Closing Bell, January 22, 2004

NIKE TO SUPPLY PODIUM UNIFORM TO U.S. ATHLETES FOR ’06 AND ‘08

Asexpected, Nike and the USOC today announced that Nike has signed on as anofficial sponsor and licensee of the ’06 and ’08 U.S. Olympic and Paralympicteams.  Nike will outfit athletes withpodium uniforms, and also secures advertising and promotional use of U.S.Olympic marks and graphics.  Thepartnership officially begins next January (USOC).

McAdams Wright Ragen analyst Jamelah Leddy: “This is justsolidifying [Nike’s] exposure in the Olympics in the years to come.  Any additional international exposure willcertainly help [Nike’s] top line” (CBSMARKETWATCH, 1/22).

MOBIL 1 TODAY LAUNCHES $1M NASCAR CONSUMER PROMOTION

Mobil1 today launched a consumer promotion in support of its NASCAR sponsorship thatoffers $1M in total prize money.  Thepromotion, which splits the 36-race Nextel Cup series schedule into fourquarters, provides entrants the chance to win $250,000 per quarter forcorrectly predicting the winner of each race. Also, the top two entrants from each quarter will win VIP trips to an‘05 Nextel Cup race of their choice.  Toplay, game codes can be found on specially marked bottles, at in-store displaysand online.  Mobil 1 is the officialmotor oil of NASCAR (Mobil 1).

ISC TODAY REPORTS RECORD FULL YEAR TOTAL REVENUE OF $575.7M

ISCtoday reported fiscal Q4 ’03 and year-end results.  Forthe full year, total revenue increased to a record $575.7M from $550.6M in theprior year.  Operating income for ‘03was $191.7M, as compared to $194.2M in ‘02. Net income was $105.4M, compared to a net loss in ’02 of $411M,including a one-time accounting charge of $517.2M.  Totalrevenue for Q4 ‘03 was $164.7M, compared to $171.7M in Q4 ’02.  Operating income was $56.5M, compared to$65.3M for the prior year.  Net incomewas $31.6M, compared to $37M in the year earlier period.  Results for Q4 ’03 were impacted by thetiming of Darlington’s fall Winston Cup event, which was held in Q4 ’02 and Q3’03.  In addition, Q4 ’03 resultsinclude a $2.5M pre-tax charge to reflect CART’s refusal to return the rightsfee previously paid by ISC for the wildfires-canceled California Speedwayevent (ISC).

BUNDESLIGA SEEKING MORE INTERMISSION TIME TO SELL CONCESSIONS

TheAP reports that the German soccer Bundesliga has confirmed that it haswritten FIFA and its regulations committee “asking to change the (halftime)break from 15 to 20 minutes” because the current break does not allow “enoughtime for all fans to be served” at concession stands.  Bundesliga club Werder Bremen CMO Manfred Mueller: “Wehave to extend the stay of fans in the stadium.  In this extra five minutes, the profit in the catering area canbe raised considerably.”  Some coachesand club officials “have opposed the idea, but far more have backed it.”  Bundesliga will take its proposal to FIFA’sFebruary 29 BOD meeting (AP, 1/22).

BUZZER BEATERS

NBCSports today announced that it will broadcast the Daytona 500 on February 15and the NASCAR Busch Series Hershey’s Kisses 300 on February 14 in highdefinition, the first coverage of NASCAR races in the format (NBC).

The Buccaneers today announced that they have signed acontract to conduct their ‘04 training camp at Disney’s Wide World of SportsComplex.  It will be the team’s thirdconsecutive year in Orlando (Buccaneers).

Technology provider AMD today announced a one-yearsponsorship agreement with Lance Armstrong and the USPS Pro CyclingTeam, under which AMD will supply the team with AMD technology (AMD).

TheAP reports that the British Open will return to Carnoustie in ‘07.  The Open was last played on the Scottishlinks course in ‘99, and is “remembered as the championship in which Frenchman JeanVan Der Velde blew a three-stroke lead on the 72^nd hole and thenlost a three-way playoff to Scotsman Paul Lawrie” (AP,1/22).

The OKLAHOMAN reports that Oklahoma Events President Lee AllanSmith “hasbegun working on a pair of Cardinals-Yankees exhibition games in late March2005 at SBC Bricktown Ballpark.”  Smith:“It’s a tough deal with the Yankees because they have their Mets [preseason]series.  The Cardinals are a littleeasier” (OKLAHOMAN,1/22).

TheST. LOUIS BUSINESS JOURNAL reports that owners of the USBL St. Louis Skyhawkswill announce tomorrow that the team is returning to league play “after aseason’s hiatus.”  The team will playits games at St. Louis Community College at Forest Park, running frommid-April through late June (BIZJOURNALS.com,1/22).

MULTICHANNELNEWS notes that two-time Olympic skiing medalist Picabo Street hasjoined Outdoor Life Network as host of “Picabo’s SnowZone,” which debutstonight at 9:00pm ET (MULTICHANNELNEWS.com,1/22).

A LIGHTER BUZZ

TheAP notes that there is “more than one Belichick making news thesedays.”  Belichick the coach enters the Super Bowlwith a 14-game winning streak, while Belichick the horse “will be trying to enda three-race losing streak today in the $34,000 allowance feature at GulfstreamPark.”  Co-Owner and Patriots fan JohnGallo named the horse (AP, 1/22).

