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Nextel, Digital Orchid and Turner Sports Interactive Partner to Provide NASCAR.COM Content on Nextel Phones; Wireless NASCAR.COM Service Now Available on Nextel Phones RESTON, Va. --(Business Wire)-- April 5, 2004 -- Nextel Communications Inc. (NASDAQ:NXTL) the leading provider of fully integrated wireless communications services, Digital Orchid Inc., an innovator in the development, management and distribution of branded wireless applications, and NASCAR.COM, a division of Turner Sports Interactive, today announced that a suite of real-time wireless NASCAR.COM content applications and services are available to consumers on mobile devices offered on the Nextel network.NASCAR.COM TO GO is a subscription service that gives members access to view and share a variety of real-time NASCAR.COM content via their wireless devices. Subscribers receive breaking news and features from NASCAR.COM's reporters, qualifying and race results, series standings, driver updates, as well as NASCAR.COM's live timing and scoring leaderboard service. These services are a natural extension of our business and will use our core product to deliver on our promise to enhance the fan experience, said Mark Schweitzer, senior vice president of marketing for Nextel. We know how passionate NASCAR fans are about their sport and that instant and to-the-minute access to information is key to that connection. This partnership with Nextel and Digital Orchid will allow us to deliver NASCAR.COM content anytime, anywhere, ensuring that NASCAR fans will never have to miss any of the action, regardless of where they happen to be, said Drew Reifenberger, executive vice president, Turner Sports Program Planning, Acquisitions and Interactive. We are excited to have Nextel as our partner for the NASCAR.COM wireless services. Applications like NASCAR.COM TO GO are key components of Nextel's sponsorship of the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series, allowing all Nextel data users to access NASCAR.COM content in real-time on their mobile phone, said Cindy Sisson, senior vice president of marketing and co-founder of Digital Orchid. Services available to Nextel subscribers includes NASCAR.COM Mobile, a wireless web site with NASCAR.COM news and NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series content, NASCAR.COM Alerts, a wireless messaging alert service that provides subscribers breaking news and event results, and NASCAR.COM TO GO, the first wireless java application created just for the NASCAR fan. NASCAR.COM TO GO is available on select Java-enabled color screen Nextel handsets, including the limited-edition NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series phones. NASCAR.COM TO GO can be previewed and purchased at www.NASCAR.COM/mobile. NASCAR.COM TO GO is also preloaded on all 2004 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series phones and all 2004 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series Drivers phones. Nextel i730 and i733 customers can download NASCAR.COM TO GO at no cost at www.iDENUpdate.com (1) To activate the subscription on 2004 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series phones and all 2004 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series Drivers phones simply click on the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series icon on the home page and click on the Get NASCAR.COM TO GO link. To activate the subscription on i730 and i733 phones, click on Net then Web Sites then Sports then Nextel Cup and then finally click on the Get NASCAR.COM TO GO link. (2) (1) Additional subscription fee of $9.99 for NASCAR.COM TO GO applies (2) Subscription service to Nextel Online Racing Connection data plan or any Nextel Online Web Access and Total Connect plan required. About Nextel Nextel Communications, a FORTUNE 200 company based in Reston, Va., is a leading provider of fully integrated wireless communications services and has built the largest guaranteed all-digital wireless network in the country covering thousands of communities across the United States. Today 95 percent of FORTUNE 500(R) companies are Nextel customers. Nextel and Nextel Partners, Inc. currently serve 294 of the top 300 U.S. markets where approximately 250 million people live or work. About Turner Sports Interactive Turner Sports Interactive is the exclusive producer of NASCAR.com and PGA.com. The company acquired all of NASCAR's interactive rights in October 2000 and became the exclusive producer of NASCAR.com in January 2001. NASCAR.com is one of the fastest growing sports sites on the Web, consistently ranking among the top three sport sites on the Internet. In 2003, NASCAR.com was awarded an Emmy(R) by the National Television Academy for its TrackPass with PitCommand application. They acquired the PGA's interactive rights in June 2002 and immediately assumed exclusive production of PGA.com. Turner Sports Interactive bases its staff in the CNN Center in Atlanta, with additional NASCAR.com personnel in Charlotte and Daytona and at the tracks, giving them the ability to break news. About Digital Orchid San Diego-based Digital Orchid is in the business of building, managing and distributing unique branded wireless applications for the mobile industry. The company provides the leadership necessary to enable the wireless industry to successfully make the transition from offering traditional circuit switched voice services to advanced packet switched data services. The company's systems integration approach to the production and distribution of wireless online services eliminates the barriers that have limited the adoption of wireless applications in the past. Specifically, the company develops sophisticated suites of applications, leverages carrier relationships, integrates various technological components and uses the already established marketing channels of large brands to create a unique experience for the mobile user. In addition, the company enables new marketing and distribution opportunities for both the carriers and the brands, thereby increasing the number of subscribers who can access Digital Orchid solutions. |
