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Yahoo! Sports Kicks Off 2004 Fantasy Football Season SUNNYVALE, Calif. --(Business Wire)-- July 12, 2004 -- The Web's #1 Fantasy Football Site Offers New Features and New Games to Millions of UsersPro football players are still enjoying their summer vacations, but millions of fantasy football "general managers" can now get back to work as Yahoo! Inc. (Nasdaq:YHOO) today announced the launch of its 2004 Yahoo! Sports Fantasy Football games. In 2003, Yahoo! Sports (http://sports.yahoo.com) attracted more than three million fantasy football players, making it the most popular fantasy football game on the Web(1). This year, more features, more games -- including a new Salary Cap Football game -- and an improved user experience will give Yahoo! Sports users one of the broadest, most comprehensive fantasy football product offerings on the Internet. In addition, Yahoo! Sports' "DRAFT ME" campaign is kicking off this month, featuring several pro football stars vying to be this year's top fantasy draft pick. Featuring complete league customization, real-time stats and a wealth of expert analysis, Yahoo! Sports' fantasy football games offer fans an easy-to-use, comprehensive and in-depth fantasy experience in both free and premium versions. Registration for both free Fantasy Football and Fantasy Football PLUS is under way now and will continue through Friday, October 15. Sign-ups for Yahoo! Sports Salary Cap Football will begin in early August. "We're excited to once again offer our millions of users the most customizable and easy-to-use fantasy football experience on the Web," said Brian Grey, general manager of Yahoo! Sports. "Our users made us the Internet's most popular fantasy football game last year and we look forward to giving them more features, more games and an even better user experience this season." Fantasy Football PLUS Players seeking the best in comprehensive fantasy football content, real-time scoring and league customization need to look no further than Yahoo! Sports Fantasy Football PLUS. The real-time StatTracker(TM), comprehensive analysis tools, increased customization options, wireless access and more editorial content highlight the site's premium game, which also offers players a game environment free of advertising. -0- *T Key features of Yahoo! Sports Fantasy Football PLUS include: -- StatTracker(TM) This popular application lets you keep track of important team and league statistics as they happen, including individual performances, league standings, head-to-head game scores and more. -- More Competition, More Control Yahoo! Sports lets users customize statistical categories, trade deadlines, roster sizes, position breakdowns, divisions and more. Complete commissioner controls are available to users at the click of a mouse, making Yahoo! Sports Fantasy Football PLUS one of the Web's most customizable fantasy football games. -- Superior User Experience If fantasy players are searching for a visually dynamic game experience free from banner and pop-up ads, Yahoo! Sports Fantasy Football PLUS is the perfect place to play. The game features a new look and feel, and a number of new product upgrades that will give fantasy owners one of the most comprehensive experiences on the Web. -- Premium Features From weekly newsletter updates and draft kits to a custom Fantasy Buzz Index and wireless access, PLUS users will enjoy a constant supply of fantasy news, features and statistics. Users also have flexible pricing options: $24.95 per team and $124.95 for a league of up to 20 teams. In addition, users can buy one team and then receive a 50% discount for each additional team purchased. *T Premium Add-Ons In addition to Fantasy Football PLUS, users can also select to play Yahoo! Sports Fantasy Football -- the site's free game -- and purchase specific premium features on an a la carte basis. A few of the most popular premium add-ons are: -- StatTracker(TM): $9.95 -- Weekly KFFL Fantasy Newsletter: $19.95 -- FantasyGuru.com Draft Kit: $9.99 -- Weekly Game Center: $10.99 -- Wireless Access: $3.95 Salary Cap Football In August, Yahoo! Sports will also debut its first-ever football salary cap game, giving users an alternative to traditional "draft and trade" fantasy football games. Yahoo! Sports Salary Cap Football will be free to all users and allow participants to buy players while staying within a firm team budget. The players' statistics are tracked similarly to traditional "draft and trade" fantasy games, with the winner earning the most fantasy points at season's end. Expert Analysis Brandon Funston, Yahoo! Sports' newest fantasy analyst, will join current gurus Mike Harmon and Matt Romig to deliver a wealth of fantasy news and feature stories to users. In 2004, fantasy players can expect to hear, see and read more of Funston, Harmon and Romig, including more columns, regular appearances on Yahoo! Sports' "SportStream" webcast show and guest interviews on national and local talk radio shows throughout the season. About Fantasy Football Fantasy football allows users to build a roster of professional football players -- through drafts, trades and free-agent signings -- and then watch as the team's success is measured by the on-field statistics of the players. Users can participate in public leagues or create their own custom league with family, friends or co-workers. The popularity of Yahoo! Sports' Fantasy Football games has been on the rise, with more than three million users participating in either the site's free or premium games in 2003. Overall, the number of fantasy sports players has also continued to grow. A recent Fantasy Sports Trade Association survey (August 2003), conducted in conjunction with the Ipsos-Reid Group, claimed that more than 15 million Americans play fantasy sports each year. Since its inception in 1998, the Yahoo! Sports fantasy franchise has grown to include games for football, baseball, basketball, hockey, golf and auto racing. In all, the games are played by millions of users each year in both full-season, "Survival" and "Pick'em" formats. Yahoo! Sports has continued to maintain a free game option for every fantasy game on its site, making it one of the few fantasy sports destinations online that allows every fan the chance to get in the game for free. About Yahoo! Sports Yahoo! Sports, the No. 2 sports site on the Web(2), offers a fast, live and interactive experience for sports fans online. With original fantasy games, real-time scores and breaking news features, Yahoo! Sports is the destination of choice for over 8.5 million fans each month(2). A leading marketing partner for sports organizations and sponsors, Yahoo! Sports offers customized programs to help advertisers build brand loyalty with sports fans. Yahoo! Sports has relationships with the NBA, Sports Illustrated Interactive, The Sporting News, USA Today, MLS, MLBPA and Player's, Inc. About Yahoo! Yahoo! Inc. (Nasdaq:YHOO) is a leading provider of comprehensive online products and services to consumers and businesses worldwide. Yahoo! is the No. 1 Internet brand globally and the most trafficked Internet destination worldwide. Headquartered in Sunnyvale, Calif., Yahoo!'s global network includes 25 world properties and is available in 13 languages. Yahoo! and the Yahoo! logo are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of Yahoo! Inc. All other names are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of their respective owners. (1) Neilsen Netratings: October 2003 Survey (2) Neilsen Netratings: Average monthly unique users in 2004 |