TONIGHT’SEVENTS

TheChicago chapter of the National Sports Marketing Network will host a 6:00pm CTpanel discussion, “Putting Fans In Seats: Why Selling More Than Tickets KeepsThem Coming,” at United Center. Blackhawks Exec Dir of Sales & Marketing Jim Sofranko willmoderate a panel that includes Northwestern Univ. Assistant AD/Marketing &Sponsor Services Chris Boyer, Full House Entertainment DatabaseMarketing President Ron Contorno, The Migala Report Editor Dan Migala,Bears Dir of Stadium Sales & Services Jeff Morander and BlackhawksDir of Ticket Sales Doug Ryan.

TheSports Turf Managers Association trade show continues at the Town and CountryResort & Convention Center in San Diego.

CHANNEL SURFING

ESPN2will air the ’04 Int’l Ice Hockey WorldJunior Championship gold medal game at 5:00pm ET.

ESPN2will air NCAA men’s basketball: NorthCarolina-Florida State at 7:00pm ET and Richmond-Kansas at 9:00pm.

TNTwill air Kings-Cavaliers at 7:00pmET and Lakers-Mavericks at 9:30pm.

ESPNwill air Flyers-Rangers at 7:30pmET.  The ’04 NHL All-Star Game rosters will be announced during the firstand second intermissions.

ESPNClassic’s “SportsCentury” will profile DaleEarnhardt at 8:00pm ET.

TheGolf Channel will air “Champions TourSeason Preview” at 8:00pm ET.

NFLNetwork’s condensed“Game of the Week” features Panthers-Eagles at 9:00pm ET.

BuccaneersDT Anthony McFarland, Jaguars QB Byron Leftwich, actor Josh Duhamel and singer Marques Houston are scheduled to appearon FSN’s “BDSSP.”

ESPNwill air a special off-season edition of “Baseball Tonight” at 10:00pmET.

FSNwill air NCAA men’s basketball: Oregon-ArizonaState at 10:30pm ET.

ESPN2will air coverage of the Australian Openat 11:00pm ET.

KnicksPresident Isiah Thomas will appearon NBC’s “Last Call” with Carson Daly at 1:30 am ET.

A&E’s“Biography” will profile Simon Cowell at8:00pm ET.

E!’s“True Hollywood Story” will profile AnnaNicole Smith at 8:00pm ET.

HEADLINERS

Hereare tonight’s headline guests on the following talk shows:

TODAY’S ARTICLES OF INTEREST

USATODAY’s Christine Brennan writes of companies sponsoring athletes, “Are thewinds of change blowing ever so slightly? Kobe Bryant hasnot been convicted of anything — his trial hasn't even begun — yet twosponsors already have dumped him.  WhileBryant is innocent until proven guilty in a court of law, corporations don'tlive by such standards.  Sincecorporations hire people to portray a certain image, they can fire them whenthey don't” (USA TODAY).

TheN.Y. OBSERVER’s Sridhar Pappu writes of former N.Y. Times sportswriters MikeWise, Buster Olney and Mike Freeman, “While all three left for different reasons, their departures expose fault linesin the foundation of a section still seen as significant in growing the paper’snational reach.  Like the MontrealExpos, the paper now finds itself dealing with the unfamiliar scenario ofhaving bred and raised talent, only to see its homegrown stars seek morelucrative or more high-personal-profile posts” (N.Y. OBSERVER).

• Profile of NFL Panthers GM Marty Hurney, a former sportswriter.
• Houston officials expecting at least $1.6M in hotel taxes from the Super Bowl.
• One columnist sides with the NCAA in its case against Jeremy Bloom.
• NHL has become a watered-down product hardly worth viewing.

SeeThe Daily Insider’s Articles OfInterest for more sports business-related links.

TODAY’S TEASER…

SportsBusiness: Whatcable TV and high-speed Internet provider recently acquired naming rights tothe Phillies’ new spring training home in Clearwater, FL?

IN OTHERNEWS…

TheDENVER POST reports that Liberty Media “spent$1.39[B] in stock and cash to amass the single-largest block of shares” in NewsCorp.  Liberty Media “now holds a9.15[%] voting interest in News Corp., and 17[%] of the company overall” (DENVERPOST, 1/22).

ADAGE.comreports that Burger King today “replaced its lead creative shop, Y&RAdvertising, with Crispin Porter & Bogusky.”  Crispin Porter, which “becomes the fifth agency for Burger Kingin just four years,” had capitalized billings last year of $255M. Burger King “spent$80[M] more than that – $335[M] – in measured media, according to TNS MediaIntelligence/CMR.”  Y&R is a WPPGroup Agency (ADAGE.com,1/22).

THE DAILY STAT: PRIMETIME NIELSEN RATINGS

Thefollowing lists the final Nielsen ratings for the top ten primetime shows forthe week of January 12-18.  Alsoprovided are the weekly viewership averages for each net (USA TODAY, 1/22).

…TODAY’S ANSWER

If you have any questions,comments or suggestions, please let us know at:
dailyinsider@sportsbusinessdaily.com

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