ATLANTA, March 2 /PRNewswire/ -- Bull Run Corporation (Nasdaq: BULL)
announced today that this month marks the 25th consecutive year Host
Communications, Inc. (HCI), the NCAA's exclusive marketing partner, will bring
the coveted "March Madness" tournament off the court and on to the airwaves
for collegiate basketball fans across the country. HCI is a wholly owned
subsidiary of Bull Run.
For the 2000 NCAA Tournament, both men's and women's games can be heard on
more than 500 radio stations throughout the U.S. A total of 25 men's games
and three women's games will be broadcast via Host Communications' NCAA Radio
Network, in addition to three national call-in shows surrounding the
tournaments. Additionally, the tournament games can be followed closely over
the Internet, at http://www.finalfour.net , which Total Sports, Inc., Bull Run's
11.4%-owned affiliate, oversees in conjunction with HCI.
HCI has had a contractual relationship with the NCAA since 1975. What
began with an agreement to administer radio rights and create a national NCAA
Radio Network for the Men's Final Four has expanded to publishing, Internet
and corporate marketing representation.
"I can't believe it's been 25 years since we first got involved with what
is one of the best sporting events in the country," said W. James Host,
founder and CEO of Host Communications. "I have the same level of enthusiasm,
and so does our company, for the men's and women's tournaments as we did in
1976. The NCAA tournament is a great event that has grown tremendously, and
we look forward to working with it in the years to come."
In other news, HCI recently signed HomePoint Corporation, the leading
provider of e-business solutions to the home furnishings industry, to a two-
year agreement as a member of the Southeastern Conference Corporate
Partnership Program, and also signed Mountain Dew as the title sponsor of the
2000 Southern Conference's Men's and Women's Basketball Tournaments.
Bull Run has been an investor in HCI since 1995, and acquired all of the
remaining capital stock of HCI in December 1999. In addition to HCI, Bull Run
acquired Universal Sports America, Inc. (USA), whose Streetball Partners
International unit operates "Hoop-It-Up" 3-on-3 basketball tournaments world-
wide, among other participatory events. Bull Run also has significant
investments in other sports and media companies, including Gray Communications
Systems, Inc. (NYSE: GCS and GCS.B), which owns and operates 13 television
stations and four newspapers; Sarkes Tarzian, Inc., owner and operator of two
television stations and four radio stations; Rawlings Sporting Goods Company,
Inc. (Nasdaq: RAWL), a supplier of team sports equipment; and Total Sports,
Inc., a sports content Internet company. In addition to HCI and USA, computer
printer manufacturer Datasouth Computer Corporation is a wholly owned
subsidiary of Bull Run.
SOURCE Bull Run Corporation
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Related links:
http://www.finalfour.net
Company News On-Call:
http://www.prnewswire.com/comp/232438.html or fax,
800-758-5804, ext. 232438
CONTACT:
Robert S. Prather, Jr., President & CEO of
Bull Run Corporation, 404-266-8333, or W. James Host, President &
CEO of Host Communications, Inc., 606-226-4202
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