Company Profile

YooMedia plc is one of the fastest growing interactive entertainment companies in the UK.
Since 1997 we have been developing and launching leading B2C consumer brands in the gaming and community sectors. We also work in a B2B capacity with leading brand owners, agencies, content developers and broadcasters to design and develop their interactive content strategies.

Led by Executive Chairman Dr. Michael Sinclair and Group Managing Director Neil MacDonald, YooMedia has assembled a highly experienced management team that possesses a unique blend of skills and experience in the areas of Digital TV, Internet and mobile phone services and technology.

With main office locations in London, Exeter and Maidstone, YooMedia manages core assets including:

Over 30 office locations throughout the UK alone

State-of-the-art studio, production and post-production facilities at our Wapping location.

UK broadcast return path & bandwidth owner

Fully fledged UK Bookmaker License

Database with over 350K UK singles

SMS Engine access with international reach

Fully staffed 50 seat Customer Contact Centre in Maidstone, Kent

YooMedia Dating & Chat - Our dating subsidiary company manages the oldest and largest UK-owned dating brands including Dateline, Club Sirius and Avenues. YooMedia Dating has over 20 office locations throughout the UK and also manages YooChat, our world-leading interactive chat service found on UK digital cable on the Telewest platform (platform extensions planned for 2005).

YooMedia Gambling & Games - Combining the brands of Avago and Channel 425 (in partnership with William Hill) YooMedia is on the leading-edge of interactive fixed odds, casino and poker gambling services for digital TV, the web and 3G mobile phones. Our gaming business also manages YooPlay, the only interactive just for fun games channel found on all four Digital TV platforms in the United Kingdom.

YooMedia Enhanced Solutions (YES) - YES works with brand owners, agencies, content owners and broadcasters to clarify the options, define the strategies and deliver the interactive content that enhances consumer and audience experiences. YES customers include the BBC, Nestle, Celador, William Hill, Channel 4, ZipTV, The Cartoon Network and HR Owen.

EVO going ahead on their own today!
2p ahead of others on bid and 2 1/2p on the offer

What do they know that we don't?.....

or are they just trying to reduce their embarrassment?

Taken from a moneyam rival.


First I am going to get the negative out of the way.

Some of the long term posters on this board may have remembered my dismay at the announcement that EVO were to become company brokers, as my first thoughts, having seen them shaft the investors of The Wigmore Group a couple months prior, lost my complete faith in them.

Well, now the reason for their appointment has come to light, they have access to money, and if Yoomedia were to pull off this deal, which was known internally back in July 2004 when negotiations commenced, they would need someone on their side to pull it off. EVO was their answer. As the reverse takeover documents outlines, should EVO not be able to place all of the shares, they will indeed, step in and buy the remainder, or all if none are placed ( we know Scottish Widows are on board now by the RNS slip, so it won't be all ). That one point should give any one thinking about investing to get in now, because EVO know they are onto a good thing, the only way is going to be up.

So yes, at 15p, without any ordinary share holders like us being given any rights to purchase at this price, we have been a little shafted by this placing price, it should have been around 23p in my opinion.

All that said, personally, I can live being shafted by them, because, maybe without them giving the certianty of the cash to make this " reverse takeover " happen, we may not even be in this position now.

Just look at it this senario:-

Yoomedia - small AIM listed company - turned in losses again this year - still some vunerability there as they are still growing - may still run out of cash as they are pre merger - suddenly Mr Sinclair decides he see's an opportunity to aquire another loss making company - but bigger than them - but knows a reverse takeover would get them to nearer to where they want to be, quicker - needs 28 million ???????? - how else could he have done it, other than offer a placing at below market value ( or costly interest bearing loan notes etc ) - he has now been clever in getting EVO on board - they have the cash ready and waiting - and the deal happens in lightening quick time. Also, we have mopped up a possible competitor, which could have slowed our progress in the future.

I personally believe that in 3 - 5 years time, none of us will be even crying over this short term price drop.

