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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