HEADLINE NEWS - News

Monday - 1/7/2002

Fifteen of the top NFL players will be part of America's favorite game show when they appear on the sixth annual
Wheel of Fortune "NFL Players Week", announced Wheel of Fortune and PLAYERS INC . The shows were taped November 30, 2001 at Sony Pictures Studios in Los Angeles, Calif., and will air the week leading up to the Playoffs, January 7-11, 2002.

Hosts Pat Sajak and Vanna White will cheer on the contestant partners of Tiki Barber (New York Giants), Jerome Bettis (Pittsburgh Steelers), Tim Brown (Oakland Raiders), Mark Brunell (Jacksonville Jaguars), Ron Dayne (New York Giants), Doug Flutie (San Diego Chargers), Ahman Green (Green Bay Packers), Edgerrin James (Indianapolis Colts), Howie Long (Hall of Fame, Raiders), John Riggins (Hall of Fame, Redskins), Shannon Sharpe (Baltimore Ravens), Emmitt Smith (Dallas Cowboys), Dana Stubblefield (San Francisco), Brian Urlacher (Chicago Bears), and Kurt Warner (St. Louis Rams) as they spin the Wheel for their favorite charities.

"NFL Players are not only skilled athletes, but community leaders as well," says Pat Allen, executive vice president and chief operating officer of PLAYERS INC, the licensing and marketing subsidiary of the NFL Players Association. "Wheel of Fortune 'NFL Players Week' affords the players the unique opportunity to connect with their fans and give back to their charities and foundations. Over the last five years this partnership has raised over a million dollars for player charities."

Each player will have a partner who is a fan from his team's city. Three player/contestant teams will be featured each night Monday, January 7 through Friday, January 11. The contestant from the team with the highest cash/prize total will be the envy of football fans everywhere as they will win the Grand Prize: a spectacular five-day/four-night trip to New Orleans to attend the NFL Players Party, NFL Player Mania and Super Bowl XXXVI.

The prize, courtesy of PLAYERS INC, includes VIP passes for two to mingle with hundreds of NFL players at the PLAYERS INC VIP Party, NFL Players Party and NFL Player Mania, along with two tickets to the game. The winner will also receive thousands of dollars worth of player-autographed memorabilia, 989 sports merchandise including a PlayStation 2, PLAYERS INC merchandise, a laptop computer, and a $1,000 shopping spree at the NFL shop on NFL.com.

WHEEL OF FORTUNE NFL PLAYERS WEEK SCHEDULE

Monday Tiki Barber, Jerome Bettis, Kurt Warner
Tuesday Edgerrin James, Howie Long, Emmitt Smith
Wednesday Mark Brunell, Dana Stubblefield, Brian Urlacher
Thursday Shannon Sharpe, Doug Flutie, Tim Brown
Friday Ron Dayne, Ahman Green, John Riggins

Fans can start gearing up for the on-air event with an online component located at www.wheeloffortune.com and www.nflplayers.com. Now through January 13, 2002 users can enter an online sweepstakes for a chance to win the Grand Prize: A trip to the 2002 Pro Bowl in Hawaii.

The Grand Prize Package includes a five-day/four-night trip to Waikiki, Hawaii and two tickets to the Pro Bowl on February 9, 2002. Winners will stay at the Marriott Waikiki Beach Resort courtesy of the hotel. The winner will also receive a fun pack filled with Wheel of Fortune and PLAYERS INC merchandise.

Founded by the NFLPA in 1994, PLAYERS INC creates and develops marketing opportunities for current and former NFL players. Representing over 1,800 active and 3,000 retired NFL players, PLAYERS INC "takes the helmets off the players", giving fans the opportunity to see the players' personalities and talents off the field. PLAYERS INC is involved in licensed merchandise programs, corporate sponsorships and promotions, special events, music and video recordings, as well as television, radio and Internet

- nflplayers.com

- which is now a part of the NFL Internet Network. PLAYERS INC schedules more than 2,500 NFL player appearances each year.

Wheel of Fortune is the #1 program in the history of syndicated television. It is seen by 24 million viewers each evening in the U.S. and 100 million weekly viewers worldwide. Wheel of Fortune is produced by Columbia TriStar
Domestic Television, a Sony Pictures Entertainment company, and distributed worldwide by King World Productions, Inc. Columbia TriStar Domestic Television is a Sony Pictures Entertainment company. SPE's global operations encompass motion picture production and distribution, television programming and syndication, worldwide channel investments, home video acquisition and distribution, operation of studio facilities, development of new entertainment products, services and technologies, and distribution of filmed entertainment in 67 countries.

About Sony Pictures Digital Entertainment Sony Pictures Digital Entertainment (SPDE), an operating unit of Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE), oversees the activities of SPE's digital production and online assets including Sony Pictures Imageworks and Sony Online Entertainment, SoapCity, and all of the studio's online promotional presence. SPDE focuses on three areas: 1) producing and developing visual effects and computer-generated imaging (CGI), digital character animation, and original content for motion picture, television, online and PlayStation audiences; 2) developing new forms of online content, games and interactive programming; and 3) leading SPE's efforts to provide online, open-access video-on-demand, interactive television and the distribution of new forms of digital content and services over the emerging broadband IP (Internet Protocol) networks.