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» From the Orange County Register

Saturday, April 24, 2004

A new game for Angels fans

Cell-phone users can win prizes at the ballpark in text-messaging contests.

By MARY ANN MILBOURN
The Orange County Register

Besides ThunderStix and a mitt for catching foul balls, some Angels baseball fans will want to add a cell phone to their list of things to take to home games this season. Specifically, a cell phone with two-way text messaging.

They'll need the phone to participate in the Angels' new interactive trivia contest. A trivia question will be posted on the scoreboard during each home game. Answers must be submitted via cell-phone text messaging.

Fans who give the right answer will get a message back saying they are winners. The message will tell them where to take their phone to show the message and collect a prize, which will include such things as free tickets, merchandise and discounts at concession stands. They also will be entered into the Angel for a Day contest, in which one winner will receive four tickets for field-level seats, dinner at the Diamond Club and an Angels jersey.

Greg Pinter, chief executive of Net- Informer, the Bay area wireless interactive media company that developed the messaging campaign, said the two-way short messaging service has been a hit for the Oakland A's, who first tested the text-messaging contest during games. He said more than 1,000 fans participated the first night a trivia contest was offered and twice that responded at the next game.

Sabrina Warner, an Angels corporate account executive, sees it as a new way to communicate with fans and build fan loyalty. Sponsors like it, too.

"It's fun, it's popular and – from a business perspective – it's a good way to get your name out," said Ken Muche, a spokesman at Verizon Wireless, which is sponsoring the Angels contest.

It's also a way to generate revenue. Verizon charges 10 cents per text message sent and 2 cents for each one received. Pinter sees this as just the beginning. He hopes to expand the game to basketball, soccer and hockey.

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