Latest Update: November 16, 2000

Broadband Sports Acquires Action Sports Network

(WARNING: the following is a PRESS RELEASE which means it could include all kinds of hair brained, corporate machinations. Beware!)

LOS ANGELES, Nov. 16 -- Broadband Sports, a leading sports media company that produces and distributes proprietary sports content, has acquired Action Sports Network, one of the largest online sites dedicated to the rapidly growing extreme sports industry. Broadband Sports is combining the assets of its FreeStyleDirect division, which produces the official sites for many of the biggest stars in extreme sports -- such as Kelly Slater, Bucky Lasek, Dave Mirra and Fabiola da Silva -- with the three sites within the Action Sports Network -- surflink.com, snowboardlink.com and skateboardlink.com.

The combined Broadband Sports and Action Sports Network extreme sports content will create one of the largest online content offerings for the more than 50 million fans that make up the core extreme sports fan base. The content will be available at www.freestyledirect.com, www.surflink.com, www.snowboardlink.com and www.skateboardlink.com. Through Action Sports Network's long relationship with AOL, Broadband Sports will also become a primary content provider for the AOL Extreme Sports area and at AOL Keywords surfing, skateboarding, snowboarding and extreme sports.

Founded in 1994, Action Sports Network is one of the oldest content sites on the Internet and one of the original AOL Greenhouse companies. Its vast content offering includes original articles, photos, Web cams and other community features. The Action Sports Network properties have consistently been among the top Websites in their categories for the last five years.

Broadband Sports plans to re-launch a new site in early 2001 that will completely integrate the Action Sports Network properties into FreeStyleDirect. The site will cover six popular extreme sport disciplines -- surfing, snowboarding, skateboarding, inline skating, motocross and BMX. It will combine the original first person content of its FreeStyleDirect athletes with the editorial coverage and popular Web cams of Action Sports Network's surflink.com, skateboardlink.com and snowboardlink.com sites.

"Building on the early success of our FreeStyleDirect division, we're extending our extreme sports category with cutting edge content from Action Sports Network," commented Broadband Sports' Greg Hebner, Vice President and General Manager of AthletesDirect. "The combined assets create the most extensive content offering in this fast growing category and an opportunity for advertisers to reach this valuable audience of extreme sports fans."

"Broadband Sports is creating the most comprehensive extreme sports presence on the Internet with the integration of the Action Sports Network properties," explained Mark Bertignoli, Founder and President of Action Sports Network. "Through Broadband Sports' distribution, technology and extreme sports content, FreeStyleDirect is positioned to quickly become the leader in this fast growing industry." As part of the acquisition, Mark Bertignoli will join Broadband Sports as its Action Sports Director.

The extreme sports market has grown steadily over the past five years, and its popularity continues to surge. According to a 1999 Harris Interactive Survey, there are more than 57 million extreme sport participants in the U.S. and more than $13 billion of extreme sports equipment was purchased in 1999 according to the Sporting Goods Manufacturing Association.

About Broadband Sports

Broadband Sports is a leading sports media company dedicated to serving the hardcore sports fan. The company uses its direct access to the world's top athletes and sports journalists to develop the most comprehensive and in-depth sports-related content, commerce and subscription-based services for the Internet's top portals, sports sites, and satellite and broadcast outlets. Broadband Sports' content can be accessed through leading Internet and broadcast providers, including AOL, eBay, DirecTV, Fox Sports, Lycos, Global Sports and Yahoo!, as well as through its own multimedia properties. Broadband Sports currently operates four online media divisions: AthletesDirect (www.athletesdirect.com), a leading provider of official athlete Websites; SportsWritersDirect, a leading source of in-depth team and player information; RotoNewsDirect (www.rotonewsdirect.com), a leading provider of fantasy sports information and services; and SportsAuthenticsDirect (www.sportsauthenticsdirect.com), an Internet retailer of sports collectibles and merchandise.

Broadband Sports, Inc. is headquartered in Santa Monica, California, and has offices in the San Francisco area and New York City.