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Summus and Churchill Downs Incorporated Bring the 'Greatest Two Minutes in Sports' to the Mobile Phone; The Best Horse-Racing in the World is Now Available as a Game for Your Mobile PhoneRALEIGH, N.C. --(Business Wire)-- May 2, 2005 -- Summus, Inc.(OTCBB: SMMU), a leading provider of mobile media applications that optimize the consumer wireless experience, and Churchill Downs Incorporated (NASDAQ: CHDN), a leader in thoroughbred racing from coast to coast, have created an exciting and challenging horse racing game for the mobile phone subscriber. Kentucky Derby(R) Championship Racing is now available on Java-enabled Sprint PCS Vision handsets for a one time download fee of $4.99. Additional carriers will be launching the game in the coming months. Mobile gamers can experience the exhilaration and challenge of horseracing with Kentucky Derby Championship Racing, where players become the jockey and manage their horse's rise through the ranks amongst several Churchill Downs tracks to earn a position to race in the Kentucky Derby. Players control their position on the track, their position against other horses and their energy levels to finish the race strongly. This game is designed for different levels of play, giving novices or old pro's a chance to win the Kentucky Derby, known worldwide as the "Greatest Two Minutes in Sports". This exciting horse-racing game incorporates help screens that educate users on the terminology and skills needed to win, all the way to the roses. Winners can see how they stack up against the competition on the leader-board at www.phonederby.com. The website also offers Kentucky Derby and Churchill Downs Incorporated wallpapers and ringtones that let users feel like they are a part of the action. Players can visit this website to discuss the game on the chat forum, view a complete game demonstration, and learn about future contests and prizes that top players can earn. Kentucky Derby Championship Racing has been launched to coincide with Churchill Downs Incorporated's premier race, the $2 million Kentucky Derby (Grade I), which will enjoy its 131st renewal on May 7, 2005, at Churchill Downs racetrack in Louisville, Ky. The Kentucky Derby is the oldest, continuously held sporting event in North America and is widely regarded as the greatest horse race in the world. In 2004, attendance at the Kentucky Derby reached 140,054, making it one of the largest attended Derby Days in the event's history. According to Street & Smith's Sports Business Journal, more than 31 million people attended racing events in 2004. In a year when most sports events saw ratings declines, horse racing attendance and viewership via broadcast and cable programming set record highs. "Churchill Downs Incorporated's mission is to provide the highest quality horse racing and entertainment experience to horse racing fans everywhere," said Tyrone E. Tubbs, vice president of sales for Churchill Downs Incorporated. "Being able to experience the excitement of horse racing as a game on your mobile phone continues to extend our reach to sports and race enthusiasts." "Summus continues to provide wireless customers with fresh, cutting-edge games like Kentucky Derby Championship Racing," said Gary Ban, CEO of Summus. "Working with premier brands such as Churchill Downs Incorporated and the Kentucky Derby allows us to expand our gaming strategy by introducing a new audience to wireless games." The number of people playing games on cell phones in the United States last year jumped to 18.7 million from 10.6 million in 2003. Cell phone games are expected to grow from $345 million in revenues in 2004 to $1.5 billion in 2008 in the United States alone, according to market research firm IDC. Informa Media Group, a London-based media and telecommunications research firm, says that worldwide cell phone games sales could reach about $1 billion in 2005 and $4 billion in 2007, compared with $584 million in 2003. About Churchill Downs Incorporated Churchill Downs Incorporated, headquartered in Louisville, Ky., owns and operates world-renowned horse racing venues throughout the United States. The Company's seven racetracks in California, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky and Louisiana host 121 graded-stakes events and many of North America's most prestigious races, including the Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Oaks, Hollywood Gold Cup and Arlington Million. CDI racetracks have hosted nine Breeders' Cup World Thoroughbred Championships - more than any other North American racing company. CDI also owns off-track betting facilities and has interests in various television production, telecommunications and racing services companies that support CDI's network of simulcasting and racing operations. CDI trades on the Nasdaq National Market under the symbol CHDN and can be found on the Internet at www.churchilldownsincorporated.com. About Summus Summus is a leading provider of mobile media applications that optimize the consumer wireless experience. Summus partners with leading content brands to develop compelling and unique wireless applications and content for the mobile phone, focused within the most popular areas of growth, including photo-messaging, multi-player games, news/information and personalization. Summus currently offers an ever-growing list of 28 mobile phone applications deployed through 41 major wireless carriers in the U.S and abroad. Summus designs and develops these applications with the industry's most intuitive navigation that is designed for a consistently superior user experience. For more information, see www.summus.com. This press release contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties concerning Summus' business, products, and financial results. Actual results may differ materially from the results predicted. More information about potential risk factors that could affect our business, products, and financial results is included in Summus' annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2004, and in reports subsequently filed by Summus with the Securities and Exchange Commission("SEC"). All documents are available through the SEC's Electronic Data Gathering Analysis and Retrieval system (EDGAR) at www.sec.gov or from Summus' web site at www.summus.com. Summus hereby disclaims any obligation to publicly update the information provided above, including forward-looking statements, to reflect subsequent events or circumstances. All trademarks and/or registered trademarks are the property of their respective owners. |
