Playboy Taps IMG as Licensing Agent for Asia
2010年2月18日 - 9:58PM
PRニュース・ワイアー (英語)
CHICAGO, Feb. 18 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Playboy Enterprises,
Inc. (PEI) (NYSE:PLANYSE:PLAA) today announced that it has signed
IMG Licensing Worldwide as its exclusive agent in Asia. The
agreement covers licensing of the Playboy brand in most product
categories. Scott Flanders, PEI's chief executive officer, said:
"Over the past five years, licensing has become Playboy's most
profitable and fastest growing business. This agreement will
further accelerate our growth, expand our consumer reach and
enhance the visibility and power of the Playboy brand. With an
extensive network of agents already in place across Asia, IMG will
be able to more quickly identify new opportunities and potential
partners and more efficiently negotiate deals. IMG is the leading
licensing agent in the world, and we believe that this partnership
will generate meaningful additional revenues for us over time. We
are pleased to work with IMG and to join its extensive client
roster." "The Playboy brand already enjoys global recognition and
popularity," said Bruno Maglione, IMG executive vice president and
global co-managing director IMG Licensing Worldwide. "Playboy has
done an impressive job of growing this business in the past few
years and now ranks as one of the 50 largest licensors in the
world. We believe that our network of licensees and agents combined
with our 40-year experience in the Asia market will allow us to
build on Playboy's success and significantly expand its licensing
business." While the agreement with IMG will cover a wide range of
apparel, accessories and other product categories, PEI said that
its pan-global and entertainment venue licenses as well as the
company's media businesses are exempt from this arrangement. In
addition to developing new business prospects, IMG will oversee the
financial and legal administrative processes related to Playboy's
Asian licensing agreements and will monitor compliance. The
contract gives Playboy final approval on all licenses. About
Playboy Enterprises, Inc. Playboy is one of the most recognized and
popular consumer brands in the world. Playboy Enterprises, Inc. is
a media and lifestyle company that markets the brand through a wide
range of media properties and licensing initiatives. The company
publishes Playboy magazine in the United States and abroad and
creates content for distribution via television networks, websites,
mobile platforms and radio. Through licensing agreements, the
Playboy brand appears on a wide range of consumer products in more
than 150 countries as well as retail stores and entertainment
venues. About IMG Sports & Entertainment IMG Licensing is the
premier independent licensing agency in the world. Since 1962, IMG
Licensing has been one of the core business units of IMG and with
nearly 50 years of experience IMG Licensing offers an unparalleled
resource in the licensing of sporting brands. IMG Licensing also
offers expertise in a number of different markets and services
outside of sports, including corporate trademarks, brands,
entertainment, fashion and celebrity properties. In April 2009, IMG
Licensing was voted the No. 1 Licensing Agent in the annual Top 20
List in License Magazine. FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS This release
contains "forward-looking statements," as to expectations, beliefs,
plans, objectives and future financial performance, and assumptions
underlying or concerning the foregoing. We use words such as "may,"
"will," "would," "could," "should," "believes," "estimates,"
"projects," "potential," "expects," "plans," "anticipates,"
"intends," "continues" and other similar terminology. These
forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks,
uncertainties and other factors, which could cause our actual
results, performance or outcomes to differ materially from those
expressed or implied in the forward-looking statements. We want to
caution you not to place undue reliance on any forward-looking
statements. We undertake no obligation to publicly update any
forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information,
future events or otherwise. The following are some of the important
factors that could cause our actual results, performance or
outcomes to differ materially from those discussed in the
forward-looking statements: (1) Foreign, national, state and local
government regulations, actions or initiatives, including: (a)
attempts to limit or otherwise regulate the sale, distribution or
transmission of adult-oriented materials, including print,
television, video, Internet and mobile materials; (b) attempts to
limit or otherwise regulate the sale or distribution of certain
consumer products sold by our licensees, including nutraceuticals
and energy drinks; or (c) limitations on the advertisement of
