Opening Day kicks off with more than 40 one-of-a-kind sports experiences available for bidding through October 11
San Jose, Calif. — Oct. 2, 2002 — eBay, the World’s Online MarketplaceTM (Nasdaq: EBAY; www.ebay.com), today announced the launch of eBay Sports, a site dedicated to all sports consumers. The new site brings the four core eBay Sports businesses — memorabilia, event tickets and experiences, licensed merchandise, and sporting goods — together in one location at www.eBaySports.com.
Since being introduced on eBay, the sports-related businesses have been among eBay’s fastest-growing categories. Nearly one billion dollars of gross merchandise sales is expected to be transacted on eBay Sports this year. Last year, sports-related sellers on eBay listed more than 37 million items, generating $750 million in gross merchandise sales. With nearly 50 million registered users, some of the most well-known names in sports are seeking access to eBay’s marketplace. eBay Sports is also home to branded and non-branded retailers, manufacturers, liquidators and many e-commerce entrepreneurs.
“Our goal is to truly make eBay Sports the ultimate sports store. Creating a dedicated site shows eBay’s commitment to our buyers and sellers in the sports category,” said Bob Hebeler, vice president and general manager, eBay Sports and Tickets. “On any given day, as much sports merchandise is transacted on eBay as is sold at any of the major retailers. What makes eBay so unique is the enormous range of products and the availability of the experiences that you can’t get anywhere else.”
Connecting Buyers and Sellers on a Level Playing Field
The goal of eBay Sports is to connect fans to sports in a way that was not previously possible, as well as to connect leaders in sports to the eBay community of buyers in a new and different way. The eBay marketplace is used by sellers in a variety of ways from a complementary sales channel and media platform to charity fundraising tool and brand-building vehicle.
“Our sports team is centered on coming up with new ways to make eBay Sports a more robust platform, so no matter who you are in sports or what you want to achieve, you can use eBay to drive your business goals,” added Hebeler.
eBay sellers are mostly individuals and small businesses that rely on eBay to access national and international markets and to make their livelihood on their own terms. Buyers come to eBay looking for value and selection on every type of sports item imaginable, and sellers of all sizes benefit from a highly liquid marketplace. It is a level playing field where small entrepreneurs can compete effectively with large retailers.
Charity Auctions
Unique to eBay Sports are charity auctions that offer sports fans a chance to purchase one-of-a-kind experiences and extraordinary items to bring them closer to their favorite athletes and games. To celebrate the launch of eBay Sports, the most extensive group of athlete-inspired experiences yet will be available for bidding on the site until October 11. Proceeds from the majority of these experiences will be donated to a variety of charities. For a complete listing of these experiences, including the chance to play basketball with Magic Johnson or play golf with Jack Nicklaus, please visit http://www.eBay.com/sportsexperiences.
Athletes, marketers and sports organizations have historically been diligent about offering up exclusive items and experiences to be sold on eBay for charity. Whether it is the chance to shoot hoops with Kobe Bryant, which raised $25,000, or playing a golf foursome with Tiger Woods, which raised $425,000 for his foundation, the eBay community appreciates the opportunity to give back.
About eBay Sports
eBay Sports (www.eBaySports.com), a part of eBay Inc., is the Internet’s largest marketplace for buying and selling all things sports. The site offers a wide array of sporting goods, team and athlete-related merchandise, memorabilia, tickets and experiences. Recently ranked the No. 7 sports site on the Web by Media Metrix and Nielsen//NetRatings, eBay Sports expects nearly one billion dollars worth of sports-related items to be transacted on its site this year.
About eBay
eBay is the world's online marketplaceTM. Founded in 1995, eBay created a powerful platform for the sale of goods and services by a passionate community of individuals and businesses. On any given day, there are millions of items across thousands of categories for sale on eBay through auction or fixed price formats. eBay enables trade on a local, national and international basis with customized sites in markets around the world.
