Brand Affinity Technologies Acquires Virtual Memorabilia Company Beelya

IRVINE, Calif., Feb. 1 /PRNewswire/ -- 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 collectables. The acquisition allows BAT to extend its portfolio of endorsement offerings, as advertisers look to tap into the power of athlete and celebrity brands.

Founded by brothers Ryan & Chad Steelberg in 2007, BAT gives advertisers – Fortune 500 to regional and local firms – the ability to quickly and easily launch endorsement campaigns. BAT's Endorsement Platform, which currently includes more than 3,300 contracted athletes and celebrities covering every U.S. DMA, allows advertisers to activate the most effective talent for a campaign based on geography, branding and targeting considerations. Endorsement offerings include digital, radio, outdoor, print, and television advertising, as well as appearances, and now, virtual memorabilia that advertisers can provide to consumers as incentives and rewards. For example, an advertiser could provide consumers with a limited-edition social media badge featuring a football signed by an NFL athlete, as part of their marketing campaign.

According to a January report by research firm Inside Network, the U.S. market for virtual goods is expected to reach $1.6 billion in 2010 - $835 million of which will be from social gaming. "In 2009, virtual goods sales were expected to clear $1 billion, a substantial increase over 2008, with equally impressive projections for year-over-year growth in 2010."

"Beelya, like BAT, exists because of the enthusiasm and passion that consumers have for their favorite athletes," said Ryan Steelberg, President and CEO of BAT. "Our vision is to offer advertisers a robust menu of ways to engage with consumers and benefit from the instant recognition and affinity that sports stars deliver. This acquisition allows us to add a popular and fast-growing social marketing tool to our portfolio of endorsement offerings."

Beelya had previously secured exclusive virtual memorabilia agreements with more than 165 sports stars, over 70 of whom are already on BAT's platform, including Torii Hunter (3-time All-Star, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim), Ray Lewis (Super Bowl XXV MVP; linebacker, Baltimore Ravens), Carson Palmer (Pro-Bowl quarterback, Cincinnati Bengals), Larry Fitzgerald (4-time NFL Pro Bowl wide-receiver, Arizona Cardinals) and Matt Hasselbeck (Pro Bowl quarterback, Seattle Seahawks).

BAT will expand the number of athletes involved and will ensure rights management and regulations compliance.

About Brand Affinity Technologies, Inc. (BAT)

Founded in 2007, BAT (http://brandaffinity.net) is reinventing the business of endorsement marketing by making it easy and affordable for advertisers of all sizes to launch ad campaigns featuring athletes and celebrities. Advertisers use BAT's Endorsement Platform to identify, license, and activate the most effective talent for their campaigns, based on brand and targeting considerations. Currently, BAT's Platform features more than 3,300 top athletes and celebrities in markets nationwide, and is used by leading advertisers to build brand value and boost campaign performance. BAT's celebrity roster includes Olympic athletes and marquee active and retired players in nearly every sport, including Drew Brees (NFL), Jorge Posada (MLB), Rajon Rondo (NBA), Brooks Robinson (MLB – Hall of Fame), Emmitt Smith (NFL – retired), and Lennox Lewis (Boxing). Since 1996, BAT founders Ryan and Chad Steelberg have raised over $150 million in equity financing and created over $3.0 billion in shareholder value through previous ventures including AdForce (sold to CMGi in 1999 for $500 Million) and dMarc Broadcasting (acquired by Google, Inc. in February, 2006 for up to $1.238 Billion).

SOURCE Brand Affinity Technologies, Inc.