We have all put our complete faith in Mr Sinclair over the last 18 months, I for one am not going to start doubting his reasons now, if it was not for Yoomedia, I would not have done the amount of indepth research that I have on DTV and its associated products over the last 18 months, to arrive at the point in my investing hobby, where I think I have at long last got in on the ground floor of something that is going to grow beyond belief over the next 10 years. The Digital revolution, truly is the biggest thing that has happened to that little box in the corner of most peoples rooms ( some not so little now ) since John Logie Baird invented it.

A few years ago it was just a box that transmitted 4 programmes, now, it is starting to challenge the internet, and in as short a time as 5 years, will, be bigger than the internet and run comfortably along side it, it is more user freindly, and more people have access to them, so we have a head start on the PC from when it started to become popular, and look where the PC is now where people had to phisically go out and buy an expensive item, most new TV's now come digital ready, and if you have to upgrade, it is as little as 35 now, and that will drop.

Cast your mind back 18 months ago when Yoomedia were hovering around 1p, when nobody was interested in this " battered" penny share, now look where we are today, on the verge of acquiring a company bigger than us, with a price tag of 28 million, that takes some doing, and I am sure it won't stop here, we also have shareholders such as Sony on board, and institutions that would never normally touch such a share on the AIM market.

Before anyone votes no against the judgement of Mr Sinclair, who has far more to lose than any of us, think very carefully where you want Yoomedia to be in 5 years time, because without what they are about to acheive with the reverse takeover, it could add another 3-5 years on the timescale for payback time. This deal can only add strength to the current board of Directors too.

It is still not a silly thing to equate Yoomedia to Microsoft, just think, at present, we are exclusive to the UK, I am sure that will not be the case in the coming years as the DTV becomes part of everyday life across the globe.

To say that I am excited by this current chain of events is an understatement, I for one, could not have imagined 12 months ago, that we would have advanced quite so quickly.

This share is heading towards FTSE 250, without doubt - and could even acheive FTSE 100 with the growth that is ahead of it, you never know, the next reverse takeover could be SKY a few years down the road.

Regards

Paul

yes.. I've been out drinking too...

Well, even if the above is only partly true - it will be quite a ride. Yes I am down at the mo, SP wise - but the news flow from this mad company is bound to be fairly constant. I think a takeover is likely in 12-18 months - but not cheaply!

I am stuck on-board at the moment and can't see anywhere else to put my money at the moment so I will wait a few months and see what happens. There is little doubt the deal will go through on 21st.

From a Moneyam rival.


Just bear a few other things in mind

B SKY B now have a market cap of approx 11 billion on a turnover of 950 million, look how long it has taken them to get there.

They have spent all the money on the infastructure, getting people to go out and buy the SKY dishes, the set top boxes - the hard work has been done for Yoomedia.

A Turnover equal or more than B SKY B is now, not going to be impossible, because of that infastucture put in place by others, at other peoples expense.

Just think 18 months ago, Yoomedia were turning over 400 K, next year with the merger, we are going to be over 100 million that is growth of 2500% in turnover !!!!!!!!!!!

I don't think turnover growth is going to be a problem, and with that will come a substantial growth in market cap, there is no reason, with operations across all digital platforms in the UK, Sky, NTL, Telewest, and Freeview, which will be in everones home in the UK by 2010, why Yoomedia should not overtake B SKY B in the not too distant future.

This is the true reality of Yoomedia, unlike Sky who had to go out ( and still are ) selling set top boxes and dishes, Unlike NTL and Telewest who had to go out and get people to subscribe to cable, Unlike Freeview who have had to market and push set top boxes, like it or not, all those homes have Yoomedia in there.

I will take another similar example, Ebay, look at that company now, started off in someones bedroom 8 years now, and is now worth billions, because off of the back of Mr Bill Gates hard work, it took advantage of being in peoples homes, like it or not, they all had access to it.
That is exactly where we are with Yoomedia, they will take advantage of all the infastructure, paid and marketed for by others, what a fantastic business model, and isn't it amazing that some of us got in at 1p ( unfortunately not me ) as little as 18 months ago, people are already using Yoomedia and they probably don't even know it, Who want's to be a millionaire, for example - if we were not shareholders, and took part in that game, we would not have a clue we had just used a service of Yoomedia, and that is how it is going to esculate.

