Verizon Wireless Becomes Official Wireless Provider of the Milwaukee Bucks and the Bradley Center

MILWAUKEE — Verizon Wireless, the nation's largest wireless communications provider, has become the official wireless service provider of the Milwaukee Bucks and the Bradley Center.

"We are very excited to begin this relationship with the Bucks and the Bradley Center," said Greg Klimek, Regional President for Verizon Wireless. "The young, exciting Bucks will be turning heads in the National Basketball Association. We will gain significant visibility as the Bucks are one of the teams to watch this season in the NBA." That visibility will be multiplied because of the variety of events held at the Bradley Center, according to Mary Shully, Associate Director-Advertising for Verizon Wireless. From Milwaukee Admirals' hockey, Marquette University Golden Eagles' basketball and arena football and indoor soccer to popular happenings like ice shows, concerts and other spectator events, many diverse markets will be reached through this alliance.

In addition, Verizon Wireless will be working with the Bucks and the Bradley Center in their charitable causes. The company will assist the MACC (Midwest Athletes Against Childhood Cancer) Fund with its fund-raising efforts and will sponsor several events including Hoop It Up, a 3-on-3 basketball tournament, and the 10th annual Bucks Par Excellence Golf Event that will raise funds for the fight against cystic fibrosis.

"We are looking forward to an active relationship with Verizon Wireless," John Steinmiller, Bucks Vice President of Business Operations, said. "Verizon Wireless has emerged as the most aggressive and creative wireless provider in the state and we're enthused about sharing ideas and activities that will bring awareness to both our businesses." Verizon Wireless also is the official wireless provider of the Green Bay Packers. While the Packers have a broader reach statewide, according to Shully, the Bucks and the Bradley Center will reach more targeted markets over a much longer period of time.

"These two sponsorships complement each other perfectly," said Shully. "The Bucks and the Bradley Center will give us inroads into a whole new array of distinct markets year round, especially in the business community."

For its sponsorship investment, Verizon Wireless receives considerable advertising and promotional benefits, including:

• a Bradley Center suite for entertaining business customers;
• signage in the Bradley Center;
• a full-color ad in Hoop Magazine, the official Bucks and NBA game program;
• Verizon Wireless kiosks in the Bradley Center during games and events where consumers can learn more about the latest in wireless technology.

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About Verizon Wireless

Verizon Wireless is the largest wireless communications provider in the U.S.with 26.3 million wireless voice and data customers and 3.5 million paging customers. The new coast-to-coast wireless provider was formed by the combination of the U.S. wireless businesses of Bell Atlantic Corp. and GTE Corp -- now Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ) -- and Vodafone (NYSE and LSE: VOD). The new company includes the assets of Bell Atlantic Mobile, AirTouch Cellular, GTE Wireless, PrimeCo Personal Communications and AirTouch Paging. The company has a footprint covering nearly 90 percent of the U.S. population, 49 of the top 50 and 96 of the top 100 U.S. markets. Verizon Wireless, headquartered in Bedminster, NJ, is 32,000 employees strong. Reporters and editors can find more information about the company on the Web at http://www.verizonwireless.com.

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