|
WNBA.COM TO FEATURE LIVE VIDEO WEBCASTS OF WNBA GAMES AS PART OF NEW MULTI-YEAR DEAL WITH REALNETWORKS
WNBA Launches "WNBA Broadband Season Pass" Subscription Service on WNBA.com
NEW YORK, JUNE 5, 2003 — The WNBA announced today that WNBA.com will feature a minimum of ten live video webcasts of WNBA games during the 2003 season as part of a new multi-year deal with RealNetworks®, Inc. (Nasdaq: RNWK). The live webcasts will be available through WNBA.com's new subscription service WNBA Broadband Season Pass, with the next webcast on Friday, June 6 at 7:00 p.m. ET when the Washington Mystics host the Cleveland Rockers.
On May 31, 2003, the WNBA featured the first-ever live video webcast of a game in women's professional sports history when the Detroit Shock played the Charlotte Sting.
WNBA fans around the world using RealNetworks' RealOne™ Player will be able to access the live streaming video webcasts of WNBA games through the WNBA Broadband Season Pass. WNBA Broadband Season Pass also includes the WNBA Audio Season Pass, featuring live audio of WNBA games throughout the season.
Fans will be able to access the WNBA webcasts and new WNBA premium content through a variety of different subscription services including:
WNBA Broadband Season Pass— this new multimedia subscription service is available through WNBA.com, and will feature the live WNBA video webcasts, WNBA Audio Season Pass and broadband highlights and features, and is available for the entire WNBA season for $19.95.
NBA Inside Ticket— this multimedia subscription service available through NBA.com features broadband NBA highlights, live press conferences, NBA Audio League Pass and special video features, including "The Run". Summer programming in NBA Inside Ticket will include highlights from NBA Summer League Games and Entertainer's Basketball Classic, as well as featured content available in the WNBA Broadband Season Pass, including live WNBA video webcasts, WNBA Audio Season Pass, and additional WNBA content all for a monthly fee of $9.95.
RealOne SuperPass— available at www.realone.com for a monthly fee of $9.95, the premium subscription service featuring content from various partners, including NBA.com, will now also offer a variety of new and original WNBA content including daily video highlights, the WNBA play of the day, player press conferences and more. WNBA live game webcasts will not be included in the RealOne SuperPass.
NBA Inside Ticket with RealOne SuperPass— a combined subscription package featuring all the content included in the NBA Inside Ticket and the RealOne SuperPass for a monthly fee of $14.95.
"We were so pleased with the response of our fans, and the success of our groundbreaking webcast, that we have decided to offer additional webcasts through the first broadband subscription in the history of women's professional sports," said Brenda Spoonemore, Vice President of Interactive Services for NBA Entertainment. "WNBA fans told us they wanted more nationally available games, and with a package of live WNBA games on NBA TV and now WNBA Broadband Season Pass, more games are available to our fans than ever before."
"Having already fostered a very strong relationship with the NBA, RealNetworks is very pleased to expand our relationship to encompass the WNBA, and revolutionize the way that fans are able to follow the strongest league in women's professional sports," said Merrill Brown, Senior Vice President- RealOne Services, RealNetworks, Inc. "We're proud to work with the WNBA to create a new dimension for fans to experience and enjoy great WNBA action -- be it either through the live video webcasts in WNBA Broadband Season Pass, or by watching highlights of their favorite female pro basketball player in RealOne SuperPass-- and we look forward to a successful season."
The WNBA has offered an audio subscription product on WNBA.com since 1997. The new WNBA Broadband Season Pass expands the leagues' subscription service and premium content available for fans.
The NBA became the first major professional sports league to webcast a live game in streaming video on April 13, 2001 on NBA.com when the Dallas Mavericks hosted the Sacramento Kings. The webcast experiment was available in English, Spanish and Mandarin and was watched by fans in 87 countries around the world.
As a part of the new multi-year deal, RealNetworks joins five other new WNBA marketing partners for the 2003 season including Dell, MBNA, Verizon Wireless, Procter & Gamble and Southwest Airlines. RealNetworks will promote the new offerings through the WNBA's extensive array of media assets and other promotional vehicles. The expanded programming and services are evidence of the WNBA's and RealNetworks' commi™ent to bringing basketball fans a new experience.
About the WNBA
The WNBA tipped off its seventh season in May with eight sell-outs, attendance up nearly 10% and traffic on WNBA.com up 130%. More WNBA games will be available nationally than ever before through five U.S. television partners ABC, ESPN2, Oxygen, Telemundo and NBA TV, 62 telecast partners in 183 countries around the globe and live video webcasts on WNBA Broadband Season Pass. A record 2,362,430 fans attended WNBA games during the 2002 season, resulting in an average attendance increase for the second straight season. For more information on the WNBA, visit www.wnba.com.
About RealOne SuperPass
RealOne SuperPass is the single source for consumers to discover, play and manage the best in brand-name digital programming - sports, entertainment and news from ABCNEWS.com, CNN, E! Networks, FOXSports.com, MLB, NASCAR.com and more. It is the core subscription service within the RealOne network, the fastest growing Internet paid rich media subscription service in history with over 1 million paid subscribers. RealOne SuperPass also comes with the RealOne Player Plus featuring Universal Playback, allowing Internet users to play back every major media format in only one player. More information about RealNetworks' RealOne is located on the Internet at www.real.com.
About RealNetworks
RealNetworks, Inc. is the leading global provider of network-delivered digital audio and video services and the creator of the technology that enables digital media creation, distribution and consumption. Consumers use RealNetworks' RealOne Player and our content subscription services to create and play free and premium digital content. Broadcasters, network operators, media companies and enterprises use RealNetworks' products and services to deliver digital media to PCs, mobile phones and consumer electronics devices. Consumers can access and experience audio/video programming and download RealNetworks' consumer software at http://www.real.com. RealNetworks' systems and corporate information is located at http://www.realnetworks.com.
For More Information:
John Acunto, NBA, 212-407-8255 or jacunto@nba.com
Matt Bourne, NBA, 212-407-8093 or mbourne@nba.com
Lisa Amore, RealNetworks, 206-674-2221 or lamore@real.com
|
Contact Us
