Turner Sports’ Coverage of NBA All-Star 2008 a Multi-Platform Slam Dunk; Viewers Watch on TNT, Log-on Through TNT NBA Overtime and Fans Text Vote

TNT’s coverage of All-Star 2008 (Feb. 15-17) delivered double-digit growth in key demos for the 2008 NBA All-Star Game, NBA All-Star Saturday Night and the T-Mobile Rookie Challenge and Youth Jam, according to Nielsen Media Research’s fast nationals. For its three nights of coverage, the network averaged 3,270,000 homes, 1,662,000 P18-34, 2,822,000, P18-49 and 2,382,000 P25-54. Additionally, 3.2 million people went online to see exclusive broadband content at TNT NBA Overtime, Turner’s broadband channel hosted by Michael Bivins, and fans text voted for the first time for the All-Star Game MVP (Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James) and 2008 Sprite Slam Dunk champion (Orlando Magic center Dwight Howard).

“TNT’s 17 hours of NBA All-Star 2008 programming, more than 100 hours of broadband coverage on TNT NBA Overtime, and the inaugural use of text messaging to help determine the NBA All-Star Game MVP and Slam Dunk champion clearly resonated with fans on a multitude of platforms,” said David Levy, president of Turner Broadcasting Sales, Inc. and Turner Sports. “Turner Sports and the NBA have always prided themselves on cutting edge innovation and this weekend’s successful event showcased our partnership’s ability to aggregate and produce sporting events on a variety of mediums.”

Turner Sports Weekend Highlights:

* • Sunday’s 2008 NBA All-Star Game on TNT delivered terrific key demo growth in P18-34 (+18%, 2,281,000), P18-49 (+5%, 3,792,000), M18-34 (+20%, 1,479,000) and M18-49 (+5%, 2,453,000). The P18-34 and M18-34 deliveries were TNT’s best since the 2005 NBA All Star Game (P18-34, 2,469000 and M18-34 1,565,000). • NBA All-Star Saturday Night on TNT was the most watched in the event’s 23 year history saw an increase in Households (+1, 3,513,000) and significant growth in P2+ (+7%, 5,206,000), P18-34 (+13%, 1,803,000), P18-49 (+13%, 3,173,000), M18-34 (+17%, 1,309,000) and M18-49 (+15%, 2,213,000).
* • Compared to audience averages of cable network programming, TNT’s coverage of the 2008 NBA All-Star Game and All-Star Saturday Night ranks #1 and #2, respectively, for P18-34, P18-49, M18-34 and M18-49 for the week ( Feb. 11-17).
* • Friday’s T-Mobile Rookie Challenge and Youth Jam also enjoyed Household (+7%, 1,400,000) and key demo success for P18-34 (+14%, 574,000), P18-49 (+%5, 978,000), M18-34 (+31%, 420,000) and M18-49 (+19%, 677,000).
* • For the first time ever the fans decided the Slam Dunk contest, with over one million text messages received from around the world. 78% of the fans who voted anointed Orlando Magic center Dwight Howard champion. Over 500,000 fans also cast their votes for the 2008 NBA All-Star Game MVP, with Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James leading the East to a 134 - 128 victory.
* • TNT NBA Overtime, in total for Saturday and Sunday garnered over 1.7 million total streams.
* • TNT NBA Overtime debuted it’s ’All-Star Access Video Player’, allowing fans to vote for which East and West All-Stars they wanted isolated cameras on per quarter. Over 61,000 voters registered, choosing to isolate cameras on LeBron James (East) and Kobe Bryant (West) in the first quarter, Dwight Howard (East) and Steve Nash (West) in the second quarter, Dwyane Wade (East) and Allen Iverson (West) in the third quarter and Chris Bosh (East) and Chris Paul in the fourth quarter.
* • During NBA All-Star Weekend 12 players wore microphones on TNT, seven during the 2008 NBA All-Star Game, and all of TNT’s announcers made an appearance on NBA TV, launching the new relationship between the NBA and its longtime partner Turner Broadcasting.