WILMINGTON, Del.(July 27,1998) -- First USA, a financial services company specializing in the credit card business, announced today it has signed an exclusive, multi-year agreement with SportsLine USA, Inc. to market its credit card products to visitors to the Company's CBS SportsLine (cbs.sportsline.com) Web sites. CBS SportsLine is one of the leading providers of interactive sports content and entertainment on the Internet.
Under terms of the agreement, First USA will serve as the exclusive credit card issuer on CBS SportsLine. First USA will offer many of its hundreds of sports-related credit card products to visitors based on the individual sports preferences of each user. For example, a visitor who searches for information about golf may receive an offer for the PGA TOUR Titanium MasterCard.
During the second quarter of 1998, traffic to CBS SportsLine's Web sites averaged more than 5.3 million page views per day, and reached 6.3 million average daily page views in June. During the quarter, SportsLine USA recorded 500,000 average daily visits.
"CBS SportsLine attracts a continuously expanding audience of Internet-savvy adults who have many of the same desirable characteristics as First USA's target customer base," said Michael Levy, president and CEO of SportsLine, USA, Inc., the publisher of CBS SportsLine. "The agreement provides First USA the opportunity to reach potential customers who are devoted to their favorite teams or sports."
About First USA
First USA is a leader in the sports affinity marketplace, issuing cards on behalf of hundreds of leading professional sports teams and leagues, governing bodies and universities. Its partners include: the PGA TOUR, the U.S. Soccer Federation, USA Hockey, the United States Tennis Association (USTA), a number of Major League Baseball, National Basketball Association and National Hockey League teams; Duke University, the University of Kentucky and the University of Notre Dame.
First USA (www.firstusa.com), a subsidiary of BANC ONE CORPORATION, is a financial services company specializing in the credit card business and is among the largest providers of Visa, MasterCard and private-label credit cards in the nation. First USA has approximately 43 million cards issued and $41.6 billion in total loans outstanding.
About SportsLine USA, Inc.
SportsLine USA, Inc. (Nasdaq: SPLN) is a leading Internet-based sports media company that provides branded, interactive information and programming as well as merchandise to sports enthusiasts worldwide. SportsLine USA publishes CBS SportsLine, which features more than 300,000 pages of multimedia sports information, entertainment and merchandise covering all major professional, collegiate and international sports and includes exclusive content from sports teams, organizations and superstars such as Michael Jordan, Tiger Woods and Shaquille O'Neal. SportsLine USA was founded in 1994, and its Internet sports service was renamed CBS SportsLine in March of 1997 as part of an exclusive five-year promotional and content agreement with CBS Sports.
For information contact:
First USA
Tony Plohoros
(302) 434-7957
tonyplohoros@firstusa.com
SportsLine USA, Inc.
Bret Werner/Jerry Milani
Alan Taylor Communications
(212) 714-1280
bret@alantaylor.com
jerry@alantaylor.com