In the words of another good saying " Yooooooooooooooo, ain't seen nothing yet "

Am I excited at being a Yoomedia shareholder now, yes I am

Regards

Paul

Paul

OK you've come clean - so you are now Paul rather than mac! I respect the fact that you are deeply into the subject area and therefore into the opportunities for YOO. So the medium term is looking good and the horizon is, well, 'ever on and ever up' as C.S.Lewis would say (he was describing heaven, by the way!). I am one of those detestable things, the short term investor, i.e. apart from ASOS; oh yes, and Alizyme! Surely the price can't really move anywhere until well into the New Year. The EGM on 21st december is a foregone conclusion and then the market will be flooded with the new shareholders who have bought at 15p. These are, in the main, those out to make a quick buck (horribly like me, really, except they have had the privilege of buying YOO shares at 15p - envy! envy!). So quite a few will be taking profits over Jan. and Feb. YOO will really have their work cut out restructuring which goes far beyond the gaming division. By end March they will have issued their trading results which don't have too much time to be different to what the market is expecting. However, this is probably the first time that they can really talk up their prospects: the short-term holders have taken their profits; the new operation is bedded down; they might even have turned their sights on the next bid target; other divisions could be making spectacular progress, e.g. the MMTV acquisition with DTV health information. Lets say that is the case. Why shouldn't my money be working merrily for me elsewhere between now and March then I can come back and buy a few CFDs in YOO and share the next phase of the action. Can't stand the idea of my money festering for four whole months! Can't fault the argument myself!

Incidentally, that idea if Evolution being embarrassed! lol!! Evolution do not have a conscience so they just can't suffer from embarrassment! So they mark the price up, presumably as an MM. They shoot themselves in the foot occasionally, and others hate them not without reason, but they are the ultimate in shrewd operators. 15p a share for YOO? who else could have conned YOO management on that? What next after that? Oh, yes, a nice profit for their loyal captive market. How do you do that? You 'control' the price. Come on, folk, get real! as my daughters would say!

Eric

EWROBSON

I've recieved e.mail from a trusted source, stating EVO have a new research ready to publish. However, it won't be made available until the New Year, due to takeover panel rules. Even if the merger is blocked at the EGM, a new research note will be issued.

EVO need to restore their credibilty so they are hardly going to drop the institutions in it again, are they? Therefore, I beleive all the institutions owning the new shares on the 21st Dec, have been given an assurance, an extremely positive buy note, will be issued.

It in my e.mail box. Take it or leave it.

EWROBSON WROTE:

"Why shouldn't my money be working merrily for me elsewhere between now and March then I can come back and buy a few CFDs in YOO and share the next phase of the action. Can't stand the idea of my money festering for four whole months! Can't fault the argument myself!"


This is the trouble with trading. In my experience, the stock market oftens behaves in the way you least expect. If I had sold at 18p yesterday, I would now be feeling slightly edgy. What if more directors have purchased shares? How do explain the numerous T trades today? Why were there 3 noticable, MM to MM trades, suggesting EVO wanted stock badly? Why did EVO want stock today?

If you intend selling, because you beleive the SP is overvalued NOW, then by all means, sell up and move on. It's your money after all. However, if you consider Yoomedia will ONE DAY achieve a market cap of 200m+, then attempting to second guess the short term SP movement, is just as likely to work against you, than for you.

What happens if what you buy go's down and the share you have sold rises? This has happened to me before and it's a double blow. Then there's the stamp duty! But if you feel the SP is permanentely overvalued then get out. Up to you!

I agree with you iPublic. I set out to buy short term high risk shares like Yoo, make a profit and move on. However, after a while I realised that I was missing opportunities far greater with some companies by selling. I still look for short term gains but some companies like PDX, YOO, SEO, NOP, KMR etc are staying in my portfolio cos' these have huge potential to become a huge success and at least ten baggers, from the time I have bought them. I don't want to miss out and if it means sitting on them and making nothing for a while so be it. How many of you had sold PDX and missed out on the recent news? How many will sell out of YOO and miss out too?? It won't be me, I've seen this as an opportunity and bought more YOO as I did with all the others above. At the moment only YOO is down the others are mega profitable.YOO will have it's day and it is not far away.

iPublic, dynamite

Thanks for that. Will help the second thoughts process! Other inputs?

