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NHL and STATS Announce Data Partnership; STATS to Serve as Official Data Source; Partnership Also Includes Video Highlights and NHL.com EnhancementsNEW YORK & MORTON GROVE, Ill. --(Business Wire)-- Sept. 29, 2005 -- The National Hockey League and STATS LLC, the world's leading sports information provider, today announced an in-depth partnership involving the NHL's statistical data and video highlights. In this new alliance, STATS will operate as the exclusive third-party licensor of the league's real-time data feed as well as a licensor of the NHL's video highlights. STATS will provide data and player statistics for use on the nhl.com website as both parties work to explore fan-friendly complements to the site. In addition, STATS will provide its flexible XML data feed to each NHL arena for scoreboard and press box use. "NHL fans are always looking for more and better information about our game. We can imagine no better resource for them than STATS and the wealth of NHL information they'll provide to NHL.com and other outlets," said Keith Ritter, President of NHL ICE. "STATS is extremely pleased to help spearhead the NHL's effort to provide deeper and more accessible statistical information and highlights to its fans all around the world," said STATS CEO, Gary Walrath. "STATS is eager to bring to the NHL its powerful reach into multimedia platforms such wireless, internet and broadcast and interactive television." STATS will enjoy worldwide rights to market, license and distribute NHL data, along with rights to market, license and distribute video highlights via the internet. Further, STATS will have the right to market, license and distribute video highlights via wireless applications outside of North America. Plans also exist for STATS to create, in conjunction with the NHL, an expanded, state-of-the art, in-game graphics solution for use during television broadcasts of NHL games. About STATS LLC STATS LLC offers the best from sports information leaders AP MegaSports and STATS, Inc. The combination offers unparalleled packages of premium sports content from sports scores and statistics to editorial content. STATS' MegaSports product offers customers breaking sports news from AP's national wire, game previews, photos and audio content, scores, schedules and a variety of other sports-related content in a digital format. STATS' SportsPower is a rip n' read service provided to broadcasters. STATS' innovative sports information solutions are utilized in numerous business segments: professional teams; sports broadcast production, cable and satellite networks; interactive television; broadband, wireless and internet; game developers and fantasy sports providers; print media and wire services. STATS is owned jointly by the Associated Press and News Corporation. http://biz.stats.com. About the NHL The National Hockey League, founded November 22, 1917, is the second oldest of the four major team sports leagues in North America. The NHL consists of 30 Member Clubs based in the United States and Canada. More than 33 percent of NHL players hail from outside North America from 22 different countries. Through the NHL Foundation, the League's charitable arm, the NHL raises money and awareness for Hockey Fights Cancer, Hockey's All-Star Kids and NHL Diversity, and supports the charitable efforts of all NHL players. For more information on the NHL, fans may log on to NHL.com. |
