October 25th, 2005
Metrostar brings LIVINGtv’s ‘Most Haunted’ to Brand Licensing

Metrostar, the new brand licensing company, formed by ex-BBC Worldwide marketer Claire Potter and Steve Deakin-Davies, is bringing LIVINGtv’s phenomenally successful paranormal show, Most Haunted, to Brand Licensing for the first time.

Metrostar signed up leading multi-channel broadcaster, Flextech Television as its first client in 2004. The 5-year exclusive deal encompasses Flextech’s channel brands LIVINGtv, Challenge, Bravo, Trouble and Ftn and its original commissions such as Most Haunted.

Most Haunted follows Yvette Fielding and her team of paranormal investigators on the trail of reported sightings and ghostly events at some of the UK’s scariest locations. Accompanied by a film crew and an experienced medium, they spend all night in each one filming every movement on night vision cameras and recording every sound in an attempt to contact spirits and fully explore the paranormal.

Most Haunted has many celebrity fans including Robbie Williams and Vic Reeves, and has been parodied by ‘French & Saunders’, ‘Bo’ Selecta’, ‘Dead Ringers’ and ‘Ant & Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway’.

Potter said,

“Most Haunted is fantastically compelling television and a completely unique brand. It has accumulated a huge fan base and achieved ‘cult viewing’ status on LIVINGtv. We are already in conversations with a number of different companies about licensing ideas.”

‘Most Haunted, The Official Behind-the-Scenes Guide’ was published in August 2005 by Penguin. A calendar has been published by Danilo and four series of Most Haunted DVDs have been released to date through 2entertain.

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Contact Claire Potter, Metrostar, 07989 940181
Contact Jessica Alder, LIVINGtv, 020 7299 5363

Stand No 214

Notes to Editors:

Metrostar
Metrostar specialises in helping TV companies to generate new revenue streams by licensing their programme brands into consumer products formats. Metrostar also creates and manages web shops which sell TV programme merchandise.

In addition to Flextech, their clients include Hat Trick Productions, Kudos Film and Television and 12 Yard Productions.

Claire Potter began her career at Unilever and has held senior marketing positions with Ladbrokes, BBC Worldwide and the Guardian Media Group.

Steve Deakin-Davies has created and produced intellectual property for 14 years for clients including EMI, Carlton, and Polygram. He has also completed consultancy projects in global distribution and corporate finance for a number of large UK companies.

Flextech Television
Flextech is the content division of Telewest, the broadband communications and media group. Its core business is the supply of entertainment, information and interactive content and services to the UK multi-channel television and online markets. Flextech is the BBC's partner in UKTV. Together they are the largest supplier of basic channels to the UK pay-TV market with a portfolio that combines wholly owned and managed channels, including the fourteen joint venture channels with the BBC.

Flextech's branded content, coupled with Telewest's broadband network, allows the combined group to capture the expanding market for broadband products, including voice, video and interactive services, across multiple platforms

Most Haunted
Most Haunted is produced by Antix Productions. Its seventh series begins on November 1st on LIVINGtv. It has been nominated for several Broadcast awards.

In addition to the recorded series, Most Haunted Live broadcasts events as they happen. The next Most Haunted Live! begins on October 28th at 9pm and ends on October 31st (Hallowe’en). Live transmissions attract over 3 million viewers to LIVINGtv.

Most Haunted has a full range of show merchandise available from the LIVINGtv web shop at www.livingtv.co.uk/shop/