Chorion PLC 24 January 2005 Chorion plc ('Chorion' or 'the Company') Noddy secures merchandising and distribution deal in US "Make Way for Noddy" to launch on PBS television on 2nd July Chorion is pleased to announce that it has secured an agreement with US brand management company FUNimation Productions, Ltd. whereby FUNimation will become the master licensor for Noddy in North America. FUNimation Productions, Ltd., based in Fort Worth, Texas, licenses animated properties and content for television programming and home videos, primarily targeted at children and young adults. FUNimation is a strong partner for Chorion and this strength will be further underpinned when it becomes part of the Navarre Corp (NASDAQ: NAVR), a leading US publisher and distributor of home entertainment products, in a deal announced earlier this year and expected to complete by May 2005. The agreement with FUNimation achieves the goal, stated at the time of Chorion's announcement of its broadcasting deal with PBS KIDS on 7 September 2004, of launching the Noddy franchise in other areas of the US market, such as home video and licensing, fully to maximise the potential of the brand in North America. Chorion's wholly owned animated series 'Make Way for Noddy' will premiere on public broadcaster PBS on 2nd July, giving the Noddy brand a high profile base from which to launch merchandising initiatives. Commenting on Noddy's further penetration of the US market, Chorion Chief Executive Nicholas James said: "We are very excited to be working with FUNimation, a company that has the brand management, distribution and licensing experience successfully to introduce Noddy to millions of American children and parents." As the master licensor for Noddy in North America, FUNimation will feature Noddy at this year's NATPE, Toy Fair and Licensing Show. For further information please call: Tim Allan or Andrew Sholl Portland, for Chorion +44 20 7404 5344 andrew.sholl@portlandpr.co.uk About FUNimation FUNimation Productions, Ltd. is a full-service brand-management company and one of the nation's leading independent home video entertainment companies. The company divisions include in-house production, licensing, Internet, marketing and home video sales and distribution. In the US pre-school market it licenses such successful properties as Emmy Award-winning PBS KIDS series Arthur, Timothy Goes to School and Little Nemo as well as Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Dragonball Z. For information about FUNimation and its properties, visit www.funimation.com. About Chorion Chorion (LSE: COR) is a leading content company whose foremost properties include Enid Blyton's Noddy, Roger Hargreaves' Mr. Men and Little Miss series, Agatha Christie's Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple and Georges Simenon's Inspector Maigret. Visit www.chorion.co.uk. 'Make Way for Noddy' was first broadcast by the terrestrial television company Five in 2002. Translated into over a dozen languages, it has achieved international acclaim in 115 markets around the world, making it one of Britain's biggest television exports. This information is provided by RNS The company news service from the London Stock Exchange