tobacco, alcohol and other products which are important sources of
advertising revenue for us; (2) Risks associated with our foreign
operations, including market acceptance and demand for our products
and the products of our licensees and other business partners; (3)
Our ability to effectively manage our exposure to foreign currency
exchange rate fluctuations; (4) Further changes in general economic
conditions, consumer spending habits, viewing patterns, fashion
trends or the retail sales environment, which, in each case, could
reduce demand for our programming and products and impact our
advertising and licensing revenues; (5) Our ability to protect our
trademarks, copyrights and other intellectual property; (6) Risks
as a distributor of media content, including our becoming subject
to claims for defamation, invasion of privacy, negligence,
copyright, patent or trademark infringement and other claims based
on the nature and content of the materials we distribute; (7) The
risk our outstanding litigation could result in settlements or
judgments which are material to us; (8) Dilution from any potential
issuance of common stock or convertible debt in connection with
financings or acquisition activities; (9) Further competition for
advertisers from other publications, media or online providers or
decreases in spending by advertisers, either generally or with
respect to the men's market; (10) Competition in the television,
men's magazine, Internet, mobile and product licensing markets;
(11) Attempts by consumers, distributors, merchants or private
advocacy groups to exclude our programming or other products from
distribution; (12) Our television, Internet and mobile businesses'
reliance on third parties for technology and distribution, and any
changes in that technology, distribution and/or delays in
implementation which might affect our plans, assumptions and
financial results; (13) Risks associated with losing access to
transponders or technical failure of transponders or other
transmitting or playback equipment that is beyond our control; (14)
Competition for channel space on linear or video-on-demand
television platforms; (15) Failure to maintain our agreements with
multiple system operators and direct-to-home, or DTH, operators on
favorable terms, as well as any decline in our access to households
or acceptance by DTH, cable and/or telephone company systems and
the possible resulting cancellation of fee arrangements, pressure
on splits or other deterioration of contract terms with operators
of these systems; (16) Risks that we may not realize the expected
sales and profits and other benefits from acquisitions; (17) Any
charges or costs we incur in connection with restructuring measures
we have taken or may take in the future; (18) Increases in paper,
printing, postage or other manufacturing costs; (19) Effects of the
consolidation of the single-copy magazine distribution system in
the U.S. and risks associated with the financial stability of major
magazine wholesalers; (20) Effects of the consolidation and/or
bankruptcies of television distribution companies; (21) Risks
associated with the viability of our subscription, ad- supported
and e-commerce Internet models; (22) Our ability to sublet our
excess space may be negatively impacted by the market for
commercial rental real estate as well as by the global economy
generally; (23) The risk that our common stock could be delisted
from the New York Stock Exchange, or NYSE, if we fail to meet the
NYSE's continued listing requirements; (24) Risks that adverse
market conditions in the securities and credit markets may
significantly affect our ability to access the capital markets;
(25) The risk that we will be unable to refinance our 3.00%
convertible senior subordinated notes due 2025, or convertible
notes, or the risk that we will need to refinance our convertible
notes, prior to the first put date of March 15, 2012, at
significantly higher interest rates; (26) The risk that we are
unable to either extend the maturity date of our existing credit
facility beyond the current expiration date of January 31, 2011 or
establish a new facility with a later maturity date and acceptable
terms; and (27) Further downward pressure on our operating results
and/or further deterioration of economic conditions could result in
further impairments of our long-lived assets. More detailed
information about factors that may affect our performance may be
found in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission,
which are available at http://www.sec.gov/ or at
http://www.peiinvestor.com/ in the Investor Relations section of
our website. DATASOURCE: Playboy Enterprises, Inc. CONTACT:
Investor/Media, Martha Lindeman of Playboy Enterprises, Inc.,
+1-312-373-2430; Jim Gallagher of IMG, +1-212-774-4419 Web Site:
http://www.peiinvestor.com/
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