MDIH......NEWS......------->
Tuesday November 23, 9:34 am Eastern Time
Company Press Release
MDI Acquires Four New Exclusive Lottery Licenses
HARTFORD, Conn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov. 23, 1999--MDI Entertainment, Inc. (OTC BB: MDIH) announced the signing of agreements for four new exclusive lottery licenses. The new MDI licenses include the legendary entertainer Ray Charles(TM); the upscale personal utility vehicle Hummer©; Hormel's canned meat product and pop culture icon, Spam©; and world famous announcer Michael Buffer and the trademarked phrase with which he has launched sporting events around the world: ``Let's Get Ready to Rumble!'©.
Commenting on these new licenses, MDI President and CEO Steven Saferin stated, ``As we continue to expand our portfolio of lottery licenses, we look to identify properties that can help attract new lottery players through their image in the marketplace. All four of these brands bring exciting new opportunities to our lottery marketing strategy.'
MDI indicated that The Hummer, Spam and Michael Buffer agreements are for three years. The Ray Charles agreement is for one year with two one-year options.
``Ray Charles is an American treasure,' commented Saferin. ``He is the only recording artist to have a Billboard Top 10 Hit in five different categories (Rock, R&B, Jazz, Popular, Country & Western) and he is the only artist who has had Billboard Top 100 songs in five decades starting with the 1950's. Ray Charles' version of Georgia On My Mind has been broadcast over five million times and is the official State Song of Georgia. He is also an original inductee in The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.'
In addition to developing lottery games and promotions around themes associated with Mr. Charles, MDI will represent him to the lottery industry for commercial advertising. ``Hummer, Spam and Let's Get Ready to Rumble! also offer excellent opportunities for our lottery programs,' said Saferin. ``Michael Buffer's 'Let's Get Ready to Rumble!' is one of the best known phrases in the sporting world today. From the 1990 All Star Game to the 1998 NBA Finals to almost every major professional boxing match, Mr. Buffer's resounding fanfare has excited millions of sports fans and has become a true cultural icon. We are confident that we will be able to develop lottery promotions around that icon with Michael's active participation.'
``Lotteries have used humorous and whimsical themes in their instant ticket programs for years,' said Saferin about the Spam property. ``Using the Spam brand as a lottery promotion can create a fun and entertaining game-playing experience for lottery players anywhere. Also, Hormel has an active licensing program for Spam that creates an excellent opportunity for lotteries to offer added value to their players in the form of fun and creative merchandise prizes.'
Saferin added, ``The Hormel Company, which owns Spam, has major facilities in mid-western lottery states that would be logical candidates to consider introducing Spam games.'
Saferin also said in making today's announcement, ``Hummer is a vehicle well-known for its celebrity clientele. The exotic vehicle is something that most consumers cannot afford to buy, and that makes it a very attractive and appealing lottery prize.'
MDI specializes in creating, marketing and implementing entertainment-based promotions for the North American lottery industry. MDI revolutionized the lottery industry with its introduction of second-chance merchandise prizes. Other licensed lottery properties available from MDI include: Wheel of Fortune©, Jeopardy!©, Harley-Davidson©, Betty Boop(TM), Louisville Slugger©, Dick Clark's American Bandstand©, TNN©, CMT©, 007/James Bond©, The Pink Panther(TM), The Outer Limits(TM), The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame(TM), Heroes of Space(TM), Times Square 2000(TM) and Twilight Zone(TM). MDI also offers a family of patented, proprietary games including Jacks or Better©, Hold 'Em PokeR©, Bonanza Bingo© and Pick 2 Spin(TM).
The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 provides a ``safe harbor for forward-looking statements. Certain information included in this press release (as well as information included in oral statements or other written statements made or to be made by MDI) contains statements that are forward-looking, such as statements relating to the future anticipated direction of the lottery industry, plans for future expansion, various business development activities, planned capital expenditures, future funding sources, anticipated sales and potential contracts. Such forward-looking information involves important risks and uncertainties that could significantly affect anticipated results in the future and, accordingly, such results may differ from those expressed in any forward-looking statements made by or on behalf of MDI. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, those relating to development and expansion activities, dependence on existing management, financing activities, domestic and global economic conditions, changes in federal or state tax laws and market competition
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Contact:
Investor Awareness, Inc.
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