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NBA Teams With Zed to Expand Mobile Content Offerings

(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20080910/AQW047)

The NBA has been a longtime leader in utilizing the mobile medium to connect with fans both in the U.S. and internationally. While expanding the NBA's overall mobile reach to more than 20 countries, the agreement will also mark the first-time comprehensive NBA mobile features will be available to fans in many countries including theUnited Kingdom,Spain,Italy andGermany along withRussia and select countries inAsia.

"We are excited to work with Zed to further expand our mobile offerings and allow NBA fans to stay connected to our game, wherever they are," said Attila Gazdag, senior vice president of global media distribution for the NBA. "Zed's mobile expertise in both global and local markets will help us reach more fans, with more content, than ever before."

"The NBA has a loyal following around the world, and we look forward to offering mobile-friendly NBA content and applications as the leading mobile content company with a strong presence in more than 50 countries," said Javier Perez Dolset, founder and chairman of Zed. "As we continue to strengthen our global entertainment offerings, this new relationship will introduce new opportunities to deliver a more compelling mobile experience for NBA fans worldwide."

Throughout the year, basketball fans will be able to enjoy a suite of NBA mobile content, brought to their mobile by Zed, including video highlights, wallpapers for all 30 teams and ringtones. Along with NBA scores, statistics and news, fans will eventually be able to access a series of casual NBA games, create avatars, blog, join community platforms and develop user-generated content (UGC).

Overall, the NBA will leverage Zed's extensive distribution channels, which include agreements with more than 130 carriers worldwide. NBA content will also be pushed through Zed's direct-to-consumer offerings, including RingToneJukeBox.com, and the widely popular on-deck application, WallPaper JukeBox in the U.S. and Zed's mobile subscription service, in the U.S.,Europe andAsia.

About Zed

Zed develops and markets entertainment and community products and services for mobile and the Internet. The company is the leading mobile value-added services (MVAS) player in the world in terms of revenue and geographical footprint. Zed operates in 53 countries, includingEurope's largest markets, USA andChina and holds agreements with 130 wireless operators all over the world.

For further information visit: http://www.zed.biz or http://www.zed.com

About the NBA

The NBA, founded in 1946, is a global sports and entertainment brand that features 30 teams inthe United States andCanada. During the 2007-08 season, NBA games reached 215 countries and territories in 41 languages. The league's worldwide reach was also reflected last season in the 76 international players from 31 countries and territories on NBA rosters. Domestically, the NBA broadcasted 142 regular-season games on national television last season on ABC, TNT, ESPN and ESPN2.

NBA TV, launched in 1999 as the first 24-hour television channel created and operated by a professional sports league, is distributed to 80 countries. NBA merchandise is sold in more than 100,000 stores in 100 countries on six continents. NBA.com averages more than five million daily visits. More than 60 percent of the Web site's visitors come from outsidethe United States.

NBA Cares is the league's social responsibility initiative that builds on the NBA's long tradition of addressing important social issues inthe United States and around the world. To date, members of the NBA family -- including teams, current and former players, and the league office -- have contributed more than 600,000 hours of hands-on volunteer service, raised more than $88 million for charity, and created more than 310 places where kids and families can live, learn and play through NBA Cares. NBA Cares works with internationally recognized youth-serving programs that support education, youth and family development, and health-related causes, including UNICEF, the Make-a-Wish Foundation, and the Global Business Coalition on HIV/AIDS, Malaria and Tuberculosis.

SOURCE Zed