Eric

Digital Interactive TV Group (DITG) has ordered its second Pharos Playtime presentation playout system. Based at Wapping in London's Docklands, DITG produces its own programme content and provides technical resources plus a wide range of transmission services for third-party broadcasters. DITG acquired its first Pharos Playtime plus a Pharos Mediator media library management system when it took over The Money Channel's premises and facilities in 2001. DITG soon ordered expansions to the Playtime installation, taking it from a dual-channel to a four-channel system.

The new investment expands DITG's transmission playout capacity to six channels of Playtime, all accessing the original Mediator archive database. Four Pharos workstations have been installed, with playlists, off-line scheduling, databases, hardware panels and Pharos Control Platform (PCP) interfaces.

Traditional broadcast control systems rely on a playlist of video events as their main timing reference. Pharos Playtime uses a package with independent tracks for each event sequence. Each track is displayed on the Playtime control screen as a separate timeline, typically representing main video, backup video, discrete voice-over languages, GPIs, mix/effects, logo and subtitles.
Playtime enables individual schedulers to create dynamic and exciting presentation effects that could otherwise only be achieved using extensive post-production facilities.

DITG (www.ditg.tv) is managed by Neil MacDonald, an interactive industry veteran with over 10 years' experience of developing and launching interactive services via satellite, the internet and mobile telephone. DITG's own channels include Avago (the world's first live interactive TV gaming channel), launched in July 2002. DITG's gaming company The Television Gaming Group (TGG) operates Avago as well as iSports TV and provides interactive TV gaming and betting services for many other operators. It recently signed an agreement to broadcast a branded interactive television channel for William Hill plc on the Sky digital platform from late 2004.

Zone4Play has announced that, with the help of Avago, it has launch of its play-for-real fixed-odds casino platform on Hutchinson 3G. Hutchinson 3G is the UKs first video mobile network and the new casino games, Avago branded, are among the first mobile fixed-odds services in the UK. They will also be available in a play for fun format. Zone4Play says it has been working with, DITG Gaming, Avagos parent company, to perfect and expand the casino application.

Idan Miller VP Marketing and Sales at Zone4Play, commented, 'We are excited to see our fixed-odds games leap to life on Hutchison 3G Mobile service, the first UK mobile operator to offer fixed-odds games, through our partnership with DITG. This new deployment strengthens our position in the market as the number one technology provider for iTV and Mobile betting services.'


Damian Cope, Managing Director, DITG Gaming, said: 'We are delighted to be launching this service on 3 in conjunction with Zone4Play, and are convinced that mobile gambling revenues will grow strongly over the next few years. We are confident that both existing and future Avago customers will enjoy the ability to play games via their mobile handsets

EW ROBSON

Today's rise, confirms my post yesterday evening. Can you really afford to be out of this gem? Look at the two articles above.

Yoo are reiterated as a strong buy in the shares mag today, saying Yoo are could be the next 'Microsoft' of interactive television'

The 'bigger picture' is the board and EVO really need the price over 25p, to get the merger through the EGM and that is where we are going.

I.M.H.O.

Doctors booked on the telly: Yorkshire GPs go it alone

People in South Yorkshire can now book doctors' appointments through their digital TV sets. The scheme, launched by a supplier of IT systems for GPs, steals a march on the pounds 6bn National Programme for IT, which is embroiled in controversy over its own e-booking system.

The South Yorkshire system works through the interactive TV service e@sy Connects, which is available to subscribers of Sky, Telewest or NTL digital TV. EMIS, the company behind the trial, says that more than 10,000 households in the area have suitable sets. It is piloting the system at two surgeries in Barnsley.

EMIS supplies systems to more than half the GPs in England, but has been unable to agree terms to work with the new national programme.

David Stables, the company's clinical director, described TV booking as "a very important breakthrough for hard-pressed surgery staff - because it frees up their time and saves practices money." Missed appoint-ments costs the NHS an estimated pounds 162m per year.

Limited trials of the national e-booking service, which allows GPs to book patients with consultants, have begun in London. However, the British Medical Association last month advised doctors against using the system because of fears about confidentiality of data.

