Cingular Wireless, continuing its push of using its wireless technology to distribute sports content to its customers, will announce today that it has reached a deal to become the official wireless sponsor of Jayski.com, one of the leading racing news sites on the Web.
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| Deal puts Jayski at Cingular users’ fingertips. |
The deal makes Cingular, which earlier this month launched its wireless PGA Tour Portal, the exclusive wireless licensee to all Jayski content. Cingular began offering Jayski content to its 51.6 million customers last week and will continue through the end of 2005.
Terms of the deal were not released, but Jay Adamcyzk, founder of Jayski, said he is already in discussions about extending the deal for 2006.
Cingular customers who opt in by text-messaging “RACE” to “7215” will have the option to receive the weekly alerts that will include regular race summaries for the remaining races, as well as breaking news updates and garage gossip. Cingular will have the right to use the Jayski logo and likeness to promote the partnership.
Jayski, launched in 1996, reached a deal last year to be hosted by espn.com and has since doubled its readership to more than 10 million page views a month, Adamcyzk said. He added that the ESPN and Cingular deals raise awareness for the site and provide “legitimacy to fan-based sites.”
Clay Owen, a spokesman for Cingular, said the deal gives the company a “big avenue to connect with NASCAR fans.”
The Jayski deal marks the second high-profile sports content partnership for Cingular this month. On Aug. 8, Cingular launched its wireless PGA Tour Portal, which gives its customers access to scores and other up-to-date golf-related information.
Whereas Cingular has an official relationship with the PGA Tour, it is restricted in what it can do with NASCAR because of the sanctioning body’s series sponsorship with Sprint Nextel, a Cingular competitor. Nextel has exclusivity within the category.
Owen said Cingular is “compelled to look at alternative marketing initiatives” like this direct-content deal and its sponsorship of segments of race broadcasts. Cingular also is primary sponsor for Jeff Burton’s No. 31 Richard Childress Racing entry.
