SONIC Has Been Named Exclusive Presenting Partner of USA Network's 'NASHVILLE STAR'

SONIC Has Been Named Exclusive Presenting Partner of USA Network's 'NASHVILLE STAR'

NEW YORK, Aug. 14 /PRNewswire/ -- SONIC, America's Drive-In (NASDAQ:SONC), the nation's largest drive-in restaurant chain, has been named exclusive presenting partner of NASHVILLE STAR, USA Network's original grassroots talent search to find America's next great country music star and the nation's top-rated country music program. The announcement was made today by Mark Miller, senior vice president, NBC Universal Cable Entertainment Sales. The fully integrated media and marketing partnership with NASHVILLE STAR will commence with auditions this month, leading up to the premiere of the fifth season in January 2007.

"We are thrilled to have SONIC join USA's NASHVILLE STAR franchise as the show's first fully integrated branded entertainment marketing partner," said Miller. "As we continually work with marketers who are seeking innovative opportunities to reach their consumers, it's a testament to the show franchise that SONIC sees the opportunity of leveraging the show's entire marketing life cycle. We couldn't be more excited about the partnership."

Executive Producer H.T. Owens said, "SONIC and NASHVILLE STAR are the perfect match: both are fun, colorful, traditional, quality institutions that radiate the heart and soul of America. This partnership is the perfect way to launch the show's fifth season."

SONIC will be involved in all three phases of the NASHVILLE STAR franchise (casting, live show, concert tour). The SONIC sponsorship will span across all major marketing components, including but not limited to signage at auditions, in-show integration, tagged on-air and custom integrated promo spots, consumer print advertising, radio campaigns and grassroots marketing, as well as an exclusive sponsored presence on the show's official Web site at http://www.usanetwork.com/nashvillestar/.

"This is a first for SONIC and we're excited about the possibilities to take this media property to our customers," said Todd Townsend, vice president and chief marketing officer for SONIC. "NASHVILLE STAR's viewership matches up nicely with SONIC's markets and the interests of many of our customers."

NASHVILLE STAR will hold open auditions in several towns across America. The auditions are open to women and men, ages 18 and over (as of January 1, 2007), who think they have what it takes to make it in the country music business. Updated information on auditions including cities, locations and times, song lists, applications, as well as how to audition if you can't make it to an open call, can be found on http://www.usanetwork.com/nashvillestar/.

For photos from season four of NASHVILLE STAR, as well as photos from previous seasons of the show, please log on to the NBC Universal Media Village at http://www.nbcumv.com/.

SONIC, America's Drive-In (NASDAQ:SONC) started as a hamburger and root beer stand in 1953 in Shawnee, Okla., called Top Hat Drive-In, and then changed its name to SONIC in 1959. The first drive-in to adopt the SONIC name is still serving customers in Stillwater, Okla. As the nation's largest chain of drive-in restaurants, SONIC has more than 3,000 drive-ins coast to coast and in Mexico. More than a million customers eat at SONIC every day. For more information about Sonic Corp. and its subsidiaries, visit SONIC at www.sonicdrivein.com.

Reveille is a leading independent production and distribution company focused on exploiting worldwide intellectual property rights through scripted and alternative television formats. Launched in March of 2002 by Ben Silverman, the company leverages its unique relationships with the world's top broadcasters and producers to acquire, produce and distribute innovative entertainment programming across all television genres such as "The Office" (NBC), which has received five Emmy Award and three Television Critics Association Award nominations; "The Biggest Loser" (NBC); "Betty the Ugly" (ABC); "House of Boateng" (Sundance Channel); "30 Days" (FX); "Blow Out" (Bravo); "Bound For Glory" (ESPN); NASHVILLE STAR (USA); "Date My Mom" (MTV); and "The Restaurant" (NBC). Reveille is also the world leader in creating integrated marketing opportunities for leading advertisers while developing alternative financing paradigms. In addition, Reveille's growing library of programming is distributed to more than 150 countries worldwide through subsidiary Reveille International. The company maintains offices in Los Angeles and New York.

Seen in 90 million homes, USA Network is cable television's leading network of original series and feature movies, sports and entertainment events, network shows and blockbuster theatrical films. The USA Network Web site is located at www.usanetwork.com. Characters Welcome.

USA Network is a program service of NBC Universal Cable, a division of NBC Universal, one of the world's leading media and entertainment companies in the development, production, and marketing of entertainment, news, and information to a global audience.

Contacts:

Kristin Schulman 212.664.4140 kristin.schulman@nbcuni.com
Brad Bernstein 212.664.4401 brad.bernstein@nbcuni.com
Andrea Epstein 818.777.6679 andrea.epstein@nbcuni.com
Carrie Simons / B|W|R PR 310.248.6104 csimons@bwr-la.com
Kelli Ramey / Sonic Drive-In 816.512.9402 kramey@beap.com

Source: USA Network

CONTACT: Kristin Schulman, +1-212-664-4140, kristin.schulman@nbcuni.com,
or Brad Bernstein, +1-212-664-4401, brad.bernstein@nbcuni.com, or Andrea
Epstein, +1-818-777-6679, andrea.epstein@nbcuni.com, all of USA Network; or
Carrie Simons of B|W|R PR, +1-310-248-6104, csimons@bwr-la.com, for USA
Network; or Kelli Ramey of Sonic Drive-In, +1-816-512-9402, kramey@beap.com

Web site: http://www.sonicdrivein.com/

Web site: http://www.usanetwork.com/nashvillestar

Web site: http://www.usanetwork.com/

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