Press Releases December 6, 2011 Brand Affinity Technologies (BAT) & Major League Baseball Association (MLBPA) Announce Groundbreaking License Agreement Brand Affinity Technologies, Inc. (BAT), the company reinventing endorsement and celebrity marketing, announced today they have signed a licensing agreement with the Major League Baseball Players Association (MLBPA). BAT becomes the first company to offer advertisers a streamlined endorsement process utilizing three or more Major League baseball players, for both traditional and digital media campaigns. read press release December 1, 2011 Kansas City Chiefs Tamba Hali Secures Top Spot on 'Rising Sports Stars' Ranking Defensive lineman for the Kansas City Chiefs Tamba Hali, or better known to fans as TambaHawk, has earned the top spot on Brand Affinity Technologies' monthly ranking of 'Rising Sports Stars,' which calculates those with the most significant leap in popularity during the previous thirty days. Hali helped the Chiefs to victory against the favored San Diego Chargers last month with two sacks and a forced fumble. read press release November 1, 2011 St. Louis Cardinals' and World Series MVP David Freese Named November's Top Rising Sports Star St. Louis Cardinals' third baseman David Freese has earned the top spot on Brand Affinity Technologies' monthly ranking of Rising Sports Stars with an 84 percent popularity gain. Hitting the game-winning home run in Game 6 of the World Series, Freese secured a Cardinals win and forced Game 7 of the World Series in arguably one of the most exciting baseball games in history. Freese continued his great performance into Game 7 with two RBI's, leading the Cardinals to their 11th World Series championship and earning him the World Series and league championship MVP honors. read press release October 3, 2011 Oakland Raiders' Darren McFadden Named #1 NFL Rising Sports Star Oakland Raiders running back Darren McFadden has earned the top spot on Brand Affinity Technologies' monthly ranking of Rising Sports Stars. This special NFL-only edition of the list identifies football players with the most significant leaps in popularity during the previous 30 days ? a solid indicator of early-season buzz as standout players emerge. McFadden led the league with 393 rushing yards in September, and has turned heads with plays such as a 70-yard touchdown run in the Raiders' victory against the Jets. read press release July 1, 2011 U.S. Open Champion Rory McIlroy Named July's Top Rising Sports Star With a U.S. Open championship trophy in hand, golfer Rory McIlroy has been named the top Rising Sports Star to watch in the month of July. McIlroy recently became the youngest U.S. Open champion in 88 years, topping the second place finisher by eight shots and shattering records put in place by Tiger Woods in 2000. All eyes are on McIlroy as he heads into the Open Championship in mid-July. read press release June 14, 2011 Peter Facinelli Launches #ifiwereaVampire Campaign to Raise Funds for Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation Actor Peter Facinelli, star of THE TWILIGHT SAGA and "Nurse Jackie," has launched a new effort to raise funds for Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation for Childhood Cancer through an online experience. With the help of Fantapper, Peter has invited fans to submit photos for a special vampire treatment which they can share digitally with their friends. Once the campaign reaches two million viewers, the Southern California Foundation will make a $50,000 donation to Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation. read press release June 7, 2011 Brand Affinity Technologies and United Talent Agency Partner to Help Celebrities Speak Directly to Fans Whenever and Wherever Their Digital Content Appears Brand Affinity Technologies, Inc. (BAT), the leader in celebrity-driven digital endorsement marketing, and United Talent Agency (UTA) have partnered in a bid to change the digital celebrity content landscape through the production launch of BAT's Fantapper platform. Fantapper is designed to help actors, musicians, athletes and other personalities influence, control and ultimately monetize their social media content and the skyrocketing amount of online content in which they are featured. Fantapper's unique and proprietary technology gives artists and celebrities the ability to speak directly to the people who are reading articles, looking at images, and watching videos about them, no matter where those users happen to be online. read press release May 2, 2011 Hot-Hitting Andre Ethier Tops May List of Rising Sports Stars Los Angeles Dodgers slugger Andre Ethier, whose bat has been on fire since opening day, has earned the top spot on the list of Rising Sports Stars to watch in the month of May. Ethier achieved the longest April hitting streak in major league history, and the longest in any month since 2009. Ethier went 4 for 11 in the Dodgers' weekend series against the Padres, extending his hitting streak to 27 games. Ethier's momentum at bat has led to a tremendous 136% increase in popularity over the past 30 days. read press release April 1, 2011 Spring Training Powerhouse Hitter, Michael Morse, Named #1 MLB "Rising Sports Star" Washington Nationals' left fielder Michael Morse has earned the top spot on Brand Affinity Technologies monthly list of Rising Sports Stars. This special MLB-only edition of the list identifies baseball players with the most significant leaps in popularity during the preseason-athletes poised for greatness as the season starts. read press release March 18, 2011 BAT Founders Win Excellence in Entrepreneurship Award Brand Affinity Technologies (BAT), the company reinventing endorsement and celebrity marketing, today announced that Ryan Steelberg, CEO, and Chad Steelberg, President and CTO of BAT have been selected for the prestigious 2011 Excellence in Entrepreneurship Award by the Orange County Business Journal (OCBJ). read press release March 09, 2011 New Research: Social Media Ad Performance Surges with Celebrity Brand Affinity Technologies (BAT), the company reinventing endorsement and celebrity marketing, has released findings from its study of social media campaigns, the largest comparison of endorsed and non-endorsed social media advertising to-date. The study analyzed over 200 Facebook and Twitter endorsements with similar Facebook ads that did not feature celebrities, and found that -- for the same spend -- endorsed messages delivered monumental performance lifts -- over 50% greater on the low end. read press release March 1, 2011 Youngest Daytona 500 Winner, Trevor Bayne, Tops March List of Rising Sports Stars NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and Nationwide Series race car driver, Trevor Bayne has earned the top spot on the list of Rising Sports Stars to watch in the month of March. Trevor Bayne, who turned 20 in February, won the 53rd Daytona 500 in his second career start to become the youngest winner of the "Great American Race." He surpassed Jeff Gordon, who won in 1997 at 25. Bayne's popularity has increased 352% over the past 30 days, and Bayne, who began racing go-karts at the age of five, cited Gordon as his childhood hero. read press release February 1, 2011 Celebrity Social Media Campaigns Go Live with @BAT Brand Affinity Technologies (BAT), the company reinventing endorsement and celebrity marketing, has launched @BAT, the social media extension of its market-leading Endorsement Platform. Marketers can now easily incorporate social media endorsements into cross-platform marketing campaigns, or reliably activate stand-alone campaigns featuring top athletes and celebrities. Goalshot, IHG (InterContinental Hotels Group) and Jeetyet Productions are among the first to go live with campaigns powered by @BAT. Celebrities participating in the inaugural @BAT campaigns include Super-Bowl-bound Nick Barnett of the Green Bay Packers, rap legend Snoop Dogg, and actor/producer/recording artist Donnie Wahlberg. read press release February 1, 2011 Pittsburgh Steelers' William Gay Tops February List of Top Ten Rising Sports Stars Pittsburgh Steelers' cornerback William Gay has earned the top spot on the list of Rising Sports Stars to watch in the month of February. In the AFC championship game on January 23, New York Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez made a critical mistake late in the second quarter against the Pittsburgh Steelers with a fumble that Gay returned for a touchdown. The score gave the Steelers a 24-0 lead over the Jets. Gay's popularity has increased 99% over the past 30 days, and Gay, who acquired the nickname "Big Play'" as a playmaking rookie three years ago, looks to start at left cornerback against the Green Bay Packers for the Super Bowl. read press release January 31, 2011 GMR Marketing, Brand Affinity Technologies Form New Partnership Leading sports and entertainment marketing agency GMR Marketing (GMR) and Brand Affinity Technologies (BAT), the company reinventing endorsement and celebrity marketing, have formally expanded their growing relationship, agreeing to further partner in the areas of celebrity clearance, research and licensing, as well as digital apps and social media. read press release January 25, 2011 Brand Affinity Technologies Selected by AlwaysOn as OnMedia 100 Winner Brand Affinity Technologies, Inc. (BAT), the company reinventing celebrity and endorsement marketing, today announced that it has been chosen by AlwaysOn as one of the OnMedia Top 100 winners. Inclusion in the OnMedia 100 signifies leadership amongst its peers and game-changing approaches and technologies that are likely to disrupt existing markets and entrenched players. BAT was specially selected by the AlwaysOn editorial team and industry experts spanning the globe based on a set of five criteria: innovation, market potential, commercialization, stakeholder value, and media buzz. read press release January 3, 2011 Green Bay Packers' John Kuhn Tops January List of Top Ten Rising Sports Stars Green Bay Packers' running back John Kuhn has earned the top spot on the list of Rising Sports Stars to watch in the month of January. Kuhn scored three touchdowns in Green Bay's Dec. 26 win against the New York Giants and has emerged as a fan favorite, gaining notice for key downs and special teams play. Kuhn's popularity has increased 79% over the past 30 days, and