NBC Sports Announces New Marketing Relationship w/ Civic Entertainment

NBC Sports Group has selected Civic Entertainment Group, the newly acquired marketing agency by Seacrest Global Group, to develop and execute experiential marketing campaigns and broker strategic, promotion partnerships for the network. The partnership kicks off with efforts surrounding NBC Sports Group's 2013 Stanley Cup Playoffs campaign and will continue through NBC Olympics' presentation of the 2014 Olympic Winter Games in Sochi.

NBC Sports Group and Civic Entertainment Group's first campaign will launch this week, with NBC Sports and the National Hockey League (NHL) joining forces with Crumbs Bake Shop (NASDAQ:CRMB) to celebrate the start of the 2013 Stanley Cup Playoffs. As part of the "Because It's The Cup" marketing campaign, NBC and CEG have created a limited edition set of "Stanley Cup Cupcakes." The campaign, which launches Tuesday, April 30 with a press conference in Madison Square Park, NYC, includes:

Crumbs Cupcakes featuring all sixteen (16) playoff clubs to be sold at 65+ Crumbs retail locations throughout the country. Select teams in select locations.

NBC/NHL/Crumbs co-branded mobile vehicle touring key playoff cities distributing the specially "iced" Cupcakes

Delivery of custom sets of Crumbs Cupcakes to local sports radio stations, affiliate and RSN television networks, media and key business partners

"Civic has proven to be a very effective partner. They have amazing buzz generating ideas, but even more importantly they have the ability to execute them." Said John Miller, Chief Marketing Officer, NBC Sports Group. "We look forward to using those ideas across the platforms and events of the NBC Sports Group."

"Working in live sports programming - the quintessential in entertainment television -- tapping fan passion and driving ratings for the gold standard in sports TV is a dream assignment for us," said CEG co-founders/CEOs David Cohn and Stuart Ruderfer. "We have enormous respect for the NBC Sports Group brand and are thrilled to be working with John and his team."

CEG's activities will seek to showcase NBC Sports Group's vast array of sports offerings to drive ratings, build fan engagement and provide added-value to key business partners. The new partnership seeks to capitalize on CEG's creative talents, cultural reach and broad network to further elevate the dynamic marketing capabilities of NBC Sports Group. In addition to the NHL, CEG will focus its support on key NBC Sports Group properties including the Olympics, Premier League and Formula 1, among others.

ABOUT NBC SPORTS GROUP

NBC Sports Group consists of a unique array of broadcast television, cable television, regional television, radio and digital sports assets, including NBC Sports, NBC Sports Network, Golf Channel, NBC Olympics, 11 NBC Sports Regional Networks, two regional news networks, NBC Sports Radio and NBCSports.com.

The company's unparalleled collection of media rights agreements include partnerships with the International Olympic Committee, NFL, NHL, PGA TOUR, PGA of America, USGA, European Tour, Premier League, MLS, University of Notre Dame, Tour de France, French Open, Formula One, IndyCar, Churchill Downs, Breeders Cup, America's Cup and many more.

NBC Olympics, with more than 90 Emmy Awards for its coverage, is renowned for its unsurpassed award-winning production. NBC owns the rights to the Olympics through the 2020 Summer Games, at which point NBCUniversal will have presented 11 consecutive and 17 total Olympic Games, the most for a U.S. media company in both categories. NBC Sports Network is distributed via cable systems and satellite operators throughout the United States to more than 80 million homes. The Golf Channel, which is available in more than 120 million homes worldwide and 84 million in the U.S., televises more than 150 tournaments each year, representing more than 3,300 hours of tournament coverage. NBC Sports Digital properties include NBCSports.com, the NBC Sports Live Extra app, NBCOlympics.com, GolfChannel.com, Rotoworld.com, the complete collection of NBC Sports Regional Network websites as well as a partnership with Yahoo! Sports, which makes it the most trafficked sports destination on the web. Delivering more than 2,400 sporting events annually, along with breaking news and comprehensive analysis, the 11 NBC Sports Regional Networks reach more than 50 million cable and satellite homes.

ABOUT CIVIC ENTERTAINMENT

Headquartered in New York City, Civic Entertainment Group is one of the nation's most award winning marketing services companies serving blue chip brands - including A+E Networks, CNN, Fox, HBO, HISTORY, Netflix, NFL, and NBC Universal - with special practice areas in experiential marketing, strategic marketing partnerships and cause marketing programs. CEG creates long-term brand platforms (e.g. NBC Education Nation, NFL Network "PLAY 60 Keep Gym in School," CNN Grill) designed to impact culture, address the biggest societal issues, define brands, generate client revenue, build loyalty and stimulate word-of-mouth. Seacrest Global Group (SGG), the independent investment arm of Ryan Seacrest's media and entertainment holdings, acquired a majority stake in CEG in December 2012.

ABOUT THE NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE

The National Hockey League (NHL) is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which seven are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States. Headquartered in New York City, the NHL is widely considered to be the premier professional ice hockey league in the world, and one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Canada. The Stanley Cup, the oldest professional sports trophy in North America, is awarded annually to The League playoff champion at the end of each season.

ABOUT CRUMBS BAKESHOP

The first Crumbs bake shop opened in March 2003 on the Upper West Side of Manhattan and is well known for its innovative and oversized gourmet cupcakes. The Company currently has 67 locations in 10 states and the District of Columbia, including 17 stores in super regional malls.