The NFL's official Web site production deal with
Starwave Corp. has expired "opening the door" for SportsLine
USA to potentially make a bid, according to James Gaskin of
INTERACTIVE WEEK. But insiders say the online bidding
rights aren't expected to go "too high." INTERACTIVE WEEK
also profiles IBM's Interactive Media Group, which built the
Super Bowl.com site (INTERACTIVE WEEK, 2/9 issue).
MORE NOTES: ESPN SportsZone announced that its Fantasy
Baseball '98 will include the Internet's only live draft and
custom box scores. ESPN reports that sales and revenue for
all its online fantasy games rose over 400% in '97 (ESPN).
...The official Web site of the WTA Tour had its most active
month to date following the Australian Open. The site
averaged 63,550 hits a day, totaling 875,284 hits during the
two weeks in Melbourne, providing a 24% increase in traffic
over the previous best week during the '97 U.S. Open (WTA).
...VA-based VersaNet Int'l signed a three-year deal to be an
official sponsor and provider of Internet services for the
ECHL's web site, www.echl.com (ECHL)....Knight Ridder has
launched www.thatsracin.com, which will provide daily,
independent NASCAR news supplied by journalist and
photographers from Knight Ridder papers (thatsracin).
