Nextel & Univision Offer Fans Unprecedented Interaction @ Gold Cup.

Nextel Communications Inc. and Univision Communications Inc. announced Nextel will be the official sponsor and exclusive wireless carrier of the Gold Cup, North America’s largest soccer tournament.

The Gold Cup will run July 12-27 and be televised nationwide on the Univision broadcast network and Galavisión cable network, which reach more than 65 million U.S. households and 97 percent of U.S. Hispanic households. Nextel’s sponsorship will be an integrated communications effort that includes advertising, in-stadium promotion, wireless-device content and online activities at http://www.univision.com

For the first time ever, fans will be able to follow Gold Cup action no matter where they are in the Nextel National Network. Under the “What’s New” heading on the web browser of their Nextel wireless devices, fans will be able to participate in polls, with the results televised on Univision and Galavisión in real time. Powered by Proteus, the polls will ask questions such as, “Who will win the 2003 Gold Cup?”

Also on their Nextel web browsers or at http://www.univision.com, fans will be able to sign up to receive game-time and scoring alerts for their favorite teams. Additionally, the Nextel web browser will include soccer trivia questions and an opportunity to win a VIP package to attend EuroCup 2004 in Lisbon, Portugal.

Nextel will have booths at both the Boston-area and Miami game venues where attendees can experience firsthand the Gold Cup content on Nextel’s wireless devices. They will also have the opportunity to use Nextel’s Nationwide Direct Connect(TM), the first and only wireless Push To Talk(TM) service to allow users instant communication across the country. Nationwide Direct Connect is available in more than 85 percent of Nextel’s markets and will be completely rolled out by the end of July.

“Univision is excited to partner with Nextel to make this year’s broadcast the most interactive and exciting ever,” said Javier Saralegui, president of Univision Online. “By utilizing the latest Nextel technologies to offer fans unprecedented access to the Gold Cup soccer tournament, Univision is expanding the tradition of its preeminent soccer coverage.”

“Nextel is pleased to sponsor a premier event like the Gold Cup with Univision,” said Pat Garner, senior vice president for emerging markets at Nextel. “With the rapid increase of the U. S. Hispanic population plus the growth of Hispanic-owned businesses, more and more Latinos value the products and services of Nextel. The Gold Cup schedule coincides with the launch of Nationwide Direct Connect, which provides a terrific opportunity to communicate this exclusive new feature on a much broader scale. Additionally, Nextel will deliver Gold Cup alerts and other exciting, interactive media to bring Gold Cup soccer to life for those attending in person or viewing on Univision or Galavisión.”