April 02, 2004

By: Ingrid Kelly
Website: http://www.1st-in-fitness.com

Global Sports to develop and operate E-Commerce Sports and Fitness Store for Nation’s leading fitness chain

GLOBAL SPORTS, INC., a leading developer and operator of e-commerce businesses, today announced an agreement with BALLY TOTAL FITNESS, the nation’s leading fitness chain, to develop and operate a comprehensive e-commerce sports and fitness store for Bally’s four million members.

The new online sports and fitness store is expected to launch in the first quarter of 2001 and will feature a comprehensive selection of fitness-related merchandise, including apparel, footwear, fitness and sports accessories, exercise equipment, and health and nutritional supplements. The online store represents an expansion of Bally Total Fitness’ current Fitness Formula retail business into a new distribution channel.

Global Sports will develop and operate the online store and will be responsible for all facets of the store, including Web site design and development, merchandising, order processing, fulfillment, inventory, and customer service.

Bally Total Fitness will be promoting the new online sports and fitness store through its off-line marketing efforts, including advertising, promotions, in-store signage, and direct mail campaigns.

Bally Total Fitness is the largest commercial operator of fitness centers in North America. The clubs operated by Bally Total Fitness serve approximately four million members. Bally signs up approximately 800,000 new members each year and the company’s advertising generates more than 150 million consumer impressions each month.

Paul Toback, Bally Total Fitness’ senior vice president, corporate development, expressed enthusiasm for the new agreement, noting that, “Our relationship with Global Sports should benefit us in several important ways. First, it opens a new avenue for extending the reach of our brand. Additionally, this agreement greatly improves the e-commerce capacity of our Web site, www.ballyfitness.com. And finally,” Toback concluded, “in addition to making our proprietary line of nutritional and other exercise products available to a much wider public, our relationship with Global Sports will also provide a valuable membership enhancement for our current members.”

“Bally Total Fitness marks a newly-established additional growth opportunity for Global Sports,” said Michael G. Rubin, Chairman and CEO of Global Sports. “In addition to our our current partnership base of brick and mortar retailers, Internet companies, and media companies, Global Sports has extended our reach to include the leading fitness chain which has approximately four million members, representing an important new audience to which we can market sports and fitness merchandise.”

Author Notes:

Ingrid Kelly contributes and publishes news editorial to http://www.1st-in-fitness.com.  A source of information and helpful tips on various types of fitness equipment.