RNS Number:5860P
Newsplayer Group PLC
10 September 2003


EMBARGOED UNTIL 7.00AM
                                                               10 September 2003



                              NEWSPLAYER GROUP PLC

                   ACQUISITION OF GLOBAL MEDIA SERVICES, INC.

Newsplayer Group plc ("NPG", the "Group" or the "Company"), the media company,
announces it has acquired Media Services Acquisition Corporation, trading as
Global Media Services, Inc. ("GMS") in an all-paper deal (the "Acquisition").

GMS, based in New York, generates its revenues by providing customers with a
comprehensive portfolio of professional services to enable the exploitation of
audiovisual content on the Internet.

The Acquisition will provide the Group with service-based revenues from
activities such as encoding, hosting, content delivery, encryption,
distribution, ad insertion, pay-per-view, syndication, digital rights
management, content management, messaging, transaction processing and clearing.

GMS was formed in July 2001 and commenced trading on 1 January 2003. Based upon
unaudited management accounts, as at 31 July 2003, GMS had net liabilities of
$325,676 and for the seven month period ended 31 July 2003, GMS made net losses
before taxation of $326,676.

The initial consideration ("Initial Consideration") for GMS has been satisfied
in full by the issue of 24,067,489 new Ordinary Shares in NPG, which represent
20 per cent. of the enlarged issued share capital of the Company (the "Initial
Consideration Shares"). As a consequence, the vendors of GMS, Adam Cohen and
Jennifer Sultan, now hold interests of 10.2 per cent. and 9.8 per cent.,
respectively, in the issued share capital of the Company. Dependent upon the
future performance of GMS over a period of two years from the date of completion
of the Acquisition, further new Ordinary Shares in NPG may be issued on a pro
rata basis to Adam Cohen and Jennifer Sultan (the "Deferred Consideration") such
that the total of the Initial Consideration and the Deferred Consideration does
not exceed 29.9 per cent. of the then enlarged issued share capital of the
Company.  Based upon the closing mid-price of NPG shares of 9.0p on 9 September
2003, being the latest practicable date prior to the date of this announcement,
the Initial Consideration is valued at #2.17m. If GMS makes profits such that
the Deferred Consideration is maximised, the Deferred Consideration would be
valued at #1.07m, (on the basis of the issue of 11,913,407 new Ordinary Shares
at 9.0p), This would give an aggregate consideration value for the Acquisition
of #3.24m.

Adam Cohen (aged 33) has joined the Board of NPG as Chief Media Officer.
Jennifer Sultan will continue to be employed by GMS. Both Adam Cohen and
Jennifer Sultan have agreed not to sell any new Ordinary Shares in the Company
issued in consideration for the Acquisition for the period of twelve months from
the date of issue of such shares. As part of their employment contracts, Adam
Cohen and Jennifer Sultan have been granted 300,000 options each over new
Ordinary Shares in the capital of NPG. These options will only be exercisable in
the event that Adam Cohen and Jennifer Sultan will not hold, in aggregate, more
than 29.9 per cent. of the resulting enlarged issued share capital of the
Company.

Adam Cohen was a director of Live on Line, Inc. and Cross Media LLC during the
last five years. In relation to Adam Cohen's appointment to the board of NPG, no
further information falls to be disclosed under the AIM Rules.

As part of the Acquisition agreement, it has also been agreed that in the event
that NPG, or any affiliate of NPG then owning a majority of the shares in GMS,
becomes insolvent, Adam Cohen and Jennifer Sultan have the option to purchase
all of the outstanding and issued shares of GMS held by NPG for a total of
$1.00, provided they return any ordinary shares in NPG they hold to NPG.

Paul Duffen, Chief Executive Officer, NPG commented:

"The combination of these two businesses brings together the unrivalled
catalogue of Intellectual Property rights and licences owned by NPG and the
technology to exploit them globally through the expertise of GMS. We have
strengthened our position as the "partner of choice" to enable media companies
to manage, protect and monetise their assets in a digital environment. The
acquisition of GMS will also support our existing US business, NPG Inc, by
helping to accelerate the development of Footage.Net, the leading stock footage
portal.

Following our recent fundraising, the Group is now well capitalised and with the
addition of GMS I expect NPG to be generating profits by the end of 2003 and
profitable overall for the year ending 31 October 2004"

Worldwide revenue for streaming media services are forecast to top US$5 billion
by 2005, according to US-based media research house Cahners In-Stat. The
research firm also said outsourcing streaming media requirements to specialist
service providers will accelerate companies' growth.

 Adam Cohen, Chief Executive of GMS, added: "Companies are looking for new ways
to generate revenue from their online operations. GMS will help companies profit
from their Streaming and Rich Media applications by integrating the world's
largest and most advanced IP networks, state-of-the-art Broadcast Production
Centre Infrastructures and industry-leading online media expertise in Digital
Rights Management, Encryption, and Security. Capitalising on years of experience
and a proven track record, we can offer customers all aspects of a comprehensive
Media Services solution that enables incremental revenue streams for our
customers."

The GMS management team conceived Live On Line in 1995 which was acquired in
2000 by Digital Island, Inc and subsequently by Cable and Wireless PLC. Live On
Line was an early pioneer in the production, acquisition, and delivery of
streaming and rich media on the Internet. It produced some of the Internet's
largest streaming events for customers such as Apple Computer, Microsoft, Sony
Music, Arista Records, American Express, Comedy Central, Fox, and MTV.

Application will be made for the new Ordinary Shares issued as the Initial
Consideration, as well as the 7,546,154 new Ordinary Shares issued in the
placing announced by the Company on 4 September 2003, to be admitted to trading
on AIM and dealings in all such new Ordinary Shares are expected to commence on
17 September 2003.



Ends

For further information, please contact:

Paul Duffen                         Newsplayer              +44 20 7927 6699
Adam Cohen                          GMS                     212 647 0793 x-12
Philip Ranger/Nicola Davidson       Merlin Financial        +44 20 7606 1244



Notes to Editors:

About Global Media Services

New York-based Global Media Services, Inc. provides managed media services that
enable companies to increase the revenue of their Internet operations through
hybrid business models such as Pay Per View, Download, and Subscription. Global
Media Services has integrated its managed Media Services platform with the
world's largest and most advanced IP networks to offer cost-effective,
high-quality services worldwide. GMS eliminates the need for companies to invest
and maintain separate content and digital rights management, e-commerce and
streaming media delivery systems. Visit www.globalmediaservices.net for more
information.


About Newsplayer

Newsplayer Group plc is a media company that exploits rights and/or licences to
television and cinema content and markets them globally to business, educational
and consumer audiences using interactive technology. Revenues are generated from
the licensing of content to third parties, from subscription and pay-per-view
fees paid by consumers, and from shared advertising revenues.

NPG has a range of on-line channels including:

  * Newsplayer.com - newsreel video footage from 1896 to 2000 from the
    archives of ITN and Reuters
  * Video.tv- a music video channel featuring over 3500 chart-topping hits
  * Pureworldcup.com- Highlights from 40 years of the world cup football
    tournament
  * Frost.tv - hundreds of landmark interviews conducted by Sir David Frost, a
    director of NPG, over 40 years
  * Screenplayer.com - Showbiz footage and biographies of the Hollywood Stars
    of the 20th Century
  * Ucreate.tv - online video editing application



                      This information is provided by RNS
            The company news service from the London Stock Exchange
END

ACQUKUWROSRKRAR