Seattle-based Seasonticket.com, which "delivers
personalized sports-highlight shows" over the Internet,
launched its Web site yesterday, "padded" by exclusive
partnerships with MLB, the NHL and a "high-profile" BOD,
including Starbucks Founder & Chair Howard Schultz,
according to Monica Soto of the SEATTLE TIMES.
Seasonticket.com "is attempting to find a niche in a field
that includes" ESPN.com, CNNSI.com and CBS SportsLine, and
is "teeming with upstarts" such as Seattle-based Rivals.com.
Soto adds that the company's business centers on
"Onecasting," a technology that allows users to customize
streaming video, news, scores and statistics in one site.
The company "plans to offer" a subscription service that
would have "richer" content "within a year." Seasonticket.
com co-Founder & CEO Carl Weinstein said that the company
also "plans to make money co-branding" its service with
leagues and other online-media companies, from subscriptions
and "'Net spots,' TV-like ads targeted to the user."
Weinstein, on the company's rights to use league highlight
video: "ESPN, CNN and Fox don't have the content rights we
have." The company also recently named Chris Bevilacqua as
Senior VP/Strategic Development (SEATTLE TIMES, 5/16).
BUILDING A WYNNE-ER: In Portland, Andy Dworkin notes
L.A.-based eteamz.com today will name former adidas America
CEO Steve Wynne as Chair & CEO (see THE DAILY, 5/15).
Wynne: "I have mixed feelings about whether jumping into
something this soon is a good idea. Mostly I'm attracted to
it because it's a chance to build a business and actually do
something worthwhile." Wynne said that eteamz "will need
about" $30M in additional capital, and "in the long run, ...
the company aims to make money selling ads and services,
such as making schedules, and might refer users to companies
or Web sites selling sporting goods for a commission."
Wynne: "Like all companies, you'd like to go to the public
market at some point. But this isn't something where we're
looking to build it and flip it" (Portland OREGONIAN, 5/16).
