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NBA Announces New Features with Yahoo!, Bud Light, Sony and McDonald's for 2004 NBA Playoffs and The Finals

Yahoo! to Feature Prominent NBA Tune-in Promotion and NBA Broadband Video Content on Yahoo! Sports

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 19, 2004--

The NBA announced today extended partnerships and new features with Yahoo! Inc. (Nasdaq: YHOO - News), Bud Light, the Sony Corporation of America and McDonald's throughout the 2004 NBA Playoffs and The Finals.
Yahoo! is providing comprehensive tune-in promotion for the NBA Playoffs and The Finals through various Yahoo! properties and original NBA broadband video content now available on Yahoo! Sports (http://sports.yahoo.com). Bud Light is offering a series of irreverent interactive e-cards for fans through NBA.com and www.budlight.com, Sony has unveiled the NBA TV Videoconference presented by Sony, and McDonald's is offering the NBA playoff bracket game, NBA Pick 'n Roll presented by McDonald's which is now featured on NBA.com.

"More than ever before, our partners are utilizing the latest technologies to unveil innovative and unique packages specifically tailored for the NBA Playoffs and The Finals," said Renny Gleeson, Senior Director Global Media and Interactive Marketing of the NBA. "As the most exciting part of the NBA season approaches, Yahoo!, Bud Light, Sony and McDonald's are providing our fans with ways to stay close, and connected, to all the NBA action wherever they are."

The new NBA features for the 2004 NBA Playoffs and The Finals marks a further extension of the existing partnerships originally established with Yahoo! in 2000, Bud Light (Anheuser-Busch) in 1998, Sony in 1994 and McDonald's in 1990. Highlights of each relationship include:

Yahoo!

Promotion of 2004 NBA Playoffs and The Finals

Throughout the 2004 NBA Playoffs and The Finals, Yahoo! is featuring prominent promotion and tune-in coverage of NBA games throughout its site, including the Yahoo! front page (www.yahoo.com), Yahoo! TV (http://tv.yahoo.com), My Yahoo! (http://my.yahoo.com) and Yahoo! Sports (http://sports.yahoo.com).

NBA Broadband Video Content on Yahoo! Sports

Yahoo! is also providing visitors with free access to a series of original NBA broadband video content available on Yahoo! Sports (http://sports.yahoo.com). The features include nightly game recaps and series preview packages throughout the post-season, and select interviews with NBA players, coaches and team executives to further promote the 2004 NBA Playoffs and The Finals.

"We are constantly looking for new ways to deliver unique broadband sports content to sports fans online," said Brian Grey, general manager of Yahoo! Sports. "This agreement with the NBA takes advantage of Yahoo!'s expertise in delivering online video content and will give our users a special glimpse into the 2004 NBA Playoffs."

Bud Light E-Cards

Bud Light's new series of irreverent e-cards, available exclusively on NBA.com and www.budlight.com for the NBA Playoffs and The Finals, provide fans 21 and over with the opportunity to send interactive cards via email to family, friends and co-workers.

The e-card selections, filled with sarcastic and humorous messages, invite fans to engage in sending congratulations or "condolences" highlighting postseason success and failures of NBA playoff teams throughout the postseason. Fans can add additional messages up to 255 characters to any of the e-cards and may send as often as they like.

"These edgy, online messages give basketball fans an opportunity to rib their friends in a fun and humorous way," said Tony Ponturo, vice president of Global Media and Sports Marketing, Anheuser-Busch, Inc. "Bud Light and the NBA make great teammates, and this double-team provides fans with another way to stay in touch and to demonstrate their true passion for the game during the playoffs."

NBA TV Videoconference presented by Sony

Sony has teamed-up with the NBA providing videoconferencing stations in all 16 NBA postseason arenas to televise exclusive pre-game and post-game interviews with various NBA players, coaches, and media throughout the post-season on NBA TV.

NBA Pick 'n Roll presented by McDonald's

McDonald's and NBA.com are offering fans the chance to predict the entire post-season through the official bracket game, NBA Pick 'n Roll presented by McDonald's. Fans can monitor their picks on a regular basis, earning points for correctly picking the wining team and the number of games for each playoff series.

The overall grand prize winner will receive a trip to see this year's NBA champion defend their title next season along with being featured on NBA TV.

Contacts


Media Contacts:
NBA
John Acunto, 212-407-8255
jacunto@nba.com
or
Yahoo!
Dan Berger, 408-349-7990
dberger@yahoo-inc.com
or
Anheuser-Busch
Myron Holtzman, 314-577-9105
myron.holtzman@anheuser-busch.com
or
McDonald's
Joanne Jacobs, 630-623-7943
Joanne.jacobs@mcd.com

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