Greekentertainment media group Audiovisual has acquired the two-site Europlex-GreeceCineplexes chain through its subsidiary, Ster Cinemas.

The acquisitionof the two sites - an eight-screen 1,996-seater venue in Patras and aneight-screen 1.764-seater venue in Larissa - positions Ster Cinemas-Greece asthe country's second largest exhibitor with a total of 35 screens and 8,185seats.

Ster willshortly announce three additional sites, which it predicts will make it thecountry's largest exhibitor. Last week it opened Escape, an eight-screen1,900-seater venue in Athens.

"We areextremely pleased with the finalisation of Europlex's acquisition by SterCinemas," Audiovisual president and chief executive officer Yiannis Kourtesissaid in a statement.

"Thisdevelopment places Audiovisual in a leadership position in our country and itis right on target with our previous announcements about the strategic growthof our group."

Audiovisual hasbeen operating since 1982. It is the exclusive video licensee in Greece andCyprus for Warner Bros, Buena Vista, New Line, Miramax, and Village Roadshow,among others.