Tuesday, May 6

BROOKLYN, NY – The Brooklyn Knights announced today the provision of audio broadcast, via the internet, of its home games during the 2008 USL-PDL regular season. The first official relay will be on Friday, May 9 with a launch just before the Knights’ regular season opener against Westchester Flames.

General Manager Gali Maimon sees this as setting the creative vision for the club’s communication label and playing a significant part in identifying and developing its player and fan base.

“This is a milestone for the Knights,” Maimon said. “[This is] unprecedented in our young club’s history and in Brooklyn’s soccer landscape.”

“This will give our club many times the typical PR,” he noted after a ‘test’ on Friday, May 2nd during a mini-triangular tourney hosted by the Knights, where the ‘thumbs-up’ was given for the provision.

“We hope this will influence and motivate our fans and players,” said Maimon. “It will also bring sponsors onto this building block for the future.”

The development is part of the Knights’ initiative to cultivate deep relationships with the wider soccer community. Already a new component has been created on its website – www.bksoccer.com - for this purpose, and listeners will be able to log on and listen to the online stream by clicking the appropriate feature on the home page. He said the feasibility of video coverage using similar facilities will also be looked at, as well as other forms of broadcast that can reach fans who are mobile, “like when driving.”

Maimon said the broadcasts will not only give commentaries on the games, but also highlight the club’s community outreach, plus specials with players, fans, corporate partners and the USL fraternity. No names were given of the featured commentators, analysts and other presenters, but it is likely the Knights will absorb such personalities from its vast and varied host borough of Brooklyn.

He thanked Demosphere International Inc. and Stretch Internet for their integral roles in setting up the tools and services for the broadcasts.

“We are excited about our partnership with Demosphere and Stretchnet,” said Maimon. “This broad platform is positioned to reach a global audience, impact on creativity, and set the stage for innovative collaborations between the Knights and other interested parties.”

The Virginia-based Demosphere is the leading provider of web-based administrative tools for soccer and other sports organizations. Stretch Internet has played a significant role in internet broadcast provisions over the years, helping to exploit the convergence of computer and audio-visual broadcast technologies.

“This illustrates the efficiencies of the internet in the creation, delivery, storage and playback of broadcast-quality content," said Maimon.

Friday’s transmission marks the first time that a live-feed of any kind is on offer for the Knights’ home games, dating back to 1999. On the website, the broadcasts can be accessed via QuickTime Player, which if not already available, can be downloaded there for free.