Turner Sports Engages Fans Online Through Robust Social Media Campaign for 2009 NBA Playoffs

Turner Sports is unveiling a multiplatform marketing campaign that utilizes popular social media platforms YouTube, Facebook and Twitter to promote TNT’s ’40 Games in 40 Nights’ coverage of the 2009 NBA Playoffs. TNT will have a significant presence on YouTube with a homepage takeover on Mon., April 20, featuring player-specific videos to promote the tune-in for the night’s match-ups as well as TNT messaged overlays on sports-related featured videos. Turner Sports will also feature a full court press on Facebook on Sun., April 19 with TNT NBA Playoffs messaging on sponsored ads, along with prominently placed topical promotional spots and a special promotion prompting Facebook users to ’Become a Fan’ of the NBA on TNT Facebook page. Turner Sports will take over Yahoo! Sports’ main page on Sun., April 19, with all ads featuring TNT NBA Playoffs creative to drive fans to the network’s coverage of the NBA Playoffs.

Turner Sports will complement its robust social media marketing plan with a strong Twitter presence, featuring updates from popular announcers including TNT’s Ernie Johnson, Kenny Smith and Craig Sager and NBA TV’s Chris Webber, Gary Payton, Steve Smith, Eric Snow and Rick Kamla. The hosts and analysts will ’tweet’ on their individual pages beginning Tues., April 14 with regular updates, comments, thoughts and analysis that will feed to a main NBA TV Twitter profile and link to the National Basketball Association’s Twitter page. The ’tweets’ will also feed into the NBA on TNT Facebook page. The Facebook and Twitter sites will be prominently featured on www.NBA.com and will receive on-air promotion on TNT and NBA TV.

Turner Sports’ NBA Playoffs marketing campaign is also supported by a comprehensive mix of advertising including heavy spot rotation by local cable operators in key markets, radio traffic sponsorships and DJ endorsements in 15 target markets, concentrated out-of-home messaging in New York, Los Angeles and Atlanta and select print advertising in multiple national publications.

NBA Digital is a landmark partnership between the NBA and Turner Sports in which Turner jointly manages the NBA’s digital assets, which include NBA TV, www.NBA.com, NBA League Pass, NBADLeague.com and www.WNBA.com.

Turner Sports, Inc., a Time Warner company, presents some of the best and most popular sporting events worldwide and is a leader in televised and online sports programming. With events airing on TBS and TNT, Turner Sports’ line-up includes NASCAR and www.NASCAR.com, the NBA, Major League Baseball, professional golf, PGATour.com and www.PGA.com.