RNS Number:0932T
First Artist Corporation PLC
18 March 2002

Embargoed Release: 0700 hours, 18th March 2002

First Artist Corporation Plc ('First Artist' or 'the Company') announces Asian
Joint Venture with World Sport Group plc

The Board of First Artist Corporation Plc, the leading football management and
representation company, is pleased to announce the establishment of a joint
venture with World Sport Group plc ('World Sport Group').

The joint venture company, which will be called First Artist International, has
been established to identify and promote sporting talent across the Asia Pacific
and Australasian regions.

First Artist is the world's largest football player management agency whose
portfolio of leading European based players includes Kanu (Arsenal), Patrik
Andersson (Barcelona), Paul Gascoigne (Everton), Kevin Phillips (Sunderland),
Tore Andre Flo (Glasgow Rangers) and Francesco Antonioli (AS Roma).

World Sport Group is a major sports media, marketing and management company
which owns an extensive portfolio of blue chip sports properties predominantly
across Asia.  Its media and marketing rights include the Asian Professional
Golfers' Association, Asian Football Confederation ("AFC") events, Oceania
Football Confederation events as well as an interest in the Cricket World Cup.

The joint venture will allow both organisations to pool their expertise at a
time when the world's attention is focused on Asia in the lead up to the
forthcoming World Cup in Japan and South Korea, 2002 and the Asian Cup in China
in 2004.  First Artist International will be operated by a number of staff from
First Artist who will be based at World Sport Group's existing offices in Hong
Kong.

Phil Smith, Director of First Artist, commented:

"This is an exciting opportunity to establish a commanding presence in an
increasingly important football market.  Over 1 billion people watch the English
premiership every weekend across the globe. The forthcoming World Cup in South
Korea and Japan means that there is the   potential to generate interest amongst
a further few hundred million people in the region.  This is of great importance
to First Artist as there is a positive correlation between an expanding fan base
and the strength of the transfer market.

This joint venture means that we now have an office in every important football
market place in the world."

David Ciclitira, Executive Chairman of World Sport Group, commented:

"World Sport Group enjoys a dominant position in the Asian sports market.  Our
joint venture with First Artist is a further endorsement of our strategy and
reinforces our belief that World Sport Group is the partner for businesses
looking to build their operations and brands through sport in Asia."

For further details please contact:

Jon Smith/Phil Smith                              Tel: 020 8900 1818
First Artist Corporation Plc
www.1startist.com

Adam Reynolds/Takki Sulaiman                      Tel: 020 7735 9415
Hansard Communications                            Mob: 07778 419218
www.hansardcommunications.com                     mail@hansardcommunications.com

Emma Kane
Redleaf Communications                            Tel:  020 7955 1410
ek@redleafpr.com                                  Mob:  07876 338339

Notes to Editors:-

About First Artist Corporation plc:

 1. First Artist (FAN.L) listed on AIM in December 2001 having come to OFEX in
    March 2001.
 2. In December 2001 the company acquired FIMO Sport Promotion AG, the leading
    pan-European football player management agency.
 3. First Artist is now one of the largest football player agencies with 400
    players under management.
 4. On March 15th 2002 the company announced the creation of a Joint Venture
    company with Superfute FA ("Superfute") of Portugal and Media Global
    Audiovisual SL ("Media Global") of Spain. The Joint Venture company will be
    known as International Profoot Services Group ("IPS").  IPS will be able to
    leverage considerable cross border market intelligence between four of the
    largest football transfer markets in Europe - the UK, Italy, Spain and
    Portugal.

About World Sport Group plc:

 1. World Sport Group plc (WSG) listed on AIM on 15 August 2001, following the
    reverse takeover of Orchard Furniture plc by the combined businesses of
    World Sport Group Limited and Parallel Media Group International Limited.

 2. The company offers a comprehensive one-stop shop for advertisers and
    sponsors: television programming, airtime sales, outdoor marketing
    opportunities, Internet services, exposure in print publications and bespoke
    event management plus sponsorship in football, cricket, rugby and golf.

 3. WSG's ownership of media and marketing rights includes the Asian Professional
    Golfers' Association (Asian PGA) for 90 years and rights to the Asian
    Football Confederation (AFC) events until 2009 (with matching rights to
    2013). In partnership with News Corporation, it also has the rights to ICC
    International Cricket, including the World Cups in 2003 (South Africa) and
    2007 (West Indies).



ENDS




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