Growthink, a leading strategy and investment advisory firm that assists growing ventures with the capital raising process, found an almost 75% drop in investments in privately held sports technology/Internet companies in 2001.

Highlighted in the Growthink Sports Funding Report 2002 are the almost 60 companies contributing to the 2001 total, the investors putting money into these ventures, and analysis and commentary from top investors, funded companies, and industry experts regarding 2001 and what trends we may see in the upcoming months.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Sab Singh, Director of Sports/Entertainment Business

Growthink, Inc.

310-823-6547, sab@growthink.com

Consistent with Overall Funding, Sports Funding Market Dips in 2001

Los Angeles, CA - April 2002----Growthink, a leading strategy and investment advisory firm that assists growing ventures with the capital raising process, found an almost 75% drop in investments in privately held sports technology/Internet companies in 2001. The decrease from almost $800 million in 2000 to $200 million in 2001 was another reflection of the overall tightening private equity market. Highlighted in the Growthink Sports Funding Report 2002 are the almost 60 companies contributing to the 2001 total, the investors putting money into these ventures, and analysis and commentary from top investors, funded companies, and industry experts regarding 2001 and what trends we may see in the upcoming months.

Especially interesting was the bevy of reasons behind the decline in the funding totals, including: less companies publicly reporting funding, companies postponing fundraising until valuations improve, and companies seeking funding in 2002 after raising large rounds in 1999/2000," said Sab Singh, Growthinks Director of Sports/Entertainment Business.

The biggest winners over the last year included: Ignite Sports, Just Balls, FitLinxx, and Sports.com. Only six companies raised in excess of $10 million in 2001, versus the twenty-seven that received $10 million or more in 2000. Along with few blockbuster deals, we found a majority of companies seeking funding to stay afloat and achieve some real revenue traction," said Corey Lavinsky, Director of Growthink Research. In addition to a number of private individual and angel investors, just over seventy venture capital firms and corporate entities (versus 150 in 2000), participated in the 2001 funding events.

This Report is unique in that it analyzes the major players: investors, institutions, and new ventures in the sports marketplace, identifies what were the leading stories and issues over the last 12 months," and provides insight into what we may see in the near future in this marketplace," says John Moag, Chairman/CEO of Moag and Company, a leading sports focused investment bank.

The 2002 Report highlights private technology/Internet companies that received private equity funding in 2001. Company profiles include: amount of funding and in what round, top investors, a short description, and contact information. The Report also identifies the institutional investors who funded these companies. Lastly, Growthink analyzes current characteristics of and trends in sports funding e.g., the importance of strategic partnerships/investments, convergence of entertainment/sports/technology, and the growth of CRM-related applications for sports teams and venues. Contributors to the Report include: David H. Chow, Managing Director, AIG Horizon Ventures; John Moag, Chairman/CEO, Moag and Company; Jay Snider, Managing Partner, Snider Capital; Dave Alberga, CEO, The Active Network; Eric Baker, President, LiquidSeats; Ted Driscoll, CEO, Be Here Technologies; Irwin Kramer, President/CEO, iCongo, and Noah Liberman, of Street & Smiths SportsBusiness Journal.

The Growthink Sports Funding Report 2002 can be found at (www.growthinkresearch.com).

About Growthink, Inc.

Growthink, Inc. (www.growthink.com) assists high-growth companies with the capital-raising process. Growthink provides key services in the areas of market research, business strategy, and investor communications. Growthink works with an extensive network of investors, and through its proprietary research database and funding reports, is recognized as a thought leader in the strategic consulting and venture capital marketplace. Growthink, Inc. is the parent company of Growthink Research and Growthink Securities.