Triple Crown of Polo and ESPN Reach Agreement for Worldwide Coverage

Triple Crown of Polo and ESPN Reach Agreement for Worldwide Coverage

- First Branded Tournament Series in the History of Polo Announces 2006 Season and Sponsors -

LOS ANGELES, March 6 /PRNewswire/ -- The Triple Crown of Polo (TCP) and ESPN, Inc. have reached an exclusive agreement for coverage of the sport's first multi-market tournament across multiple ESPN outlets, including domestic and international television rights. Under terms of the agreement, ESPN has acquired the rights to place TCP programming across numerous outlets, including ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN Deportes, ESPN International, Mobile ESPN, ESPN Interactive, ESPN360, ESPN.com, ESPN Pay-Per-View, ESPN Video-on-Demand, ESPN HD, ESPN2 HD and more.

(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20060306/NYM166 )

"TCP brings active, affluent polo fans to sponsors at the live events while our agreement with ESPN will deliver the action of polo to fans across the world," said David McLane, TCP Founder and Manager.

As part of the pact, ESPN2 will televise all three tournament stops in the 2006 TCP series on tape delay (schedule to be released later) -- the Sarasota Polo Club in Sarasota, Florida on March 26, the Las Colinas Polo Club in Dallas, Texas on June 25 and the Santa Barbara Polo & Racquet Club in Santa Barbara, California on August 27 -- as well as lifestyle and documentary features.

"Polo captures a unique segment of the sports world and we are always looking to serve sports fans in new and different ways," said Mike Ryan, ESPN vice president, programming.

The TCP series brands polo to create an integrated platform to maximize exposure and corporate support for the sport. ESPN offers action to more than 90 million homes domestically while ESPN International's 29 networks reaches 192 countries and territories.

TCP sponsors for 2006 include Tiffany & Co.; CurtCo Media, publishers of the Robb Report and Worth magazines; Wachovia Securities; Yamaha; Mark P. Riley Luxury Real Estate Group; and The Cliffs Communities, rated among America's Top 10 Golf Communities by Travel + Leisure Golf Magazine. Tiffany & Co. will unveil the new, handcrafted TCP Championship Trophy at an exclusive event in New York on Wednesday, March 8th.

The new TCP trophy is comprised of three separate trophies that represent each TCP event. When combined, the pieces fit together to create an entire polo scene that is breathtaking in sterling silver. Tiffany & Co. is manufacturing one trophy, comprised of all three interlocking elements that will travel yearly to each venue, where the winning teams' names will be forever immortalized. Additionally, each member of the winning team at a TCP event will be custom fit with a winner's jacket from the Alan Flusser Custom Shop located in New York City following their victory.

Best known for his brilliantly colored, stunningly energetic images of sporting events and leisure activities, LeRoy Neiman, the most popular living artist in the United States, has been named the Official Artist of the Triple Crown of Polo.

About Triple Crown of Polo

The Triple Crown of Polo (TCP) is the first multi-market tournament series in the sport's history and provides sponsors a unique opportunity to reach the loyal fans of world class polo competition. For more information, visit www.triplecrownofpolo.com.

ESPN, INC.

ESPN, Inc. is the world's leading multinational, multimedia sports entertainment company featuring a portfolio of over 50 multimedia sports assets. The company is comprised of seven domestic television networks (ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN Classic, ESPNEWS, ESPN Deportes, ESPNU, ESPN Today), ESPN and ESPN2 HD simulcast services, ESPN Regional Television, ESPN International (networks, syndication, radio, web sites), ESPN Radio, ESPN.com, ESPN The Magazine, SportsTicker, ESPN Enterprises, ESPN Zones (sports-themed restaurants), and other growing new businesses including ESPN360 (Broadband), Mobile ESPN, ESPN on Demand, ESPN Interactive and ESPN PPV. Based in Bristol, Ct., ESPN is 80 percent owned by ABC, Inc., which is an indirect subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company. The Hearst Corporation holds a 20 percent interest in ESPN.

Contact:

Michael Humes Diana Kashan
860.766.2233 212.981.5161
Michael.c.humes@espn.comDiana_Kashan@dkcnews.com
For ESPN For Triple Crown of Polo

Photo: NewsCom: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20060306/NYM166
AP Archive: http://photoarchive.ap.org/
AP PhotoExpress Network: PRN3
PRN Photo Desk, photodesk@prnewswire.com
Source: Triple Crown of Polo

CONTACT: Michael Humes, of ESPN, +1-860-766-2233,
Michael.c.humes@espn.com; or Diana Kashan, +1-212-981-5161,
Diana_Kashan@dkcnews.com, for Triple Crown of Polo

Web site: http://www.triplecrownofpolo.com/
http://www.espn.com/

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