ACSSports.com, which develops Web sites for two dozen
sports organizations, "laid off its staff" on September 18,
and there "were conflicting accounts of merger possibilities
that could save the company," according to Noah Liberman of
the SPORTSBUSINESS JOURNAL. One source said that the
company "was close to consummating a merger with" UT-based
holding company Ecom Corp. Meanwhile, the teams "were
prepared to turn over the hosting of their sites to backup
companies if necessary, in order to ensure uninterrupted
publication" (SPORTSBUSINESS JOURNAL, 9/25).
ONLINE NOTES: DirecTV purchased a $5M equity stake in
Quokka Sports, which will develop the next platform for
DirecTV's interactive sports programming (HOLLYWOOD
REPORTER, 9/25)....USA TODAY's Karen Thomas cites findings
from a survey of 12,751 adults between March 1 and August 20
by Pew Internet & American Life Project indicate that "half
of U.S. adults are not online," as 57% have "little or no
interest in getting online" and "more than" one in ten
adults who are not online "tried the Net before
disconnecting." IMG CEO Mark McCormack does not use e-mail
and "shuns the impersonal nature of technology." McCormack:
"Any form of business relationship has to have the personal
element. So often people use technology and e-mail because
they're more comfortable with that" (USA TODAY, 9/25).
