The Digital World Cup

1/3 of Football Fans to Watch Games Over the Internet

LONDON, June 10, 2010 - The World Cup will be watched online by nearly a third of British
football fans, more than in any other World Cup, according to a study
released today by PC World. The retailer questioned over 3,000 Brits in the
run up to the World Cup following a surge in sales of its wireless networking
and video streaming gadgets. Feedback revealed that:

    - 30% of fans, which equates to over 14 million of those expected to
      watch the World Cup live, are planning on doing so over the internet.
    - Nearly a quarter (23%) revealed they would be using laptops or desktop
      PCs.
    - One in ten (10%) expect to follow the action using a smart phone such
      as a BlackBerry.

The research reflects a surge in the numbers of Brits using the internet
to watch live TV and recorded footage since the last World Cup. Recent
figures have revealed that BBC iPlayer, the first of the internet TV services
from the major broadcasters which launched just 2 years ago, now has over 70
million requests per month.

ON THE MOVE

Being able to keep up to speed with the action when on the move via
mobile broadband and SmartPhone apps was revealed as being behind the appeal
by four in ten fans (40%). Nearly half (48 %) are expecting to miss fewer
games than in the 2006 World Cup.

Viewing on the move is believed to be behind a 30% surge in demand for
Slingboxes (at PC World) in the last 2 weeks. The devices allow users to
stream live TV to a laptop or mobile phone anywhere in the World via a
broadband internet or WiFi connection. Sales of Nintendo Wii:
(www.pcworld.co.uk/gbuk/software-gaming/gaming/nintendo-wii-7144-m.html);
and Playstation 3:
(www.dixons.co.uk/gbuk/software-gaming/gaming/sony-playstation-3-1217-m.html),
which can act as media streamers, have also seen increases.

(Due to the length of these URLs, it may be necessary to copy and paste
the hyperlinks into your Internet browser's URL address field. Remove any
spaces if they exist.)

ONLINE VIEWING

The research also revealed that more replays of the games will be watched
online than on televisions (www.currys.co.uk). When questioned over
10% more fans revealed they use the internet to watch repeated footage online
immediately after a game than wait for the highlights on TV and 11% of fans
revealed they already use the internet to watch footage at least twice after
a game. World Cup games will be available for up to a week after each match
and available to download for free from BBC iPlayer and iTV.

WiFi

Fans getting kitted out with the latest wireless gadgets ahead of the
games are believed to be behind a 20% surge in Power line adapters over the
last 2 weeks. The devices, which plug into a plug socket, use the household
electrical circuit to create a wireless network. It allows fans to watch
footage from the internet immediately after a game on the main household TV.

Jeremy Fennell, Category Director, PC World, comments: "Internet TV was
only just coming into play when England last played in a World Cup
tournament. Now, in just four years, football fans are able to watch live and
recorded footage from laptops, desktop PCs and mobile phones from just about
any location in the UK and across the world."

The research also showed record numbers of fans are planning on using
social networking forums to keep in touch and comment on the action during
the games. Feedback revealed that Facebook and Twitter were the most popular
way to stay in touch for nearly a quarter (24%) of fans during football
games. Neither Facebook nor Twitter was available in the UK at the time of
the 2006 World Cup. The Support England in World Cup 2010 Facebook fan site
currently has nearly 110,000 members.

    For more information please contact:
    Anina Castle,
    Head of Consumer PR,
    Email: anina.castle@dsgiplc.com.

For more information please contact; Anina Castle, Head of Consumer PR, E: anina.castle at dsgiplc.com,T: +44(0)1727-202379