<p>REDWOOD CITY, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--July 22, 2004--Fantasy
Football players everywhere are gearing up for the opening snap of the
2004 Fantasy Football season with EA SPORTS(TM) Fantasy Football from
Electronic Arts. Beginning today, July 22nd, fantasy
football fans can sign up at <a href="http://www.easports.com/fantasy">www.easports.com/fantasy</a> for the
authentic, in-depth fantasy football experience that sports fans would
expect from the combined forces of EA SPORTS, the definitive leader in
interactive sports experiences, and STATS, Inc., the world's leading
sports information provider.
<p>"Bringing the fantasy football experience to EA SPORTS is an
exciting event and a natural fit," said Chip Lange, Vice President of
EA SPORTS Nation. "Over the past 12 years EA SPORTS has become the
definitive leader in interactive sports experiences -- spawning an
entire generation of interactive sports junkies. Fantasy Football
provides these legions of sports fans another way to test their sports
skills competitively in the unrivalled EA SPORTS Nation arena."
<p>"STATS' industry leading fantasy game engines, real-time news and
stats, customer service, and hosting infrastructure will ensure the
highest levels of flexibility, accuracy, and availability for EA
SPORTS fantasy game players," said Steve Byrd, Senior Vice President
of STATS, Inc. "STATS is thrilled with the opportunity to partner with
EA SPORTS to take fantasy football to the next level."
<p>The more than 15 million people who play fantasy sports(1) now
have a new choice in fantasy sports. With this inaugural fantasy
football season, EA SPORTS will offer a fully customizable
Commissioner League, as well as an easy-to-play League Manager where
individual fans can take on the rest of the EA SPORTS football
community. The EA SPORTS Football Commissioner offers true fantasy
gurus the highest-quality league management capabilities with
comprehensive customization options, as well as real-time professional
sports news and information. For just $99.99, EA SPORTS Commissioners
can customize the rules and scoring systems for up to 32 team-owners
and receive EA SPORTS gear and a bonus league trophy just for signing
up. Fantasy football participants can spend their Sundays in front of
their personalized home pages, monitoring real-time scores and
statistics provided by STATS, Inc.
<p>The EA SPORTS Public League Manager services will match up 12
players in a league where EA SPORTS picks the rules, and allows
players to showcase their football smarts. For only $9.99, players can
take on the EA SPORTS community for exclusive EA SPORTS awards and the
ultimate fan trip to the all-star game in Hawaii. Complete rules can
be found at <a href="http://www.easports.com/fantasy/football/rules.jsp">http://www.easports.com/fantasy/football/rules.jsp</a>.
<p>Free to all subscribers will be a weekly Pick'em Game, where the
participants who most accurately predict the weekly winning teams will
earn autographed footballs as well as the chance to win another
ultimate fan trip to the all star game in Hawaii. Pick'em Game
entrants can create private groups to compete against their friends,
with trackable worldwide leader boards. Complete rules can be found at
http://www.easports.com/fantasy/football/rules.jsp.
<p>EA SPORTS Fantasy Football league sign ups begin today, July 22nd,
at www.easports.com/fantasy and will continue throughout the early
part of the 2004-2005 NFL season. |
