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NEW YORK - June 12, 2008 - The AST, the umbrella brand and organization of today''s most prestigious action sports events, today announced that NowWhat.com has signed a multi-year deal as an associate sponsor of the AST Dew Tour. The first stop of the 2008 AST Dew Tour season kicks off in Baltimore, June 19-22 at Camden Yards Sports Complex.
NowWhat.com is an interactive advertising campaign owned and sponsored by State Farm. The NowWhat campaign focuses on young adults and providing them information on insurance needs and products. As an associate sponsor, NowWhat.com receives Tour-wide category exclusivity and fully integrated marketing benefits, television ads, print promotion, event signage and branding, online assets, grassroots marketing elements, hospitality, and inclusion in the Tour''s multi-million dollar marketing campaign. In addition, NowWhat.com will host three After-Dark parties; featuring live musical performances that will stream live on NowWhat.com throughout the ''08 Dew Tour season.
"We are excited to have NowWhat.com join our roster of sponsors," said Wade Martin, AST president. "We believe it is a great fit and look forward to the many opportunities the relationship provides to market and promote the Tour and NowWhat.com."
"We are very excited to have our NowWhat.com campaign be associated with the AST Dew Tour," said Ed Gold, Advertising Director for State Farm. "This is a great opportunity to effectively reach a key target audience of ours, by engaging them directly through sponsorship and the after-dark concert events that will not just reach those on-site but Dew Tour fans everywhere by showcasing the performances on NowWhat.com."
NowWhat.com will be joining Verizon Wireless, Ball Park, Mongoose, and Nike 6.0 as an associate sponsor.
The complete 2008 AST Dew Tour schedule is as follows:
Event Date Location
Panasonic Open June 19-22 Baltimore, Md.-Camden Yards Sports Complex
Right Guard Open July 17-20 Cleveland, OH-North Coast Harbor
Wendy''s Invitational Aug. 21-24 Portland, Ore.-Rose Quarter
Toyota Challenge Sept. 11-14 Salt Lake City, UT-EnergySolutions Arena
PlayStation® Pro Oct. 16-19 Orlando, Fla.-Amway Arena
Entering its fourth year, the AST Dew Tour is the most watched and attended action sports property in the world. Attendance for the 2007 AST Dew Tour totaled 280,000 and an average of 41 million viewers tuned in via NBC and USA each year. The top athletes in the world will take part in this year''s Tour, all competing for the highly coveted Dew Cup that will be awarded in Orlando at season''s end to champions in each of the six disciplines. The 2007 Dew Cup winners include Nate Adams (Freestyle Motocross), Jamie Bestwick (BMX Vert), Ryan Nyquist (BMX Dirt), Daniel Dhers (BMX Park), Shaun White (Skateboard Vert) and Ryan Sheckler (Skateboard Park).
AST
The Action Sports Tour (AST), owned by NBC Sports and MTV Networks, is the recently created umbrella brand and organization of the world''s most prestigious action sports events. Currently the AST consists of two national tours, one international event and an amateur series: AST Dew Tour (debuted in 2005), AST Winter Dew Tour (debuting in 2008), AST China (debuting in 2008), and Free Flow Tour (debuted in 2005). The AST properties are home to 280,000 spectators each year and broadcast in 100 countries and 280 million homes worldwide. The AST Dew Tour consists of five major, multi-sport events spanning across the country, with a cumulative points system, a $2.5 million competitive purse - the largest in action sports - and an additional $1 million bonus pool. Each event features skateboarding (park and vert), BMX (park, vert, and dirt) and freestyle motocross. At seasons end, the overall point''s leaders in the six disciplines are crowned year-end champions and awarded the prestigious Dew Cup. Key lifestyle elements at each Tour event include the Festival village, specialty competitions, and live cutting edge music. The AST Dew Tour partners include Mountain Dew (tour title sponsor); and Panasonic, Right Guard Xtreme, Wendy''s, Toyota and PlayStation® (event title sponsors). Associate sponsors include Ball Park, Mongoose®, Nike 6.0, NowWhat.com and Verizon Wireless. More information can be found at www.ast.com.
NBC Universal
NBC Universal is one of the world''s leading media and entertainment companies in the development, production, and marketing of entertainment, news, and information to a global audience. Formed in May 2004 through the combining of NBC and Vivendi Universal Entertainment, NBC Universal owns and operates the No. 1 television network, the fastest-growing Spanish-language network, a valuable portfolio of news and entertainment networks, a premier motion picture company, significant television production operations, a leading television stations group, and world-renowned theme parks. NBC Universal is 80%-owned by General Electric, with 20% controlled by Vivendi Universal.
MTV Networks
MTV Networks, a unit of Viacom (NYSE: VIA, VIA.B), is one of the world''s leading creators of programming and content across all media platforms. MTV Networks, with more than 150 channels worldwide, owns and operates the following television programming services - MTV: MUSIC TELEVISION, MTV2, VH1, mtvU, NICKELODEON, NICK at NITE, LOGO, COMEDY CENTRAL, TV LAND, SPIKE TV, CMT, NOGGIN, THE N, VH1 CLASSIC, MTVN INTERNATIONAL and THE DIGITAL SUITE FROM MTV NETWORKS, a package of 13 digital services, all of these networks trademarks of MTV Networks. MTV Networks connects with its audiences through its robust consumer products businesses and its more than 300 interactive properties worldwide, including online, broadband, wireless and interactive television services and also has licensing agreements, joint ventures, and syndication deals whereby all of its programming services can be seen worldwide.
About NowWhat.com
NowWhat.com is an interactive advertising campaign sponsored by State Farm that provides young adults with auto, renter''s and other insurance information. NowWhat.com also features exclusive behind-the-scenes footage and photos from NowWhat sponsored events. NowWhat.com is a product of State Farm Insurance. For more information, please visit http://www.nowwhat.com.
About State Farm
State Farm® insures more cars and homes than any other insurer in the U.S., is the leading insurer of watercraft and is also a leading insurer in Canada. State Farm''s 17,000 agents and 67,000 employees serve 80 million auto, fire, life and health policies in the United States and Canada, and more than 1.9 million bank accounts. State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company is the parent of the State Farm family of companies. State Farm is ranked No. 32 on the Fortune 500 list of largest companies. For more information, please visit statefarm.com® or in Canada statefarm.ca®.
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