Business Editors/Hi-Tech/Sports Writers
PHILADELPHIA--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 15, 2000
College Basketball Tournament Provides Opportunity For
TheSportsAuthority.com To Build Brand, Attract Customers
RealTIME Media announced today that Global Sports, Inc. (NASDAQ: GSPT) has selected the leading digital direct marketing company to develop an online campaign highlighting TheSportsAuthority.com as well as the impending March Madness college basketball tournament.
Global Sports develops and operates the online sporting goods business for The Sports Authority (NYSE: TSA) and other leading retailers and Internet/media companies.
Pre-registration for the online contest began February 28th, with the contest launching March 12th, immediately following the announcement of the 64 tournament teams. With more than one million dollars at stake, players are offered three ways to win the contest, including pick and win, points and five exciting sweepstakes drawings.
"We are excited to be working with The Sports Authority and Global Sports on this interactive outreach," said Scott Shapiro, president and CEO of RealTIME Media.
"Through driving targeted online consumers to TheSportsAuthority.com to participate in the contest, we will work to increase their brand awareness, convert online traffic into customers and create excitement around both TheSportsAuthority.com and March Madness."
About the Million Dollar Madness and Sweepstakes Promotion
Through a series of promotional outreach efforts, the campaign will drive traffic to TheSportsAuthority.com, where people can register for the contest. Players can make selections on their "winning" predictions for tournament games - the player who correctly selects the outcome of all 63 games wins $1,000,000.
Other potential winnings include a points system, where players can win points for each winning game/round (first through fourth place prizes will be awarded based on number of points earned), or a sweepstakes drawing, into which all site visitors are entered.
The sweepstakes drawings will take place after the third, fourth and fifth rounds, as well as after the championship game, with the prize value increasing for each round. There will also be a Sweepstakes Grand Prize drawing that will be held at the end of the promotion.
Additionally, RealTIME Media's "Tell a Friend" referral program enables users to obtain an additional sweepstakes entry for each friend they refer to TheSportsAuthority.com.
"RealTIME Media developed a customized online marketing program that we believe will yield outstanding results," said Janis Altshuler, Vice President of Internet Marketing for The Sports Authority.
"The Million Dollar Madness and Sweepstakes Promotion provides us the opportunity to add an interactive element to one of North America's most exciting sporting events, while ultimately building our brand and attracting new customers."
About RealTIME Media, Inc.
RealTIME Media, Inc. (www.realtimemedia.com), based in Wynnewood, PA, is the leading digital direct marketing company that provides a complete, measurable and cost-effective B2B closed-loop customer acquisition strategy. This strategy uses media, online promotions, email marketing, database management and comprehensive campaign analysis.
RealTIME Media's custom-designed, instant-win games have helped to build loyalty and increase e-commerce for clients such as Lycos, the National Football League, Microsoft, Yahoo!, Reader's Digest, CBS MarketWatch and First USA.
RealTIME Media is funded by Safeguard Scientifics (http://www.safeguard.com/), a leader in incubating and operating premier companies in the Internet infrastructure market with a focus on the software, communications and eServices sectors.
About The Sports Authority
The Sports Authority, Inc. directly operates 196 full-line sporting goods stores in 32 states across the United States. Mega Sports Co., Inc. operates another 19 stores in Japan under a license agreement with The Sports Authority.
About Global Sports, Inc.
Global Sports, Inc. (NASDAQ: GSPT) is an Internet company that operates, under exclusive long-term agreements, the online sporting goods businesses of general sporting goods retailers, specialty sporting goods retailers, general merchandise retailers and Internet/media companies. The company's partners include The Sports Authority.
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