NBA Becomes First Pro Sports League to Ink Deal With Teen Network Channel
One
New York, March 27, 2001 – The National Basketball Association (NBA)
and Channel One Network, a Primedia company (NYSE: PRM) and the number
one source
of news for America’s teens, have entered a multi-year agreement that will
bring NBA players and programming to more than 8,000,000 students in 12,000
of the nation’s middle and high schools. The NBA is the first professional
sports league to sign a deal with Channel One Network.
As part of the new arrangement, Channel One will feature NBA and WNBA
players as co-hosts on network broadcasts. Channel One anchors will also
be granted access to cover all major league events, including the NBA All-Star
Game, NBA
Finals, WNBA Finals and related events during the season.
Channel One will also air promotional spots on the network for major NBA and
WNBA events throughout the season.
“The NBA is filled with players who have excelled not only on the court,
but in their communities as well,” said Gregg Winik, Executive Vice President
of Programming and Executive Producer, NBA Entertainment. “This
new agreement with Channel One presents an opportunity for us to showcase
the NBA’s positive role models and emphasize the importance of community
service
and physical fitness.”
“Channel One and the NBA are taking strides to make news more relevant and
interesting to America’s teens,” said Morgan Wandell, Executive Vice
President of Programming for Channel One. “By juxtaposing some
of the leading figures of the world of sports and showcasing them in this
news
environment, we hope to illustrate the importance of civic duty and encourage
teens to become
well-informed citizens.”
Since its founding in 1946, the NBA has become a global phenomenon that transcends
national boundaries. With 29 teams in the United States and Canada, NBA
games and related programming are broadcast to 210 countries in 42 languages.
The NBA is one of the largest suppliers of sports television and Internet programming
in the world. Through NBA Entertainment, the league’s award-winning production
and programming division, the league produces NBA.com TV, a 24-hour television
network, weekly television shows, and exclusive content for each of the NBA’s
team Web sites, and the league’s official site, NBA.com. The league has
partnered with the leading Internet content and technology providers, including
America Online, Intel-Convera, IBM, Real Networks, USA Networks, and Yahoo!
to bring the game experience even closer to its fans worldwide. For
more information on the NBA, visit nba.com.
The Peabody Award-winning Channel One Network, a Primedia company (NYSE:
PRM), is the number one source of television news and educational programs
for America’s
teenagers. Its mission is to inform and empower young people. Channel
One News is seen daily by more than eight million students and 400,000 educators,
in 12,000 middle and high schools across the nation. Every program aired
on the network demonstrates its commitment to educate the nation’s young
people by engaging students in issues and events and encouraging them to pursue
knowledge. More teens watch Channel One News than watch the evening
news on ABC, CBS, NBC, and CNN combined.
About PRIMEDIA
PRIMEDIA is the new tradition in media. With 2000 sales of 1.7 billion from
a unique combination of traditional and new media properties, it is the leading
targeted content and integrated marketing solution in both the consumer and
business-to-business sectors. The Company is the #1 special interest magazine
publisher in the US., with more than 230 titles such as Seventeen, New York,
Fly Fisherman, American Baby, Telephony, American Demographics; the #1 producer
and distributor of specialty video with 18 satellite and digital video product
lines, including, Channel One Network; and the #1 news and information group
on the Internet, with over 1,000 special interest web sites led by About.com.
PRIMEDIA’s stock symbol is: NYSE: PRM. More information about the Company can
be found at www.primedia.com.
CONTACTS:
NBA
Laura Traynham
212-407-8095
ltraynham@nba.com
Channel One Network
Sonya McNair
212-508-6819
smcnair@channelone.com