cheers for "KUUUUUUUHN" ring out when he carries the ball. Jimmy Graham of the New Orleans Saints and Brandon Bass of the Orlando Magic round out the top three. read press release Decemeber 15, 2010 Fantapper Supercharges Celebrity and Sports Content with Interactive Apps Fantapper (www.fantapper.com), is a free download that brings everything fans want to know about their favorite celebrities directly to them on the websites they already visit. Fantapper, from Brand Affinity Technologies (www.brandaffinity.net), was developed based on fast-growing consumer interest in connecting with celebrities online. Fantapper brings interactive apps to online images and text of celebrities. The apps give people always-on access to celebrity and athlete news, YouTube videos, Twitter and Facebook feeds and more. Fantapper can be downloaded for free at: www.fantapper.com. read press release Decemeber 1, 2010 Dallas Cowboys' Bryan McCann Tops December List of Rising Sports Stars Dallas Cowboys rookie Bryan McCann tops the list of Rising Sports Stars to watch in the month of December. McCann's popularity has soared 89% in the last 30 days over its November level as he emerged from a largely unknown player to a star cornerback and kick returner. McCann recently set a record as the first NFL rookie to record touchdowns of at least 97 yards in consecutive games. read press release Novemver 16, 2010 Brand Affinity Technologies Acquires Celebrity App Company Fantapper Brand Affinity Technologies (BAT), the company reinventing endorsement and celebrity marketing, has acquired Fantapper (www.fantapper.com), a leading celebrity mobile application company. read press release Novemver 1, 2010 Cleveland Browns' David Bowens Tops November List of Rising Sports Stars Cleveland Browns linebacker, David Bowens, tops the list of Rising Sports Stars to watch in the month of November. The list identifies sports stars with the greatest leap in popularity over the prior 30 days. A meteoric rise may indicate a standout on-the-field performance, off-the-field achievement, or emergence from utility player to celebrity. read press release October 20, 2010 PepsiCo Partners with BAT for Celebrity Intel and Online Consumer Engagement PepsiCo, Inc. and Brand Affinity Technologies (BAT), the company reinventing endorsement and celebrity marketing, are working together on new approaches to engage consumers via their favorite athletes and celebrities. As part of the relationship PepsiCo is leveraging BAT's Platform, which houses deep celebrity affinity intelligence, and has also partnered with BAT as the first sponsor of its netBAT content experience (www.netbat.com). read press release October 13, 2010 Hass Avocado Board Launches Cross-Media Ad Campaign Featuring Football Great John Lynch The Hass Avocado Board has launched a major ad campaign designed to spotlight avocados as the perfect food for college football fans. At the center of the campaign is football star John Lynch, who made a name for himself at Stanford and went on to become a nine-time pro-bowler and Super Bowl champion. The endorsement deal was secured in just one week, a sharp departure from prevailing assumptions about the difficulty and complexity of landing talent. read press release October 12, 2010 Deal with RCA/JIVE Brings Music Stars to BAT's Endorsement Platform Brand Affinity Technologies (BAT), the company reinventing endorsement and celebrity marketing, has signed a deal with RCA/JIVE Label Group, a label group of Sony Music Entertainment, to bring music stars to its Endorsement Platform. The RCA/JIVE recording artists are the first music celebrities to join BAT's Platform, which advertisers use to research, license, and activate the most effective celebrity talent for their campaigns. Artists can now go from the top of the charts to a live ad campaign in just a matter of days. Among those under the RCA/JIVE Label Group are Adam Lambert, Britney Spears, Ciara, Daughtry, David Archuleta, Kelly Clarkson, Ke$ha, Jamie Foxx, Jennifer Hudson, Jordin Sparks, P!nk, R. Kelly, Santana, T-Pain, and Usher. read press release October 1, 2010 Atlanta Falcons' Jason Snelling Tops October List of Rising Sports Stars Atlanta Falcons running back, Jason Snelling, tops the list of Rising Sports Stars to watch in the month of October. The list identifies sports stars with greatest leap in popularity over the prior 30 days. A meteoric rise may indicate a standout on-the-field performance, off-the-field achievement, or emergence from utility player to celebrity. read press release September 1, 2010 New York Giants' Victor Cruz Tops September List of Rising Sports Stars New York Giants rookie wide receiver, Victor Cruz, tops the list of Rising Sports Stars to watch in the month of September. The list ranks the top ten U.S. sports professionals from all major sports who experienced the greatest relative growth in popularity during the prior thirty days. Cruz has had a breakout pre-season and currently leads the league with 251 receiving yards and four touchdowns. As an undrafted free-agent wide receiver from UMass Amherst, Cruz is competing for a spot on the Giants' roster and has quickly emerged as an athlete-to-watch, with 