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REALNETWORKS SETS TONE FOR NBCOLYMPICS.COM COVERAGE OF THE ATHENS GAMES WITH TWO WEEKS OF FREE RHAPSODY TUNES FOR U.S. FANS
As the Online Music Source for NBC’s Coverage of the 2004 Athens Games, Rhapsody Will Help Fans Discover the Music Inspiring U.S. Athletes
SEATTLE — August 12, 2004 — This summer, in support of the 2004 Athens Games, RealNetworks® (NASDAQ: RNWK) is partnering with NBC Olympics to bring the excitement of the games home to millions of U.S. consumers by offering free access to the award-winning Rhapsodyä Internet jukebox service and music playlists from more than 250 U.S. athletes. Between August 11th and the close of competition on August 29th, U.S.-based fans can get Rhapsody, the online music source for NBC’s coverage of the 2004 Athens Games, via www.nbcolympics.com/music and www.rhapsody.com, with no credit card required to try the service.
RealNetworks is also working with NBC Olympics to enable fans and music lovers who visit www.nbcolympics.com to discover the music that motivated these athletes as they trained for the 2004 Athens Games. The site offers a variety of Games-themed Rhapsody playlists that bring the music of the games to life, as well as exclusive access to lists of favorite songs chosen by U.S. athletes.
"We're excited to be helping fans everywhere experience the music of the games," said Sean Ryan, vice president of music services, RealNetworks. "Even better, fans can bring the excitement of the games home with free access to the Rhapsody service, where they can enjoy music that inspires the athletes and listen to hundreds of thousands of songs whenever they’d like."
Rhapsody provides exclusive music and free burns
Rhapsody gives fans unlimited on-demand access to hundreds of thousands of songs from a library of more than 55,000 albums, including the new EMI release Unity: The Official Athens 2004 Olympic Games Album. In addition, Rhapsody will debut an exclusive new song by a major recording artist after the conclusion of the 2004 Athens Games opening ceremonies on August 13th. Fans that subscribe to Rhapsody before September 5, 2004 via www.rhapsody.com or www.nbcolympics.com/music will receive credit for 5 free songs that they can burn to a CD.
"No other website comes close to offering the content of NBCOlympics.com," said Gary Zenkel, Executive Vice President, NBC Olympics. "The partnership with RealNetworks gives NBCOlympics.com the opportunity to expand our offering to include the music that inspires the US Athletes that inspire our audience," said Zenkel.
In the spirit of the games, RealNetworks has given each U.S. athlete a complimentary subscription to Rhapsody, and will spotlight lists of the athletes’ favorite training songs through the service during the 2004 Athens Games. The 2004 Games will take place in Athens, Greece from August 13 - 29, involving 10,500 athletes from record 202 nations, 45,000 volunteers, 301 medal ceremonies and an estimated ticketed attendance of 5.3 million.
For more information, contact:
Maureen Farley, RealNetworks, (206) 892-6653 (o), mfarley@real.com
Matt Graves, RealNetworks, (415) 934-2159 (o), mgraves@real.com
Kate Gordon, Edelman PR for NBC Olympics, (212) 642-7764, kate.gordon@edelman.com
About Rhapsody
Rhapsody is the #1 Internet jukebox service, offering unlimited access to a vast library of major and independent label music for less than $10 a month. Rhapsody’s library currently offers more than 725,000 songs for on-demand streaming, with more than 650,000 songs available for purchase at the industry-leading price of 79¢ per song. In addition to burning full albums or custom mix CDs, Rhapsody subscribers can build their own custom Internet radio stations, listen to professionally programmed stations, and browse extensive music information and editorial recommendations. For more information about Rhapsody please visit www.rhapsody.com.
ABOUT REALNETWORKS, INC.
RealNetworks, Inc. is the leading creator of digital media services and software including the award-winning Rhapsody Internet jukebox service and RealPlayer 10, the first product to integrate finding, organizing, buying, playing and managing digital audio and video in a single product. Consumers can access and experience audio/video programming and download RealNetworks' consumer software at http://www.real.com. Broadcasters, network operators, media companies and enterprises use RealNetworks' products and services to create and deliver digital media to PCs, mobile phones and consumer electronics devices. RealNetworks' systems and corporate information is located at http://www.realnetworks.com.
RealNetworks, RealAudio, RealPlayer and Rhapsody are trademarks or registered trademarks of RealNetworks, Inc. All other companies or products listed herein are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners.
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