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EXHIBIT 99
CONTACT: Christine Herbert
Student Advantage, Inc.
212-229-3999, ext. 224
or 917-301-4945
cherbert@studentadvantage.com
-----------------------------
Meredith Mansfield
Connors Communications
212-807-7500
meredith@connors.com
STUDENT ADVANTAGE ANNOUNCES AGREEMENT TO ACQUIRE
UNIVERSITY NETCASTING, CREATOR OF ONLINE COLLEGIATE SPORTS NETWORK,
FANSONLY.COM
BOSTON, MAY 17, 1999 -- Student Advantage, Inc., today announced that
it has entered into an agreement to acquire University Netcasting,
Inc., a provider of Internet-based services to the collegiate
marketplace and creator of The FANSonly(TM) Network -- an aggregator of
collegiate sports communities online.
The acquisition will allow Student Advantage to add sports programming
to its college Web hub, STUDENTADVANTAGE.COM. Through exclusive
contractual relationships, University Netcasting's FANSonly Network is
partnered with universities and athletic associations to represent and
maintain the official Internet presence for each, while providing fans
comprehensive online coverage of collegiate sports. The FANSOnly
Network Official Athletic Sites highlight the information, content and
identity specific to each content provider (university, conference,
sports association), each marketing under its own unique affinity
domain. With the acquisition, University Netcasting partners such as
Notre Dame, Florida State and University of Kentucky will expand
Student Advantage's existing network of affiliate and partner
universities.
"University Netcasting brings to Student Advantage an expertise in
online marketing and community building that adds to the value we
already provide to students, businesses and universities both online
and off," said Raymond Sozzi, founder, president and CEO of
seven-year-old Student Advantage. As a result of the acquisition, Dick
Beedon, University Netcasting's president and chief executive officer
will become executive vice president of sales and business development
for Student Advantage. The majority of University Netcasting's 65
employees will remain in the company's Carlsbad, California and
Atlanta, Georgia offices. The acquisition will bring Student
Advantage's total number of full-time employees to nearly 250.
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Student Advantage/University Netcasting
Page Two
ABOUT FANSONLY AND UNIVERSITY NETCASTING
Based in Carlsbad, Calif., the FANSonly Network is an aggregator of collegiate
sports communities on the Internet. FANSonly provides online brand management
and content delivery to more than 50 university athletic departments in the
country, through the publishing of Official Athletic Sites for each university.
FANSonly.com serves as the network hub, providing comprehensive information on
collegiate sports, including in-depth statistical packages and analysis,
information on collegiate recruiting, team pages on NCAA teams as well as
coverage of collegiate sports, which complements and accentuates the individual
Official Athletic Sites.
ABOUT STUDENT ADVANTAGE, INC.
Student Advantage, Inc. is a leading membership, media and marketing services
company, focused exclusively on the student market. The company has established
a presence both online and off through its college Web hub,
STUDENTADVANTAGE.COM, and The Student Advantage(R) Membership Program. The
company can be reached by telephone at 617-912-2011, by email at
INFO@STUDENTADVANTAGE.COM or on the World Wide Web at WWW.STUDENTADVANTAGE.COM.
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