WorldWinner Enters Marketing Agreement with National SCRABBLE® Association
WorldWinner and NSA to Jointly Promote SCRABBLE Cubes to Tens of Thousands of SCRABBLE Fans
Greenport, New York and Newton, Mass. - September 6, 2007 - In an announcement that spells F-U-N for SCRABBLE fans, WorldWinner announced today it has signed an agreement with the National SCRABBLE® Association (NSA). Through the agreement, WorldWinner and the NSA will jointly promote the online game SCRABBLE Cubes, under license for the U.S. and Canada from Hasbro, Inc. (NYSE:HAS), to tens of thousands of SCRABBLE fans via presence on the NSA Web site ( www.scrabble-assoc.com), online advertising, email marketing and offline events. WorldWinner is a subsidiary of FUN Technologies Inc. (TSX:FUN) (AIM:FUN) and the leading provider of online game competitions for cash prizes. The National SCRABBLE Association represents thousands of word game enthusiasts throughout the United States and Canada and sanctions more than 250 local SCRABBLE tournaments every year.
In October 2006, WorldWinner launched SCRABBLE Cubes, an online variation of Hasbro's classic crossword game available to players in the U.S. and Canada. The game has consistently been one of the top games played on WorldWinner since its launch.
"This endorsement from the National SCRABBLE Association further strengthens our position in the skill-based games industry, while introducing thousands of SCRABBLE fans to this new SCRABBLE variation online," said Peter Blacklow, president of WorldWinner. "Because SCRABBLE Cubes is one of WorldWinner's most popular games, our players will be excited about this opportunity to compete against some of the best offline wordsmiths."
As part of the agreement, WorldWinner will promote SCRABBLE Cubes at the 2008 National SCRABBLE Championship, to be held July 25-30, 2008 in Orlando, Florida. Subsequently, WorldWinner will host an online SCRABBLE Cubes competition next year, in which the winner of an online qualifying match will compete against the 2008 National SCRABBLE Champion.
"Playing the classic SCRABBLE game competitively adds a new level of excitement for any SCRABBLE enthusiast and we're excited to introduce our members to WorldWinner's SCRABBLE Cubes game, which allows them to compete online for cash prizes," said John Williams, executive director, the National SCRABBLE Association. "Now, SCRABBLE fans can compete in online tournaments on WorldWinner whenever they're looking for some friendly competition."
Players in the U.S. and Canada can play SCRABBLE Cubes, a National SCRABBLE Association-endorsed game, exclusively on WorldWinner.com and its partner sites, including AOL Games, GSN, MSN Games and Pogo.com.
About WorldWinner
WorldWinner ( www.worldwinner.com) is the leading provider of online game competitions. It hosts competitions in some of the most popular casual games-including Solitaire, Bejeweled 2, SCRABBLE® Cubes, Luxor and Cubis-in which players compete against one another for cash and prizes. WorldWinner's broad network of partner sites includes leading global brands, such as AOL Games, EA-Pogo, GSN, Lycos, MSN Games and MyPoints. WorldWinner has more than 30 million registered players worldwide.
About FUN Technologies
FUN Technologies Inc. is one of the world's leading providers of online and interactive casual and fantasy sports games and sports information. FUN is 53% owned by Liberty Media Corporation (NASDAQ:LINTA, LCAPA), and FUN's common shares are listed on both the Toronto Stock Exchange and the Alternative Investment Market (AIM) of the London Stock Exchange under the symbol "FUN." For more information on FUN Technologies' offerings, visit www.funtechnologies.com.
About Hasbro
Hasbro (NYSE: HAS) is a worldwide leader in children's and family leisure time entertainment products and services, including the design, manufacture and marketing of games and toys ranging from traditional to high tech. Both internationally and in the U.S., its PLAYSKOOL, TONKA, MILTON BRADLEY, PARKER BROTHERS, TIGER and WIZARDS OF THE COAST brands and products provide the highest quality and most recognizable play experiences in the world.
SCRABBLE, the associated logo, the design of the distinctive SCRABBLE brand game board, and the distinctive letter tile designs are trademarks of Hasbro in the United States and Canada.