MediaCentral Accelerates its Digital Strategy to Further Migrate its Print Readership to its Digital Platforms in the Wake of Global Pandemic

New content verticals and increased frequency spike audience interactions across MediaCentral's digital platforms

TORONTO, April 15, 2020 /CNW/ - Media Central Corporation Inc. (CSE: FLYY, FSE: 3AT ) ("MediaCentral" or the "Company") today announced impressive growth across all of its digital platforms. MediaCentral's wholly owned digital properties nowtoronto.com, straight.com and cannabis-specialty platform canncentral.com reported double-digit growth in users, search impressions and click-through when comparing data from February 2020 to March 2020. This announcement follows the implementation of phase one of the Company's digital transformation strategy including a concerted effort to leverage its high-quality content for the evolving digital consumer.

In March, NOW Magazine, the Company's Toronto based title and the Straight, the Company's Vancouver title introduced new content verticals to further appeal to its 6.5 million audience of on-trend influencers.  This new content is being shared across all the company's mediums including print, online, social, newsletter and email.

As a result of the omnichannel content distribution, nowtoronto.com has seen a 48 per cent spike in users, with over 1.6M users visiting the site in March alone. Further, search around NOW Magazine's digital archives hit 27.3 million organic impressions on Google Search in March 2020. This represents a 13.27 per cent growth in comparison to February's 24.1M impressions, or a 34 per cent growth by comparing it to the same period in 2019.  Similarly, CannCentral grew search engine impressions by 77 per cent in March 2020, achieving 285k impressions compared to 161k in February 2020. At the Straight the same metrics increased by 15 per cent, up to 25.7M in March 2020 from 22.4M in February 2020.

"While our print publications remain cultural staples with impressive readership in both Toronto and Vancouver, their digital counterparts have seen rapid growth as demand for digital content surges and the world continues to embrace the online arena as a source for news and entertainment." said Anton Tikhomirov Senior Vice President, Technology and Architecture of MediaCentral. "Our priority continues to be satisfying our readers' insatiable appetite for engaging, high-quality content, where, when, and how they desire it.  Our editorial teams have efficiently and effectively transformed our publishing process to increase the output, and the reach of our publications, across a wide variety of digital channels. With so many opportunities to monetize digital properties, we are rapidly gaining momentum and fueling expansion with an uptick in advertiser interest" continued Tikhomirov.  

The exponential growth of users and search impressions for the online platforms of NOW and the Straight solidifies MediaCentral's strategy to consolidate, digitize and monetize the 100 urban publications across North America, reaching more than 100 million people across Canada and the United States of America.

About Media Central Corporation Inc.
Media Central Corporation Inc. (CSE: FLYY, FSE: 3AT) is an alternative media company situated to acquire and develop high-quality publishing assets starting with the recent acquisition of Vancouver Free Press Corp., the purchase of NOW Communications Inc. and the launch of digital cannabis platform CannCentral.com. MediaCentral is consolidating and digitally monetizing the over 100 million coveted and premium consumers of the approximately 100 alternative urban publications across North America, creating the most powerful audience of influencers.
www.mediacentralcorp.com
Instagram: @mediacentralcorp
Twitter: @mediacentralc
Facebook: Media Central Corp.

About NOW Central Communications Inc.
NOW Central owns and operates NOW Magazine and nowtoronto.com. Since 1981 NOW has been Toronto's news and entertainment voice, published in print every Thursday, and daily at nowtoronto.com.  Reaching over 25 million annual readers, NOW has been a leading publication, defining and pioneering the independent and alternative voice for more than 38 years.  NOW Central Communications Inc. is a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Central Corporation Inc. (CSE: FLYY, FSE: 3AT).
www.nowtoronto.com 
Instagram: @nowtoronto
Twitter: @nowtoronto
Facebook: facebook.com/nowmagazine

About Vancouver Free Press Corp.
Vancouver Free Press Corp., owns and operates Georgia Straight and straight.com. Established in 1967 as the news, lifestyle and entertainment weekly in Vancouver, the Georgia Straight has been an integral part of the active urban West Coast lifestyle for over 50 years. Reaching over 56 million annual readers, every Thursday in print, and every day in straight.com, Georgia Straight delivers an award-winning editorial package of features, articles and reviews. Regular coverage includes news, tech, arts, music, fashion, travel, health, cannabis, and food, plus Vancouver's most comprehensive listings of entertainment activities and special events.  Vancouver Free Press Corp. is a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Central Corporation Inc. (CSE: FLYY, FSE: 3AT).
www.straight.com 
Instagram: @georgiastraight
Twitter: @georgiastraight
Facebook: @georgiastraight

About Canncentral Inc.
With unique daily content appealing to both new and experienced cannabis consumers, Canncentral is poised to become the leading digital publisher of all things cannabis. Presenting authentic news and lifestyle content through a verified lends, Canncentral is emerging as an industry leading authority on knowledge, product and insight for cannabis enthusiasts, patients and investors around the world. Canncentral Inc. is a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Central Corporoation Inc. (CSE: FLYY, FSE: 3AT).
www.canncentral.com 
Instagram: @canncentral
Twitter: @cann_central
Facebook: @canncentral

CAUTIONARY NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
Certain information in this news release constitutes forward-looking statements under applicable securities laws. Any statements that are contained in this news release that are not statements of historical fact may be deemed to be forward-looking statements. Forward looking statements are often identified by terms such as "may", "should", "anticipate", "expect", "potential", "believe", "intend" or the negative of these terms and similar expressions. Forward-looking statements in this news release may include, but are not limited to, statements with respect to internal expectations, expectations with respect to estimated margins, cost structures, and cost structures in the media industry. Forward-looking statements necessarily involve known and unknown risks, including, without limitation, risks associated with general economic conditions; adverse industry events; marketing costs; loss of markets; future legislative and regulatory developments involving; inability to access sufficient capital from internal and external sources, and/or inability to access sufficient capital on favourable terms; the media industry generally, income tax and regulatory matters; the ability of MediaCentral to implement its business strategies; competition; currency and interest rate fluctuations and other risks.

Readers are cautioned that the foregoing list is not exhaustive and should carefully review the various risks and uncertainties identified in the Company's filings on SEDAR. Readers are further cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements as there can be no assurance that the plans, intentions or expectations upon which they are placed will occur. Such information, although considered reasonable by management at the time of preparation, may prove to be incorrect and actual results may differ materially from those anticipated.

The forward-looking statements included in this news release are made as of the date of this news release and the Company does not undertake an obligation to publicly update such forward-looking statements to reflect new information, subsequent events or otherwise unless required by applicable securities laws.

Forward-looking statements contained in this news release are expressly qualified by this cautionary statement.

SOURCE Media Central Corporation Inc.

Investor Relations: [email protected]; Media: Faulhaber Communications, Lexi Pathak, [email protected], www.mediacentralcorp.com