More consumers flocked to the Internet to access paid and subscription-based sports content during the Summer 2008 season than any prior season, according to MediaZone , a leading online global broadcaster.

The findings are based on an in-depth review of MediaZone's subscription and pay-per-view data compiled across its extensive selection of hard-to-find and premier sports video programming online.

MediaZone CEO Glen Marques attributes the highly successful summer season to a growing library of sports content online, new interactive features that augment traditional television coverage and an Internet population that views the web as a must have tool for accessing sports and entertainment content.

"While many traditional broadcasters have been reluctant to embrace the web for fear of cannibalizing their existing audience, MediaZone has always believed that the interactive, real-time and dynamic nature of the web is ideally suited for sports enthusiasts," said Marques. "The 2008 Summer Sports Season not only proved this belief, but also took it a step forward by demonstrating that consumers are willing to pay for premium or hard to find sports content."

In 2008, MediaZone extended its broadband sports lineup with the addition of IndyCar Race Control, the most interactive racecar viewing experience in the world. The company has also bolstered its long-standing international rugby coverage of annual tournaments with the launch of RugbyZone.com and renewed its partnership with the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club (AELTC) as the official online broadcaster of The Championships at Wimbledon.

Wimbledon LIVE Draws Largest Paid Audience in 2008

Since its debut in 2006, Wimbledon LIVE has joined March Madness and the Masters as mainstays on the broadband sports circuit as consumers have increasingly embraced the Web for hard to find sporting events or coverage that expands on traditional broadcast offerings. In its two previous years, MediaZone's coverage of Wimbledon has set tennis industry records for site visitors, live streams and downloads, while tripling its revenue since 2006.

This year was no exception with Wimbledon LIVE emerging as the most successful paid sports event of 2008.

2008 Wimbledon LIVE highlights included:

• More than 200,000 hours of live video streams and 3.5 million streaming sessions delivered
• 326 full length match video files streamed and delivered on-demand
• More than 7 million downloads throughout the event
• More than 1 million live feeds
• Revenue and Subscriptions up 30% over 2007

Wimbledon LIVE experienced unprecedented traffic driven by demand for coverage of the epic final between Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal. The match was the longest match in Wimbledon history and included a number or rain delays and coverage interruptions. Wimbledon LIVE filled this gap with continuous audio and video feeds and additional content for fans seeking the latest news and developments from the tournament.

Ultimately, more than 8 million people visited Wimbledon LIVE consuming more than 203 thousand hours of live and on-demand tournament coverage.

IndyCar Race Control: Introducing User Controlled Viewing Experience
Beyond simply streaming races online, MediaZone's IndyCar Race Control took an important step forward, allowing fans to get the total racing experience all in one place. Throughout the Summer's IndyCar series, fans could select and switch in-car cam views while simultaneously analyzing top drivers throughout the race, as well as read the latest blogs from IndyCar Series drivers and teams.

RugbyZone Debuts to Strong Demand:
Dovetailing on a successful broadcast of the 2007 IRB Rugby World Cup through a partnership with the International Rugby Board, MediaZone launched RugbyZone.com, the first rugby destination to provide a completely integrated, broadband multimedia experience while catering to an underserved rugby fan base worldwide that has had limited access to the sport's most anticipated, championship-class matches. RugbyZone.com's first weekend saw a 20% increase in video consumption, and a 50% increase in traffic.

RugbyZone delivers exclusive LIVE and On Demand access to more than 275 matches from the Tri Nations, June Tests, Celtic Tests, Super 14, 2009 Lions Tour, Currie Cup, Heineken Cup, Air New Zealand Cup and North American Rugby competitions to fans in more than 200 countries, including the USA.