FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
            NFL-25                    4/20/04

NFL DRAFT MARKS 10 YEARS OF NFL.COM

When the 2004 NFL Draft begins on April 24, the players selected will not be the only ones marking a significant achievement.  With the 2004 NFL Draft, NFL.com begins its 10th season of coverage.

On April 10, 1995, the NFL became the first sports league to have a presence on the Internet launching the site “NFL Sidelines” at the URL nflhome.com.  In August 1995, the website was renamed Team NFL.  In the spring of 1996, the NFL relaunched the website at NFL.com. 

The NFL Internet Network, comprised of NFL.com, the websites of the League’s 32 clubs and related sites, was established in March 2000.  The NFL Internet Network agreement was recently extended for 15 years until 2019 by vote of NFL clubs.

More than 2.8 million fans logged on to NFL.com during last year’s NFL Draft, compared to 50,000 fans on draft weekend in 1995.  (For more comparisons, see chart below.)

Former Dallas Cowboys personnel chief GIL BRANDT has been with NFL.com since its inception.  “The NFL has come a long way…from an automobile showroom in Canton, Ohio to a major destination on the worldwide web,” said Brandt, who started as the website’s sole analyst and is now one of 11 experts offering commentary on NFL.com.

Among the highlights of NFL.com’s 2004 NFL Draft coverage:

  • “Draft Tracker” application featuring live coverage of each selection
  • Commentary from NFL analysts Pat Kirwan, Vic Carucci, Greg Easterbrook, Brandt, and others
  • Position-by-Position Features
  • Live Audiocast on Draft Day
  • Video features from NFL Films and NFL Network
  • Mock Drafts
  • Inside Access at pre-Draft Media Luncheon
  • Exclusive Draft Diary from Texas WR ROY WILLIAMS and other draftees
  • Breakdown of every Draft since 1982

NFL.com is part of the NFL Internet Network, and is produced and hosted in partnership by SportsLine.com, Inc. (NASDAQ: SPLN), a leading global Internet sports media company and publisher of CBS SportsLine.com. 

NFL.com….Then & Now

Category

Then (1995)

Now (2004)

Name

NFL Sidelines

NFL.com

Web Address

Nflhome.com

NFL.com

Internet Users

20 million in U.S.

152 million in U.S.

Average Modem Speed

14.4 bps in dialup (no broadband)

56.0 bps in dialup; 50% of NFL.com users have broadband

Languages

1

6 for Super Bowl

Visitors (Traffic)

50,000 on Draft Weekend 1995

2.8 million on Draft Weekend 2003; peak of 14 million unique/users per month during 2003 NFL season

Audio Content

0

Live audiocasts of NFL games; audio coverage of press conferences and other events

Video Content

0

NFL Network coverage of Draft; Approximately 1,000 total pieces per year from NFL Films and NFL Network

Fantasy Football Games

0

4

Analysts

Gil Brandt

Troy Aikman, Gil Brandt, Vic Carucci, Cris Collinsworth, Gregg Easterbrook, Boomer Esiason, Pat Kirwan, Marv Levy, Pat McInally, Art Shell, Phil Simms

Sponsors/Advertisers

4

25+

E-Commerce

0

More than 30,000 products available on NFLShop.com

NFL Team Sites

0

32

First Draft Pick

Ki-Jana Carter, Cincinnati

TBD