Rival Room Editor — Mon, 18 Jun 2007 03:01:00 +0000

National Lampoon Acquires Rivalfish.com

Continues to Aggressively Grow Wholly Owned Web Properties Portfolio

LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--National Lampoon, Inc. (AMEX:NLN), the most widely recognized brand in comedy, today announced that it has acquired the website, and retains an option to purchase the licensing division, of Rivalfish (www.rivalfish.com), the #1 college sports rivalry brand, for an undisclosed sum.

Prior to the acquisition, Rivalfish was part of the National Lampoon Humor Network, the number one humor destination on the web, as ranked by ComScore. This acquisition follows the recent acquisitions of College Hangover (www.CollegeHangover.com) and Drunk University (www.DrunkUniversity.com), as National Lampoon continues to grow its portfolio of wholly owned web properties.

“Rivalfish has quickly emerged as a favorite destination for sports fans in the National Lampoon Humor Network, and is a natural fit with our fast growing sports focused blog, NationalLampoonSplog.com,” said National Lampoon Chief Executive Officer Daniel Laikin. “We are excited to expand our relationship with Rivalfish as we increase the range of content we offer our fans online and continue to grow National Lampoon’s web presence. The sports focused comedy space is a quickly growing revenue generating area for us.”

Rivalfish.com was founded in 2004 by three college sports fanatics who shared a passion for finding success at other people’s expense. The merchandising and licensing division of Rivalfish offers products including hoodies, t-shirts and magnets for die-hard fans. Rivalfish allows buyers to customize the Rivalfish logo with their own teams and then place it on their choice of merchandise, giving each fan the chance to wear their colors with pride.

Rivalfish cofounder Michael Raspatello commented, “We’re fully confident that National Lampoon will have no problem taking the Rivalfish brand of culture and satirical chauvinism farther than any mother would ever approve!”

Rivalfish.com also hosts the site’s online magazine “The Rival Room,” which delivers daily bulletins on sports, humor, music and pop culture. The site also features Rivalfish’s “Fish Fry,” a web TV show with a monthly video podcast and roast of all things sports, hosted by Rivalfish founders Jack Storm and Slam Jackson.

Rivalfish.com has been featured in publications such as Sports Illustrated, USA Today and The Chicago Sun Times. The site’s founding partners were also profiled in Entrepreneur Magazine’s Hot List Issue.

About National Lampoon

National Lampoon, Inc. (AMEX: NLN) has been a dominant force in the US comedy world for almost 40 years, and is currently active in a broad array of media and entertainment segments. These include feature films, television programming, online and interactive entertainment, home video, audio, and book publishing. The Company also owns interests in all major National Lampoon properties, including National Lampoon’s Animal House, the National Lampoon Vacation series and National Lampoon’s Van Wilder. National Lampoon reaches nearly one in four of all 18- to 24-year-old college students in America today. The Company has three core operating divisions: National Lampoon Films, which includes production along with theatrical and video distribution of feature films; College Marketing Division; and National Lampoon Networks, providing humor content through a number of platforms. These include its National Lampoon College TV network, the National Lampoon Humor Network -- the most trafficked humor sites on the web, Toga TV.com -- the company’s broadband channel, the Drunk University Network, and the National Lampoon Video Network, which includes channels on YouTube, AOL, Yahoo, Joost, and a number of digital video platforms across the Internet. These are all anchored by the award-winning comedy website www.nationallampoon.com.

As seen in Print, TV, Radio and on the Web...

11/29/07 - Rivalfish's Andy Kissko serves as "CTA Expert" in Timeout Chicago Magazine

10/31/07 - The Rival Room caps off the month with five appearances in Sports Illustrated's "Extra Mustard"

10/9/07 - The Rival Room makes debut in "The Sports Guy's World" one ESPN.com's PAGE 2, with pointed commentary on MLB's use of Dane Cook for Fox's Playoff Broadcast promos.

9/2/07 - Rivalfish Editor-in-Chief Mike Raspatello debates the 50 Worst Billboard #1 Hits of All Time with Brotha Fred and David L of FoxNews Charlotte's 96.1

8/27/06 - Rivalfish's 50 Worst Billboard #1 Hits of All-Time featured in Sports Illustrated's "Extra Mustard"

6/22/07 - Rivalfish featured on Yahoo! TV's "The 9" WebTV show

6/20/07 - Rivalfish featured on La Crosse, WI’s 95.7 “The Rock” Morning Show, The Morning Sickness

6/19/07 - Rivalfish's Top 30 Villains in a Sports Movie featured in Sports Illustrated's "Extra Mustard"

6/12/07 - Rivalfish featured in FHM Online "Best of the Web"

6/12/07 - Rivalfish's Advertising Logo Look-a-likes featured in AdWeek's "AdFreak"

6/12/07 - Rivalfish featured in Mental Floss Magazine online

6/12/07 - Rivalfish featured on Comcast TV's The Blog Show

6/8/07 - Rivalfish signs with Trident Media Group for literary representation.

