25-April-2010

Friday, live-TV gaming operator NetPlayTV PLC announced it has entered into a six-month trial agreement with U.K. commercial broadcaster ITV PLC. The “teleshopping” airtime deal will see ITV broadcast several of NetPlayTV’s interactive, transactional TV-gaming formats starting next month.

ITV will broadcast NetPlayTV’s formats alongside those of other retail partners on “The Zone,” a two-hour teleshopping window on ITV1. NetPlayTV’s formats will include quick-fire keno and bingo, as well as the TV-gaming operator’s existing “Roulette Nation” interactive game show.

ITV will broadcast NetPlayTV’s new bingo format after midnight, for nearly 30 minutes up to six times each week. NetPlayTV said it will support the new format with online press marketing and a TV advertising campaign.

“Roulette Nation” will appear on ITV in an additional 30 minute segment. The show will allow players to bet as little as 1 pound per roulette wheel spin in real or play money via their computers and phones.

NetPlayTV said “Roulette Nation,” currently broadcast on Virgin 1 and STV, is part of the ChallengeJackpot.com family, which generates over 14 million pounds in bets monthly. The company also noted that it pays out some 400,000 pounds in winnings daily to “Roulette Nation” players.

In a press release, ITV TV Shopping and Gaming Controller William van Rest explained the agreement resulted from a revision of OfCom’s rules last year. OfCom, or the Office of Communications, is the U.K.’s independent communications-regulation authority. The rule change now allows ITV to broadcast gaming transactional formats in nighttime teleshopping windows.

“Soft gaming products such as bingo are extremely popular amongst our audience, and we look forward to introducing NetPlayTV's range of innovative formats to our audience as part of this trial,” van Rest said.

Also commenting on the agreement, NetPlayTV Chief Executive Officer Martin Higginson said, “When we established NetPlayTV it was with the dream of creating our own interactive game formats and getting them broadcast on a terrestrial TV channel.

“The agreement with ITV1 allows us to bring together a number of disciplines, from mobile to gaming, in the delivery of this exciting new transactional TV-bingo show for a trial period.”

Higginson went on to say that NetPlayTV believes the new format will be well-worth its steep development costs.

“We believe transactional TV is here to stay, and we have the ability to deliver a format that works,” Higginson said.

After news of the agreement, shares in NetPlayTV PLC (AIM:NPT) rose 5.47 percent to 27.69 pence per share in London.

By: Phill Provance
phill.provance@acehoyle.com

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