NOW Magazine, Georgia Straight and Canncentral Achieve Exponential Digital Growth for Second Consecutive Month

MediaCentral Transforms and Begins Monetizing Legacy Urban Publications into Profitable Digital Media Platforms

• MediaCentral's reports strong increases in monthly users, sessions and pageviews
• Platform integration boosts traffic across nowtoronto.com, straight.com, and canncentral.com
• Growing fanbase accelerates revenue opportunities through digital advertising and affiliate marketing

TORONTO, May 12, 2020 /CNW/ - Media Central Corporation Inc. (CSE: FLYY, FSE: 3AT ) ("MediaCentral" or the "Company") today released month-end data showcasing rising digital interaction across all of its wholly owned properties. Toronto's NOW Magazine ("NOW" or "NOW Magazine"), Vancouver's Georgia Straight ("the Straight") and cannabis-specialty platform Canncentral.com ("Canncentral") all reporting impressive month-over-month user, session and pageview growth for the second month in a row.

Comparing Google Analytics from March 2020 to April 2020, NOW Magazine expanded: users by 57 per cent, sessions by 56 per cent and pageviews by 49 per cent¹. The Straight also reported increased digital interactions with users and sessions both up by 46 per cent and a 35 per cent² upsurge in pageviews. Canncentral, which launched in fall 2019, continues to skyrocket with more cannabis enthusiasts engaging on the digital platform each month. In April, the cannabis lifestyle platform grew: users by 126 per cent, sessions by 120 per cent and pageviews by 94 per cent³.

"For the second month in a row, our digital publications are demonstrating rapid growth. We can attribute this to our technology team, strategic investment in upgrades, cross-pollinating our readers between publications and 24/7 quality omnichannel approach to publishing," said Brian Kalish, CEO of MediaCentral. "We've invested in enhancing and digitizing our titles from introducing new content verticals like psychedelics and esports, to intensifying our social media presence, to launching a very well received podcast at NOW. Our efforts have successfully resulted in our ever-expanding audience spending more time on our digital platforms. This accelerates opportunities to monetize our properties as we look to tap into a vast $333 billion digital advertising industry⁴."

Since taking ownership of the iconic urban publications NOW and the Straight in November 2019 and February 2020 respectively, the Company has invested in transforming the legacy publications into leading digital platforms. Recent announcements include the launch of new technology-based upgrades that will allow MediaCentral to monetize its existing audience including introducing affiliate marketing, automated marketing and programmatic advertising.

"We are thrilled with the progress we are making in transforming NOW and the Straight into modern media brands. This proves we are on track with our mission to amass an influential audience of 100 million consumers by consolidating, uniting and digitizing over 100 independent urban publications across North America. We are actively searching for synergistic and accretive acquisition opportunities to continue to grow our dedicated audience as we move forward in building a profitable and innovative digital publishing house," said Kalish.

In addition to acquiring existing urban publications the Company plans to build new digital sites to expand its audience further. In April, MediaCentral announced the beta-testing of its fourth property, a digital site dedicated to the burgeoning esports and egaming industry.

Summary of audience growth comparing March 2020 to April 2020

• NOW Magazine
• Users: From 1,138,594 to 1,791,520; 57.34% increase
• Sessions: From 1,441,757 to 2,257,844; 56.60% increase
• Pageviews: From 1,833,238 to 2,732,942; 49.08% increase

• The Straight
• Users: From 1,697,040 to 2,483,901; 46.37% increase
• Sessions: From 2,229,411 to 3,262,637; 46.35% increase
• Pageviews: From 3,064,664 to 4,137,408; 35% increase

*Users are defined as the number of unique visitors to a web site based on browser cookies. 

Source:
^1,2,3,4Digital: Google Analytics

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