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New York, NY - AXA, one of the world's largest financial services organizations, and ESPN jointly
announced today a merchandising agreement under which AXA will become title sponsor of the East-West Showdown
that will be played on the opening weekend of the regular college football season. College football
powers East Carolina University and West Virginia University will match up in the game, which will be
nationally broadcast on ESPN2 on Saturday, September 4 at 3:00 pm.(EST). The AXA East-West Showdown
will be played at a neutral site -- Ericsson Stadium in Charlotte, NC.
"Both AXA and The Equitable have a large presence in the Southeast generally and in Charlotte
specifically," said Michael Hegarty, Vice Chairman and Chief Operating Officer for The Equitable
Companies, the AXA group's principal member company in the U.S. "The Company's primary customer service
center - one of our most important operations - is located in Charlotte and houses over 800 employees who
are dedicated to providing our clients with the best service available in the financial services
industry. The merchandising agreement with ESPN offers us the opportunity to say thank you to these
individuals as well our clients and sales associates in the area."
The merchandising agreement includes the title sponsorship of the game, promotional opportunities at
the regional and national level, and substantial client entertainment activities.
With over $650 billion in assets under management, AXA is one of the world's largest and fastest growing
financial services groups. AXA affiliates in the U.S. include The Equitable Companies and its
major subsidiaries: The Equitable Life Assurance Society of the United States, Alliance Capital
Management and Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette.
We are delighted to have a company of the stature of AXA as title sponsor of what promises to be a
great football game and an exciting start to ESPN's 1999 regular season coverage," said Chuck Gerber,
Executive Vice President and General Manager of ESPN Regional Television. "We have developed an excellent
working relationship with AXA and The Equitable through a variety of joint efforts, such as the AXA
Liberty Bowl, and are pleased to extend this to the AXA East-West Showdown. It is a win/win for everyone
including AXA, ESPN, the two universities, the local community and college football."
According to John Caroselli, Executive Vice President at The Equitable, the AXA East-West Showdown
fits in the Company's upcoming branding efforts. "Over the next several years, our business strategy
includes establishing and growing the presence of the AXA brand in the United States. Within this
framework we will be introducing an exciting new brand across the nation this fall - AXA Advisors
- which we plan to turn into the premier financial planning and advice company to help people with a
lifetime of financial needs. The new AXA Advisors brand, along with our Equitable brand -- which is
one of the most well known and trusted for insurance and annuity products - will provide us with a
distinct competitive advantage in an increasingly competitive marketplace."
The AXA East-West Showdown will be the season opener for both the East Carolina Pirates and
West Virginia Mountaineers. The game will mark the Mountaineers' first visit to Ericsson Stadium, home of
the NFL's Carolina Panthers. The Pirates played in the stadium once before in 1996 when they
defeated N.C. State 50-29 before nearly 70,000 fans.
Fans wishing to attend the game can contact their local TicketMaster outlet for tickets.
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