February 2, 2010

This edition of our quarterly newsletter highlights best practices and insights surrounding all-access, auctions and site design. I encourage you to contact your University Relations representative to further discuss these and other ways to improve the offerings your official athletic site provides to fans.

You will also notice that your Official Athletic Website is more integrated than ever into CBSSports.com. From our re-branding as the CBSSports.com College Network to the addition of your content on your CBSSports.com team page, we continue to look for ways to promote our partners' brands across the CBS network.

CBSSports.com Integration - Increase Your Brand Awareness
As a member of the CBSSports.com College Network, your Official Athletic site content is heavily integrated within CBSSports.com. Below are just a few examples of OAS content placed on your CBSSports.com team page.

• Auctions
• All-Access
• GameTracker

Forward Thinking: Production & Design - Clean Up Your Promo Space with BSI and Rotating Sections
Promotions are a necessary evil for many of our sites, but that doesn't mean they have to clutter up your space. If your readers and viewers think of those promotions as annoyances, they're not going to click on them - which ruins the whole point of having them. De-cluttering your promotions will make them more appealing for your guests.

Making sure those promotions are attractive and web savvy is key to keeping the users' attention. Two helpful suggestions are using your BSI (rotating stories) and consolidating your graphics into a rotating section.

1. BSI (Build Site Index). This is usually the eye-catcher of your site (if you have redesigned in the last two years) and can easily be a successful spot to promote your ticket sales, newly renovated arena or the championship gear from your recent victory by using one of the top story spots. Simply create a promo in Photoshop (the same size your main photo is) and upload it to Netitor as one of your top stories. This helps you keep a consistent theme to your design, allows you to utilize Netitor and your BSI section and empowers you to update promotions on your site without having to send a request to editorial.

2. Dynamic Flash. Instead of adding another promo graphic to the ones that already exist on your site, upload it through Netitor and update the XML file in SPE (Static Page Editor) and see it instantly rotating on your site! Again, this is enabling you to update your promotions without having to send a request and most important, cleaning up your promo space!

All-Access - 2009 Successes
CBSSports.com College Network partners saw increases in both total network-wide programming and user engagement during 2009.

Live event programming grew 12% across our All-Access products, which is a testament to the importance of live audio and video on an Official Athletic Site.

As more and more fans follow your athletic programs through the internet, they're demanding more timely and engaging content. It's informative to read a post-game story or press release, but it's thrilling to watch the action live.

Our partners are also expanding the quality of their programming and production, as evidenced by a sharp year-over-year increase in average viewing time from five minutes to 12 minutes per user.

As fans increase their content consumption, athletic departments aren't just showing highlights anymore. They're looking to keep fans glued to their computers with interviews, press conferences, facility tours, live coaches' shows, original programming and more!

Fans want more than just news. They want to connect with your coaches and athletes, and get inside access to your athletic department. Give them all the access they want with your All-Access video subscription product!

Mobile & Wireless - Official iPhone Application Update
CBSSports.com College Network has launched branded iPhone Applications for 16 partners including January App launches for Notre Dame, Arizona, Louisville, Stanford, Texas Tech, Michigan State, Navy, Villanova and Oregon State. Sales surpassed the 7,000 unit mark by January 15 and downloads are close to 12,000 downloads.

Our branded iPhone Application gives your athletic department an engine to deliver essential information from the Official Athletic Site to iPhone users in your audience. Now fans can get news, scores, schedules, rosters and streaming audio without being tied to a computer.

TOP 5 MOST DOWNLOADED APPS:

• Bama Mobile
• KU Athletics App
• USC Athletics App
• Mizzou Mobile
• Sooner Sports App

E-Commerce - Auctions Best Practices
Below are some of the top performing auction events from our partners in the fourth quarter. Please contact your University Relations representative to discuss how to maximize this revenue generating opportunity.

• Wake Forest's customized E-Z-GO® Electric Golf Cart autographed by Arnold Palmer grossed $8,900.
• Missouri's Rivalry Equipment (25 helmets, jerseys, shoes and gloves, 52 total items) went for $34,000 gross.
• South Carolina's 96 Game-Worn Under Armour Wounded Warrior jerseysgrossed nearly $84,000.
• Iowa's "Suite Life" football experiences (11 VIP home game packages) grossed almost $54,000.

Partner News - National Champions
Villanova captured their first NCAA Division I national football championship, knocking off undefeated Montana, 23-21. Alabama topped Texas, 37-21, in the BCS title game for the 13th national title in school history. Penn State defeated Texas, 3-2, en route to their third straight national volleyball championship. Congrats!