizrt

Contact via E-mail