12 catches in just three exhibition games to date. read press release August 24, 2010 Brand Affinity Technologies Raises $20 Million For Celebrity Endorsement and Engagement Business Brand Affinity Technologies (BAT), the company reinventing endorsement and celebrity marketing, has closed a $20 million Series C round led by Miramar Venture Partners, with existing investors Newport Coast Investments, RimLight Capital, Fulcrum Venture Capital, and ad pepper media International also participating. Also joining in the financing through their CGI Opportunity Fund II is the Ueberroth Family, experts in worldwide sports and marketing. read press release August 18, 2010 Sports and Celeb Websites Go Live with Interactive Content Experience Sports and celebrity websites FantasyFootball.com, Rotowire.com, Hollywoodrag.com, PathToTheDraft.com, SportsAgentBlog.com, and usfutblog.com are now offering consumers an interactive editorial content experience related to their favorite stars. netBAT (www.netbat.com) transforms celebrity images and articles into "portals of engagement" containing multimedia apps highly relevant to the featured content. Brand Affinity Technologies (BAT) created this new content experience which makes it easy for people to access and interact with news, video clips, information, social media feeds and more -- without leaving the page they're on. The publishers join popular websites such as New York Daily News and North Jersey Media Group in a bid to keep consumers engaged on-site with the sports and celebrity content that interests them most. read press release August 8, 2010 Brand Affinity Technologies Selected as AlwaysOn Global 250 Winner Brand Affinity Technologies (BAT) has been chosen by AlwaysOn as one of the AlwaysOn Global 250 winners. Inclusion in the AlwaysOn Global 250 signifies a company's leadership amongst its peers and game-changing approaches and technologies that are likely to disrupt existing markets and entrenched players in the "Global Silicon Valley." read press release August 2, 2010 Former Football Pro-Bowler and USC Legend Pat Haden Tops August List of Rising Sports Stars The University of Southern California's new Athletic Director, Pat Haden, tops the list of Rising Sports Stars to watch in the month of August. The list ranks the top ten U.S. sports professionals from all major sports who experienced the greatest relative growth in popularity during the prior thirty days. Haden, a retired Los Angeles Rams quarterback and former USC star, is returning to his alma mater to take over the athletic department after a scandal-plagued year resulted in some of the strictest sanctions ever levied by the NCAA. His official start date is August 3. read press release July 1, 2010 Golfer Bubba Watson Tops List of Rising Sports Stars to Watch in July The PGA's Bubba Watson, tops a debut list of Rising Sports Stars to watch in the month of July. The list ranks the top ten U.S. professional athletes from all major sports who experienced the greatest relative growth in popularity during the prior thirty days. Watson survived a six shot deficit and a nail-biting three-way playoff to emerge the victor of the Travelers Championship on June 27. read press release June 29, 2010 Sports Superstars Now Accessible and Affordable For Radio and TV Advertising ROI Media Direct and Brand Affinity Technologies, Inc. (BAT) have joined forces to usher in a new era of accessibility and affordability among athlete and celebrity endorsements. ROI, a full-service ad agency with tier-one clients such as: LegalZoom.com®, eHarmony® and Lifelock®, is an independently operated, wholly owned subsidiary of BAT, the company revolutionizing endorsement marketing. Starting today, BAT?s Platform including over 36,000 athletes and celebrities is immediately accessible to ROI clients, streamlining a typically lengthy and expensive talent research and endorsement process. read press release April 19, 2010 BAT and Getty Images Expand and Extend Partnership Brand Affinity Technologies, Inc. (BAT), the company reinventing endorsement and celebrity marketing, and Getty Images, the world's leading creator and distributor of visual content and other digital media, have expanded their partnership to further ease activation and drive adoption of endorsed advertising campaigns. BAT and Getty Images are making a coordinated effort across sales, marketing, and creative fronts to introduce more advertisers to endorsement marketing opportunities. read press release March 9, 2010 quadrantONE and BAT Partner to Bring Athlete Endorsements to Premium Online Newspaper Advertising Brand Affinity Technologies, Inc. (BAT), the company reinventing endorsement marketing, and quadrantONE, a joint venture of four major media companies that focuses on advertisers seeking prime audiences and national reach, have partnered to bring endorsements to premium online newspaper advertising. read press release February 1, 2010 Brand Affinity Technologies Acquires Virtual Memorabilia Company Beelya Brand Affinity Technologies, Inc. (BAT), the company reinventing the business of endorsement marketing, has acquired privately held La Jolla, Calif.