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SportsMates, Inc. Retains Leverage Sports Agency to Bring Innovative
Social Networking Business Models to the Sports World
The Global Sports Social Networking Service Teams Up With a Sports Marketing
Innovator to Offer Brands Social Networking Monetization and Marketing Opportunities
NOVATO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--September 19, 2006--SportsMates, Inc.,
the global online social networking and community service for sports fans,
today announced that it has retained Leverage Sports Agency, LLC ("Leverage
Sports") to assist with strategic business development and media relations.
Leverage Sports will introduce SportsMates' innovative sponsorship and activation
platform to brands and will work on the creation of strategic partnerships.
"Leverage Sports has a proven track record of working with the top
sponsors and organizations in sports and in developing innovative campaigns
and deals for them," said Blair Cummins, CEO of SportsMates, Inc. "Their
knowledge, experience and connections will be a major asset as we develop
our business. Brands are eager to find ways to leverage social networks
as marketing platforms and to monetize using them, and we've developed a
sports-specific platform that sponsors can use to run highly-targeted direct
marketing and activation campaigns and to conduct market research. Our innovative
points and rankings system is closely integrated with this platform to ensure
that these programs provide value to the fans using our service."
"SportsMates is pioneering some very innovative business models around
social networking that will benefit both fans and sponsors in significant
ways. We're excited about working with SportsMates to develop these models
and to bring them to the sports world. At Leverage Sports we frequently
assist our clients with their activation programs and the activation platform
SportsMates has developed will provide highly-targeted, cost-effective activation
opportunities to sponsors," stated Ben Sturner, Leverage Sports co-founder
and President.
Under the terms of the agreement, Ben Sturner will join the SportsMates,
Inc. advisory board. An adjunct professor of Sports Business at New York
University, Sturner is a sports marketing veteran who worked at both the
Atlanta and Sydney Olympic Games. At Leverage Sports, he has secured sports
sponsorships with top-tier companies such as GM Hummer, Gillette, Vonage,
Dodge, Subway, Nissan, Edge Shaving Gel and Progressive Insurance, among
others. Cummins and Sturner have worked together in the past on projects
for Anna Kournikova and Manchester United.
About SportsMates, Inc.
SportsMates, Inc. operates SportsMates (http://www.sportsmates.com),
which launched in July 2006. SportsMates is the first sports-focused global
online social networking service dedicated to providing passionate sports
fans a free, one-stop communications platform.
About Leverage Sports Agency, LLC
Leverage Sports Agency, LLC is widely regarded as an innovator in the sports
marketing industry. The company, based in New York City, is a full-service
sports marketing agency focused on sponsorship sales for leagues, events
and television properties. It works with the National Lacrosse League, AVP
Pro Beach Volleyball Tour, ASA/USA Softball, Champions Cup Tennis Tour and
America's Swim and Fitness Festival, among other events and sports properties.
In addition to sponsorship sales, the agency provides consulting and media
relations services and assists brands in activating effectively with their
sponsorships. For more information on Leverage Sports, visit http://www.levsports.com.
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