Spike.com Hosts 2011 'Captain Morgan BracketMaster Challenge'

NORWALK, Conn., Feb. 15, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Captain Morgan and Spike.com have teamed up for the second annual "Captain Morgan BracketMaster Challenge."  The seven-week, head-to-head competition officially kicks off today and features 32 of the nation's hottest women from the North, South, East and West; all vying for the title of the Ultimate Morganette in a legendary bracket-style format.  Starting today through April 4, fans can enter the challenge by visiting bracketmaster.spike.com and completing a bracket for the chance to win a $10,000 grand prize package.

(Logo:  http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20110215/NY48182LOGO )

Over the seven-week challenge, fans will see their favorite Morganettes either advance to the next round or get their bracket busted. The online tournament will unfold as follows:

• Voting for the initial "Round of 32" will take place between now and Wednesday, March 2
• The first elimination, will take place on Thursday, March 3, cutting the "Round of 32" to the "Sweet 16"
• On Thursday, March 17, the "Sweet 16" becomes the "Elite Eight" with second round of eliminations
• On Saturday, March 26, the "Elite Eight" becomes the "Final Four" Morganettes
• On Thursday, March 31, the "Final Four" will narrow down to the two remaining Morganettes for National Championship voting through Sunday, April 3
• The Ultimate Morganette winner will be announced on Monday, April 4

Fans are encouraged to submit brackets throughout the entire challenge; however, to be eligible for the grand prize, all bracket entries must be completed and submitted during the first round by March 2.  The grand prize package includes cash and the ultimate home theater, equipped with an HDTV, surround sound system, sports ticker, fridge and furniture.  

In addition to the grand prize package, finalists who submit brackets after the initial Round of 32 are eligible to win other prizes including – a 55" LCD HDTV for the "Sweet 16" winner, a Flip digital video recorder for the "Elite Eight" winner, a Casio G-Shock sports watch for the "Final Four" winner and the "Final Two" winner an Ultimate Guys DVD set from Spike's own collection.

"The Captain Morgan BracketMaster Challenge affords an engaging way to reach our consumers with a bracket experience unlike any other," said Tom Herbst, Brand Director, Captain Morgan USA. "Building on the success of last year's Challenge, we're excited to take the 2011 program to the next level by doubling the number of participating Morganettes, recruiting blogger 'coaches' and increasing the grand prize winnings."

With 32 Morganettes from all over the nation, states like California, Illinois, Texas, Colorado, Alabama, New York and Arizona are all represented in the competition. Additionally, the Morganettes will provide fans with unique content via their Facebook pages, Spike.com profiles and events in their hometown markets designed to generate awareness for the competition and secure the fan base necessary to help them take the Ultimate Morganette title.

As fans fill out their brackets and choose their favorites, they can get to know more about each Morganette by viewing her online profile, photos and video. For more information, please visit bracketmaster.spike.com.

As always, Captain Morgan reminds adult consumers that when filling out a bracket, drink responsibly, Captain's orders!

About Spike.com

Spike.com is the premiere digital entertainment destination for men with over 10 million unique monthly visitors.  A division of MTV Networks and a unit of VIACOM (NYSE: VIA, VIA.B), Spike.com offers the best of Spike TV programming, including full episodes and shoulder programming, digital originals, in-depth event coverage and editorial content.  Spike.com is a part of Spike Digital Entertainment, a network of male focused digital properties, including GameTrailers.com, a leading video game editorial site, and UltimateFighter.com – the first online destination to offer complete UFC fights on the web for free.

About Diageo

Diageo (Dee-AH-Gee-O) is the world's leading premium drinks business with an outstanding collection of beverage alcohol brands across spirits, wines, and beer categories. These brands include Johnnie Walker, Guinness, Red Stripe, Smirnoff, J&B, Baileys, Cuervo, Tanqueray, Captain Morgan, Crown Royal, Beaulieu Vineyard and Sterling Vineyards wines.

Diageo is a global company, trading in more than 180 countries around the world. The company is listed on both the New York Stock Exchange (DEO) and the London Stock Exchange (DGE). For more information about Diageo, its people, brands, and performance, visit us at http://www.diageo.com/ .

Celebrating life, every day, everywhere, responsibly.

SOURCE Diageo