March 7 , 2008

Comcast SportsNet, 76ers Team up with LiveHive Systems to make Sixers Games Interactive with "Get To The Net" Game

MARCH 7 , 2008 -  WATERLOO, ONTARIO :  Comcast SportsNet and the Philadelphia 76ers are teaming up with LiveHive Systems to introduce “Get To The Net,” a free, interactive online experience accompanying 76ers game telecasts.  “Get To The Net” will debut on Sunday, March 9 at 1 p.m. when the Sixers take on the Milwaukee Bucks, and will be offered during every Sixers game produced by Comcast SportsNet through the rest of the season, including playoff coverage. 

Fans can log onto comcastsportsnet.com or Sixers.com to play “Get To The Net.” During Sixers telecasts, viewers can interact with the TV broadcast by answering a steady stream of online questions relating to the game. Topics include real-time game predictions, memory challenges and trivia to test fans’ knowledge about the Sixers, basketball and sports.  “Get To The Net” players accumulate points for correct answers and compete against each other to win items based on total points. Prizes will be awarded after every game, with the overall leader winning the use of a luxury suite at the Wachovia Center for an upcoming Sixers game. 

Examples of questions might include:

• Will Andre Miller hit his next free throws?

• Who scored the first three-pointer of the game?

• Who is going to make the next slam dunk?

With its online chat feature, “Get To The Net” provides a live forum for fans to communicate with each other about the game, the Sixers, or the sport while they play along. They can also download the “Get To The Net” Facebook application to obtain bonus stats, earn badges and see how their results compare to their Facebook friends.

“Philadelphia sports fans are passionate, they live and breathe each game and that’s why we continually enhance their viewing experience with innovations like ‘Get To The Net,’” said Comcast SportsNet Philadelphia President Stephanie Smith.  “From the increased interactivity provided by video mail and text messaging, to being the first local sports outlet to broadcast in HDTV, Comcast SportsNet is always seeking new ways to engage our viewers.”

“We are excited about partnering with Comcast SportsNet and bringing our NanoGaming technology to the NBA,” said LiveHive President Dave Bullock.  “By connecting Sixers’ fans with each other in an online contest that is synced with the live game, they will experience the next level of excitement in sports viewing.”

"Working with Comcast SportsNet and LiveHive allows us to continue to establish new ways for our fans to not only watch Sixers games, but participate as well," said 76ers Senior Vice President of Business Operations Lara Price.  "This is an endeavor unique to NBA telecasts and we are excited to introduce it to our viewers."

LiveHive has successfully introduced NanoGaming-powered games similar to “Get To The Net” for other sports, including the “49ers Game Plan” with the San Francisco 49ers and “Leafs TV Game Master” for Toronto Maple Leafs telecasts on Leafs TV, but “Get To The Net” is the first application of its kind being introduced for an NBA team telecast.

Fans can find out more about “Get To The Net” by tuning into Comcast SportsNet during SportsDay, Daily News Live and SportsNite on Monday, March 10 and also during the halftime break of the Sixers-Celtics game later that night.

Comcast SportsNet is also offering an advance preview of “Get To The Net” for members of the media at tonight’s Sixers-Supersonics game.  Members of the media interested in experiencing “Get To The Net” should contact Maureen Quilter at 215-952-5944 or mquilter@comcastsportsnet.com.

About Comcast SportsNet

Comcast SportsNet operates 10 sports networks that cover more than 2,400 live sporting events annually and deliver comprehensive sports news and analysis to nearly 40 million cable and satellite homes.  Comcast SportsNet’s networks are: Comcast SportsNet Chicago, Comcast SportsNet Mid-Atlantic, Comcast SportsNet New England, Comcast SportsNet Philadelphia, Comcast SportsNet West, Comcast SportsNet Northwest, SportsNet New York, FSN Bay Area, The Mtn. – MountainWest Sports Network, and CSS.  These networks provide live game coverage of 18 professional teams as well as college, minor league and other sports.  For more information see www.comcastsportsnet.com

About LiveHive Systems Inc.

LiveHive Systems is a privately held software development company that specializes in interactive entertainment solutions for TV broadcasters looking to differentiate their offering and increase value to viewers, advertisers and stakeholders. Its flagship product, NanoGaming is a two-screen technology platform that powers viewer interaction with entertainment media, such as live television broadcasts and streaming video. It gives audience members a continuous and engaging way to accumulate points, play with friends, and win prizes. LiveHive provides software, integration, joint marketing initiatives, and a 24-hour Broadcast Control Center. LiveHive Systems is based in Waterloo, Ontario, which was recently named the world’s top intelligent community by the New York-based Intelligent Communities Forum. For more information, visit www.livehivesystems.com  or www.nanogaming.com

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