Copyright 2004 The Guardian.

having got over my initial rantings and thrown my toys out of my pram , I have come back to the facts that the reasons I saw YOO as such a huge potential ( i thought the next biggy since SPS)are still intact and greater. So whilst wiping the pie ( of the humble variety)from my face I have bought YOO again.Maybe with hindsight there requirement to raise the money to be able to accelerate the business growth forced their actions.

Eric, you wanna be careful. They'll get sick of you at Shares magazine!!
Good letter.

Thanks, Beasties. My letter and reply as follows

"You recently included YOO as a Play of the Week. The argument was strong for a company with a leadership position in the emerging interactive digital TV marketplace. Since then the shares have been off the market for two and a half weeks, justified on the basis that a reverse takeover was being negotiated. The shares were 23.5p when suspended and closed on Friday at 19.5p. Subject to approval at an EGM on 21st December, the total of issued shares is to be increased from 163 million approximately to 450 million approximately of which 167 million have been provisionally placed, I understand, by evolution at 15p.

The Directors and institutional shareholders will, no doubt, have participated in the placing and will have had the opportunity therefore to maintain their % holding in the company. But not the ordinary shareholder! He or she finds his shareholding diluted by something like 64%. The value of the holding is diminished overnight. The EGM is a foregone conclusion with 42% of the votes already in the bag. It should be illegal and is certainly immoral! Why not a proper rights issue? Against the likely argument that speed was of the essence, the issue could still have been underwritten and the funds available as required. Please publicise the specific situation and raise the moral questions and the need for legal action."

Eric Robson via e-mail

Timon Day replies: "The slump in Yoomedia (YOO) has indeed disappointed as the shares shot up a third after being tipped at 20.5p on 7 October before crumbling to 17p.
But don't be too hard on the company. The deal is a cracker, establishing it as the dominant force in interactive digital TV with strong gambling and dating content.
You are not the only shareholder diluted. Executive chairman Michael Sinclair and fellow directors were also diluted.
Nothing illegal has occurred. Immoral maybe, as you didn't get a chance to buy at 15p.
I suggest averaging down at 17p because if I'm right the shares will recover sharply before too long as profits will start rocketing rapidly in 2006 onwards.
The company said a rights issue would have been much more expensive and taken much longer. Take consolation from the fact that well-known institutions like Cazenove, Scottish Widows, Artemis, and Invesco have become shareholders. (See Plays of the Week updates, p.8)."

I think Timon Day has been reading this column as he pictures YOO "as the Microsoft of digital TV". New points here are that the Directors did not benefit from the placing and the list of institutions. Play Update gives forecast of profits of 2.5M in 2005 and 6M in 2006. I assume these are from Evolution. That's a prospective PE of 20 in 2006 at 24p.

OK, time for humble pie! Having been preening with pride after second letter in Shares in a month (after PET), I have to admit that I 'did a Willfagg' and sold out, responding to 'her as has to be obeyed' wanting funds for Christmas trip to Whistler, buying some back this morning at 21p. Oh no! the final indignity, I feel a cfd purchase coming on for tomorrow!

Eric

EWROBSON

What did you sell for before buying back? This is the trouble! If you sold, why are you back now?

iPublic

18p! Sold before our dialogue - threw the teddy bear out of the pram in a rage! As I stated earlier, couldn't see the cap. past 100M in the short to medium term. Second thoughts from your's and mac's input plus Shares. Not losing sleep over it! I think I've lost more money over YOO in the last 18 months than any other share (oh! except perhaps earthport - another Shares Play). But its better the 'devil you know'. Just been talking with johngtudor over on the ASC channel on investment styles. Overall, I am 100% up since Jan 2003 but I am taking stock of the number of poor decisions, particularly with the ease of on-line trading. John admits to being an out and out chartist and makes rules-based decisions; that is his style. I am a fundamentals man and make intuitive decisions. But I accept the need to balance out with the chartist perspective. Can develop the theme if you like. The value of these BBs is in accelerating the learning procss as well as supporting research into particular shares. Can see the YOO wood again instead of just the short-term thicket: so a bit poorer, but a bit wiser!

Eric

Done it myself in the summer. What I sold went up, what I bought went down. Lost a packet.