LIONSGATE FIRST HOLLYWOOD STUDIO TO PARTNER WITH GROUPON TO PROMOTE MAJOR FEATURE FILM

SANTA MONICA, Calif. and VANCOUVER, British Columbia, March 16, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Lionsgate (NYSE: LGF), a leading global entertainment company, today announced its groundbreaking deal with Groupon to sell tickets and expand online visibility for the Lionsgate and Lakeshore Entertainment thriller THE LINCOLN LAWYER, starring Matthew McConaughey, Marisa Tomei and Ryan Phillippe, which opens in more than 2,500 theaters nationwide on Friday, March 18.

This is the first partnership between a major studio and Groupon, the daily deal pioneer which reaches 60 million online consumers and has changed the way customers and merchants interact since its founding in November 2008.  Groupon will make THE LINCOLN LAWYER tickets available for $6 apiece during its two-day online promotion on Wednesday, March 16, and Thursday, March 17.  Fandango will orchestrate the program under which consumers will purchase the deal on Groupon and will receive a special code that will be valid for redeeming tickets through Fandango.

"Lionsgate is the ideal partner to help Groupon break into the feature film category and we think THE LINCOLN LAWYER will have a wide appeal among our customers," said Rob Solomon, President and Chief Operating Officer of Groupon.  "We're excited to partner with a company who's willing to go beyond traditional advertising to reach consumers in the digital marketplace. It's a strong start to what will hopefully be deep and mutually beneficial relationships with movie studios and theatrical exhibitors."

"We are always looking for ways to reach our consumers with targeted, cost-effective and innovative campaigns," said Lionsgate Vice Chairman Michael Burns.  "Groupon is one of the most dynamic young companies in the world today, and their emergence as a digital commerce pioneer made them the perfect online partner for Lionsgate and THE LINCOLN LAWYER.  We believe this agreement is the shape of things to come as Hollywood studios discover a natural alliance with smart, entrepreneurial digital partners in bringing our content to consumers with cutting edge promotional campaigns that harness the unprecedented reach of the online world.  We're delighted that our LINCOLN LAWYER partner, Tom Rosenberg at Lakeshore, shared our vision in helping us create this historic first."

Groupon will distribute this deal and THE LINCOLN LAWYER trailers to millions of its subscribers and its network of nearly 10,000 affiliate partners. Groupon's promotion of the deal will include an exclusive interview with THE LINCOLN LAWYER star Matthew McConaughey.  

"The agreement enables us to be innovative in creating new partnerships for a digital world and efficient in developing marketing and distribution strategies for our films that capitalize on the power of new media," said Joe Drake, co-Chief Operating Officer and President of the Lionsgate Motion Picture Group.  "The deal extends THE LINCOLN LAWYER's visibility to millions of Groupon subscribers without significant incremental marketing spend and it's a win for everyone, especially our moviegoers."

The deal was orchestrated by David Spitz, Executive Vice President of Domestic Distribution, Mike Polydoros, Executive Vice President of Exhibitor Relations & Operations, and Danielle DePalma, Vice President of New Media, for Lionsgate and Sumir Meghani, Director of Business Development, for Groupon.  

Matthew McConaughey stars in the gripping thriller THE LINCOLN LAWYER as Michael "Mick" Haller, a slick, charismatic Los Angeles criminal defense attorney who operates out of the back of his Lincoln Continental sedan. Having spent most of his career defending petty, gutter-variety criminals, Mick unexpectedly lands the case of a lifetime: defending a rich Beverly Hills playboy (Ryan Phillippe) who is accused of attempted murder. However, what initially appears to be a straightforward case with a big money pay-off swiftly develops into a deadly match between two masters of manipulation and a crisis of conscience for Haller.

Directed by Brad Furman from a screenplay by John Romano, based on the novel by Michael Connelly, the cast also includes Marisa Tomei, Josh Lucas, John Leguizamo, Frances Fisher, Bob Gunton, Laurence Mason, with Bryan Cranston and William H. Macy. Lionsgate and Lakeshore Entertainment present a Lakeshore Entertainment Lionsgate production in association with Sidney Kimmel Entertainment Stone Village Pictures.

About Lionsgate

Lionsgate is a leading global entertainment company with a strong and diversified presence in motion picture production and distribution, television programming and syndication, home entertainment, family entertainment, digital distribution and new channel platforms.  The Company has built a strong television presence in production of prime time cable and broadcast network series, distribution and syndication of programming through Debmar-Mercury and an array of channel assets. Lionsgate currently has 15 shows on more than 10 networks spanning its prime time production, distribution and syndication businesses, including such critically-acclaimed hits as "Mad Men", "Weeds" and "Nurse Jackie" along with recent series such as "Blue Mountain State" and the syndication successes "Tyler Perry's House Of Payne", its spinoff "Meet The Browns", "The Wendy Williams Show" and "Are We There Yet?"

Its feature film business has generated more than half a billion dollars at the North American box office in the past year, fueled by such hits as THE EXPENDABLES, which was #1 at the North American box office for two weeks, THE LAST EXORCISM, TYLER PERRY'S WHY DID I GET MARRIED TOO?, KICK ASS and the critically-acclaimed PRECIOUS, which won two Academy Awards®. The Company's home entertainment business has grown to more than 7% market share and is an industry leader in box office-to-DVD revenue conversion rate. Lionsgate handles a prestigious and prolific library of approximately 13,000 motion picture and television titles that is an important source of recurring revenue and serves as the foundation for the growth of the Company's core businesses. The Lionsgate brand remains synonymous with original, daring, quality entertainment in markets around the world.

About Groupon

Groupon, launched in November 2008 in Chicago, features a daily deal on the best stuff to do, eat, see and buy in more than 500 markets around the world. Groupon uses collective buying power to offer unbeatable prices and provide a win-win for businesses and consumers, delivering more than 900 daily deals globally. For more information, visit http://www.groupon.com. To get Groupon's daily free email for the best in your city, subscribe at http://www.groupon.com.  For more information on Groupon apps for the iPhone, Android and BlackBerry, visit http://www.groupon.com/mobile.  To learn more on how to become a featured business on Groupon, visit http://www.grouponworks.com.

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SOURCE Lionsgate