London, 2 February 2012: Thinkbox announced today that RTL Group, the leading European entertainment network, and Virgin Media, one of the UK's leading entertainment and communications companies, have joined the organisation as Associate Members.

RTL Group and Virgin Media are Thinkbox’s first Associate Members, which entails consultation and involvement across Thinkbox activities and with Thinkbox’s working groups. Full shareholder status is currently reserved for TV broadcasters and their sales representatives.

Tess Alps, Thinkbox’s Chief Executive: “We’re delighted that both RTL and Virgin Media have decided to support Thinkbox’s mission by becoming our first Associate Members. We’re also grateful for the acknowledgement of the work we are doing and their desire to help us do more to explain the commercial opportunities in TV’s rapidly developing future, be that TV on-demand, addressable advertising or product placement. We look forward to working with them and our shareholders to continue helping advertisers enjoy the unparalleled success that TV advertising, in all its forms, brings.”

Oliver Herrgesell, RTL Group’s Executive Vice President Corporate Communications, Public Affairs & Marketing: “RTL Group has always believed in the fundamental strength of commercial, advertising-funded TV. Not out of complacency, but because the facts speak for themselves – and facts delivered by Thinkbox are convincing, its research innovative and thought-provoking. We look forward to a close co-operation to enforce the power of TV.”

Mark Brandon, Commercial Director, VMDS for Virgin Media: “Virgin Media is pleased to become an Associate Member of Thinkbox. The TV advertising value chain is evolving fast, with next generation TV platforms such as Virgin Media playing an increasingly prominent role in this evolution. We look forward to bringing our content knowledge, on demand expertise and business perspective to Thinkbox.”

Thinkbox’s shareholders are Channel 4, ITV, Sky Media, Turner Media Innovations and UKTV. Thinkbox represents over 90% of the commercial TV market in the UK through its shareholders’ owned and partner channels.

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Press contact: Simon Tunstill | Head of PR, Thinkbox | simon.tunstill@thinkbox.tv | 020 7630 2326

About Thinkbox

Thinkbox is the marketing body for commercial TV in the UK, in all its forms. Its shareholders are Channel 4, ITV, Sky Media, Turner Media Innovations and UKTV. Thinkbox works with the marketing community with a single ambition: to help advertisers get the best out of today’s TV.

TV today has more to offer advertisers than ever before, not least because this growing medium remains at the heart of popular culture and advertising effectiveness. From understanding how audiences engage with TV advertising, explaining innovative and affordable solutions, to providing the rigorous proof of effectiveness that advertisers need, Thinkbox is here to help customers meet their marketing objectives.

About RTL Group

RTL Group is the leading European entertainment network, with interests in 47 television channels and 29 radio stations in 10 countries and content production throughout the world. The television portfolio of Europe’s largest broadcaster includes RTL Television in Germany, M6 in France, the RTL channels in the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, Croatia and Hungary, and Antena 3 in Spain – the company also has interests in National Media Group in Russia. RTL Group’s flagship radio station is RTL in France, and it also owns or has interests in other stations in France, Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands, Spain and Luxembourg. RTL Group’s content production arm, FremantleMedia, is one of the largest international producers outside the US. Each year, it produces 9,500 hours of programming across 54 countries.

About Virgin Media

Virgin Media is the first provider of all four broadband, TV, mobile phone and home phone services in the UK.

The company’s cable network – the result of a multi-billion pound private investment – delivers ultrafast broadband connections to over half of all UK homes, with speeds of up to 120Mb, and is being expanded to reach thousands more people across the country.

Virgin Media has developed the most advanced interactive television service, bringing together broadcast TV, thousands of hours of on demand programming and the best of the web in a single set-top box powered by TiVo. The company was the first to offer HD TV and 3D on demand to millions of UK households.

Virgin Media also operates the most popular virtual mobile network in the UK which, when launched, was the world’s first such mobile phone service. It is also one of the largest fixed-line home phone providers in the country.

Virgin Media Inc. is listed on the NASDAQ Stock Market and the London Stock Exchange (VMED).

For more information, go to www.virginmedia.com.