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Monday, August 28
 

AUGUST 28, 2000 -- ESPN.com, the leading sports Web site, has teamed up with HoopsTV.com, the 24-hour online basketball network, to provide basketball fans with the most innovative, ambitious hoops programming on the Internet. ESPN.com is part of Walt Disney Internet Group (NYSE:DIG).

As part of the arrangement, visitors to ESPN.com and HoopsTV.com will have easy access to the most innovative basketball coverage from both sites, including the following unique features:

  • Partner Box - Text and video links to HoopsTV.com will be integrated into ESPN.com's home page, as well as within its NBA, college and high school basketball sections.
  • Joint Content - Original co-branded content involving the game, players and coaches created jointly by HoopsTV.com and ESPN.com.
  • Links - All stories linked from ESPN.com to HoopsTV.com will be branded with an ESPN logo, and the ESPN logo'd link will appear on the HoopsTV.com home page.
  • Lead Content - HoopsTV.com will receive lead story positioning on ESPN.com's home page during the NBA basketball season.
  • Clubhouse - HoopsTV.com writers will break down and analyze the latest happenings on NBA teams in the ESPN.com NBA Clubhouse section.
  • Beyond Scores & Schedules - Once the NBA season begins, commentary on games from HoopsTV.com's infamous Smack Gods will spice up last night's scores and schedules on ESPN.com.

    "This move further bolsters our basketball coverage," said John Skipper, senior vice president and general manager, ESPN Internet Group. "We've always prided ourselves in offering the best pro and college basketball coverage, and our agreement with HoopsTV.com enables us to provide even broader coverage of the amateur ranks, including high schools and recruiting."

    "Teaming up with ESPN, the number one sports company in the world, will help establish HoopsTV.com as the leader in online basketball," said Seth Berger, Chairman and CEO of HoopsTV.com. "Our relationship with ESPN.com, coupled with the redesign of the site, will allow HoopsTV.com to continue building a profitable business while establishing ourselves as the basketball authority on the web."

    Walt Disney Internet Group (NYSE:DIG) manages some of the Internet's most popular Web sites, including ABC.com, ABCNEWS.com, ABCSports.com, Disney.com, Disneystore.com, DisneyTravel.com, Family.com, ESPN.com, Movies.com, Mr. Showbiz, Soccernet, NFL.com, NBA.com and NASCAR Online. The Internet Group also includes The Walt Disney Company's direct marketing business. Steve Bornstein is the chairman of Walt Disney Internet Group, which is headquartered in North Hollywood, California, with operations in Sunnyvale, California, Seattle, New York, Bristol, Connecticut, and London. For more information, visit our web site at www.dig.com.

    Headquartered in Paoli, Pa., HoopsTV.com gives ballers their daily dose of basketball by turning their computer into a 24-hour basketball network and providing the most comprehensive coverage of all levels of the game. HoopsTV.com has entered into strategic partnerships with leading providers of media, content and technology including, Footaction USA, Safeguard Scientifics, Inc., Akamai Techonologies, Inc., Small World Inc., WebLinc, NBCi, AKA, iOpen, Preference Technologies, Web Messaging, Emerald City, RealNetworks/Take 5 and ESPN Internet Group.