-based Beelya, the leading creator of authentic, virtual sports collectibles. The acquisition allows BAT to extend its portfolio of endorsement offerings, as advertisers look to tap into the power of athlete and celebrity brands. read press release January 19, 2010 Brand Affinity Technologies Selected by AlwaysOn as OnMedia Top 100 Winner Brand Affinity Technologies, Inc. (BAT), the company reinventing the business of endorsement marketing, has been chosen by AlwaysOn as one of the OnMedia Top 100 winners, and as category winner among Advertising Service Providers. Winners were selected by the AlwaysOn editorial team and industry experts spanning the globe based on a set of five criteria: innovation, market potential, commercialization, stakeholder value, and media buzz. read press release October 8, 2009 Emmis Radio and BAT Partner to Give Radio Advertisers New Endorsement Opportunities Brand Affinity Technologies, Inc. (BAT), the company reinventing the business of endorsement marketing, and Emmis Radio, the diversified media firm with radio operations in the many of the nation's largest markets, today announced their partnership to offer advertisers access to over 3,000 athlete and celebrity endorsers for immediate activation across Emmis media channels. read press release September 30, 2009 SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA VENTURE NETWORK ANNOUNCES RECIPIENTS OF THE 2009 ORANGE COUNTY EMERGING GROWTH AWARDS The Southern California Venture Network (SCVN) recently announced the recipients of the 2009 Orange County Emerging Growth Awards. The awards recognized those companies headquartered in Orange County that have reached between $1-$20 million in yearly revenues, have experienced significant growth over the last 12 months and that have made a positive impact on the local economy. BAT was named the SCVN 2009 winner in the professional services category. read press release September 29, 2009 The San Diego Union-Tribune and BAT Partner to Add Star Power to Southern California Advertising Campaigns Brand Affinity Technologies, Inc. (BAT), Brand Affinity Technologies Inc. (BAT), the company reinventing the business of endorsement marketing, and The San Diego Union-Tribune, the region's leading local media company, have partnered to give advertisers in Southern California more streamlined access to endorsement talent. Starting immediately, the Union-Tribune's print and online sales force will offer BAT endorsement talent to its client base, reinforcing the media company's commitment to continuously improving its products and services. read press release September 10, 2009 CBS Outdoor and BAT Ink Deal to Bring Celebrity Endorsements to Outdoor Campaigns Brand Affinity Technologies, Inc. (BAT), the company reinventing the business of endorsement marketing, today announced a relationship with CBS Outdoor that will allow advertisers to easily incorporate celebrity endorsements into locally targeted out-of-home ad campaigns. Already in use by leading brands online, BAT enables advertisers of all sizes to tap into the passion consumers have for their favorite stars, athletes and teams. read press release July 21, 2009 Freedom Communications Partners with BAT Brand Affinity Technologies, Inc. (BAT), the company bringing athlete and celebrity endorsements to the web, and Freedom Communications, a national information and entertainment company of print publications, broadcast television stations and interactive businesses, have partnered to give advertisers the ability to reach consumers in local markets with targeted online endorsement ad campaigns. read press release May 18, 2009 Centro and BAT Partner to Give Star Treatment to Locally Targeted Ad Campaigns Brand Affinity Technologies, Inc. (BAT), the company bringing athlete and celebrity endorsements to the web, and Centro, the leader in local online media planning and buying, have partnered to give advertisers the ability to reach consumers in local markets with strategically selected endorsement talent. Ford is among Centro's first clients to run a geographically targeted endorsed campaign. read press release May 4, 2009 Microsoft Advertising and Brand Affinity Technologies Team Up to Add Celebrity Star Power to Advertisers’ Digital Campaigns New, innovative advertising medium puts athlete and celebrity endorsements at the fingertips of advertisers and publishers. read press release March 30, 2009 BAT and Getty Images Establish Relationship to Streamline Activation of Celebrity Endorsements Online Advertisers Can Access Getty Images Collection Through BAT's Endorsement Platform for Use in Online Campaigns read press release March 24, 2009 Brand Affinity Technologies President and CEO Ryan Steelberg Named to SportsBusiness Journal's "Forty Under 40" Brand Affinity Technologies President and CEO, Ryan Steelberg was named to SportsBusiness Journal's "Forty Under 40" list of the best and brightest young executives in sports business. read press release March 18, 2009 Research Shows Celebrity Endorsements Build Brands AND Boost Direct Response in Online Campaigns New Study and Beta Engagements Detail Impact of Endorsement Ad Campaigns Powered by Brand Affinity Technologies (BAT) read press release