NEW YORK, NY -- (MARKET WIRE) -- 02/27/08 -- IMG, the world's premier sports, entertainment
and media company, and Mike Tollin, Founder of Tollin Productions, an
award-winning and highly acclaimed television and feature film production
company, today announced the formation of a new joint venture to develop
and expand the action sport SLAMBALL.
Leveraging the worldwide resources of IMG, including the company's industry
leading sports production and distribution network, as well as IMG
Academies, the venture will bring the exciting hybrid spectator sport to a
global audience.
Created by sports entrepreneur Mason Gordon, SLAMBALL is the first action
team sport, a full-contact competition played on a combination of surfaces
and including elements of football, hockey, soccer and gymnastics. The
high-flying, hard-hitting action is often described as a videogame brought
to life.
SLAMBALL features two teams (playing four on four) engaged in a high
intensity, 20-minute game. The playing surface is approximately the size
of a regulation basketball court, with four springbeds (tramps) built into
the court around each basket. The remainder of the court is fully shock
absorbent and surrounded by 12-foot plexiglass walls that keep the ball in
play at all times.
In April, IMG Academies, the world-renowned, multi-sport training and
education division of IMG, will stage a two-month training camp in
Bradenton, Florida to identify, recruit and train high-caliber SLAMBALL
athletes and coaches. Approximately 120 players will be invited to the
training camp following a review of 50,000 players who will participate in
regional SLAMBALL tryouts. Ultimately, 64 players and 16 coaches will be
selected to participate in a single-venue season this June. The intent is
for SLAMBALL to return in 2009 with eight franchises playing in U.S.
cities.
The new company is currently in discussions with broadcast partners to
expand the league and deliver televised SLAMBALL competition to audiences
in the United States and internationally in 2008. Former Philadelphia
76ers President and successful entrepreneur Pat Croce will serve as the
league's commissioner.
In making the announcement, Chris Albrecht, Head of Global Media at IMG,
said, "Putting an innovator like Ted Forstmann together with Mike and
Mason, makes this partnership a natural fit for IMG. This project
leverages our expertise in entertainment with our capabilities in athletic
training and sports production and distribution to create a multi-platform
SLAMBALL league with the potential to attract a worldwide audience."
George Pyne, President of Sports and Entertainment at IMG, added, "SLAMBALL
combines the best elements of team and action sports and even live action
video games. Combining the worldwide sports, marketing and production
resources of IMG with this innovative sporting concept will take SLAMBALL
to the next level."
Mike Tollin said, "This is a perfect partnership and an ideal scenario for
Tollin Productions. To combine our longstanding relationship with Chris
with the reach of an IMG will allow us to raise the visibility of the sport
around the world and maximize its opportunities on a wide range of
platforms."
Mason Gordon said, "Starting from a warehouse with a court made of spare
parts, the rapid growth of SLAMBALL has been remarkable. With this team in
place, now we can take on the world!"
Pat Croce added, "I've loved the SLAMBALL concept since the very
beginning. The strength, skill and pure athleticism of the athletes and
the vigorous, non-stop competition make SLAMBALL a sport with a bright
future that deserves to be seen around the world."
About Mike Tollin/Tollin Productions
Through his Tollin Productions, Mike Tollin has produced more than a dozen
feature films and currently has two prime-time television series in
production. He most recently produced "Wild Hogs," a comedy starring John
Travolta, Tim Allen, Martin Lawrence and Bill Macy, which has grossed
nearly $250 million at the box office; and "The Bronx is Burning," an
eight-hour mini-series for ESPN about the 1977 Yankees, which was nominated
for two SAG Awards, a DGA Award, and the PGA 'Producer of the Year' Award.
Other films produced by Tollin include "Coach Carter," "Dreamer,"
"Hardball," "Varsity Blues," "Summer Catch," "Big Fat Liar," and "Radio,"
which Tollin also directed. Tollin wrote, produced and directed the
documentary "Hank Aaron: Chasing the Dream," which won a Peabody Award and
was nominated for an Academy Award.
In television, Tollin has won three Emmy Awards. He is Executive Producer
of the CW's "Smallville" and "One Tree Hill." Tollin previously produced
seven seasons of "Arli$$" for HBO; ABC's "I'm With Her" and "The Days";
"What I Like About You" for the WB, and several series for Nickelodeon,
including "All That," "Kenan & Kel," "The Amanda Show," and "Sports Theatre
with Shaquille O'Neal."
About IMG Academies
IMG Academies, a division of IMG, is the world's largest and most
successful multi-sport, training and education camp/academy business.
Spread over 300 acres in Bradenton, Florida, the IMG Academies complex
encompasses the Nick Bollettieri Tennis Academy, the David Leadbetter Golf
Academy, The Baseball, Basketball, Soccer, Softball, and Swimming
Academies, International Performance Institute, The Pendleton
School, University of Miami, The Wellness Spa, Academy Realty, and the IMG
Academies Golf and Country Club.
IMG is the world's premier sports, entertainment and media enterprise.
Operating in 30 countries, IMG's diverse businesses include: consulting
services; event ownership and management; fashion events and models
representation; licensing; golf course design; and client representation in
golf, tennis, broadcasting, speakers, European football, rugby, cricket,
motor sports, coaching, Olympic sports and action sports. IMG Academies
are the world's largest and most advanced multi-sport training and
educational facilities, delivering world-class sports training experiences
to more than 12,000 junior, collegiate, adult, and professional athletes
each year.
IMG's media and entertainment operations include content production
subsidiaries Darlow Smithson Productions and Tiger Aspect Productions.
Globally, IMG produces and distributes more than 11,000 hours of sports,
documentary, drama, comedy, entertainment, popular factual and children's
content annually. IMG also represents the broadcast rights to many of the
world's premier sporting events and has the world's largest sports archive
with more than 250,000 hours of footage.
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