6/7/07 - Rivalfish Look-a-likes article featured in USA Today's "Pop Candy"

6/7/07 - Rivalfish featured in North Carolina Greensboro-News Record

6/6/07 - Rivalfish Logo Look-a-likes article featured in AdWeek's AdFreak

6/6/07 - Rivalfish featured in St. Louis River Front Times

6/6/07 - Rivalfish sports humor featured on the WGN Morning News TV in Chicago

4/28/07 - Rivalfish's "brutal blogging" of Mark Prior's injury woes referenced in the Gary Post-Tribune

4/16/07 - Dan Raspatello's "Top 5 Trashiest Fanbases" featured on Detroit 95.5's Mojo in the Morning.

3/30/07 - Rivalfish's Mike Raspatello and Meg Umbricht preview White Sox and Cubs seasons on WGN Morning News in Chicago

3/28/07 - "The Babe, The Dog, and The Dick" March Madness contest showcased on WGN Morning News in Chicago

03/16/07 - Rivalfish's "Top 50 Cover Songs of All-Time" featured in Mark Caro's Chicago Tribune Weblog, Pop Machine

03/13/07 - Rivalfish's interview of National Beach Tennis Champion, Phil Whitesell, featured on AOL Sports

03/08/07 - Rivalfish humor article featured on Netscape homepage.

02/10/07 -Rivalfish's "Top 50 Cover Songs of All-Time" linked in Eric Zorn's Chicago Tribune Weblog, Change of Subject

January 2007 - Rivalfish featured in Minneapolis City Pages

1/25/07 - Rivalfish featured on LAist.com

1/25/07 - Rivalfish featured on Chicago Red Eye blog, Video Gaga

December 2006 - NicheGeek.com features Rivalfish as startup success story.

December 2006 - Entrepreneur Magazine features Rivalfish as startup success story and highlights the Rivalfish Magazine and web TV show, The Fish Fry.

October 2006 - Rivalfish breaks story that is featured on the cover of the Chicago Tribune Sports Section

October 2006 - Chicago Sun Times nominates Rivalfish's The Fish Fry for a Chicago Innovation Award nomination.

October 2006 - PRWeek declares Rivalfish a public relations success story. (PRWeek.)

October 2006 - Rivalfish featured in MasterCard Small Business article.

October 2006 - Rivalfish featured in Chicago Daily Southtown.

10/12/06 - Rivalfish announces Apparel Partnership with top-selling collegiate apparel company, Next, Inc.

10/11/06 - Rivalfish writer Dan Raspatello featured on XXX radio show on the Pittsburgh Steelers flagship station, WDVE ROCKS .

9/21/06 - Rivalfish joins the National Lampoon Humor Network .

9/15/06 - Rivalfish and The Beechwood Reporter announce journalism partnership.

9/7/06/06 - Rivalfish's Fish Fry TV pilot selected as nominee for 2006 Chicago Innovation Awards .

8/25/06 - Minnesota's 93x "Half-Assed Morning Show" features Rivalfish writer Ross Frank DiMarco as a guest.

8/10/06 - Rivalfish’s 50 Greatest WWF Rivalries of All Time featured on La Crosse, WI’s 95.7 “The Rock” Morning Show, The Morning Sickness

8/4/06 - Rivalfish’s 50 Greatest Movie Rivalries of All Time featured on Cincinnati’s AM1530 “Homer” with Lance McAlister.

7/24/06 - Rivalfish's Top 50 Movie Rivalries of All Time list featured on WGN-TV morning show. (watch clip1) (watch clip2)

7/15/06 - WDVE ROCKS PITTSBURGH hosts debate Rivalfish's 50 Greatest Movie Rivalries of All Time.

6/15/06 - The Chicago Tribune features Rivalfish t-shirts as a great Father's Day gift idea.

6/1/06 - Rivalfish announces auto accessories partnership with topselling collegiate manufacturer SDS Design.

5/31/06 - Philadelphia’s City Paper agrees with Rivalfish, Darren “Dutchie” Daulton is on the wacky tobaccy!

5/31/06 - The Wednesday Journal features Rivalfish t-shirts as the perfect Fathers Day Gift

5/19/06 – Rivalfish’s “Say Cheese!” Daily Satire Headline featured on WGN Morning News.

5/17/06 – AdWeek's AdFreak.com features Rivalfish's "alternative" Cubs logo.

5/9/06 - Rivalfish's North Side/South Side Shirt featured on The Chicagoist

5/3/06 - The Rivalfish boys donate hundreds of t-shirts to support Blue Cross/Blue Shield, The American Red Cross, and the Hurricane Katrina Relief Fund

April 2006 - Rivalfish featured live at Wrigley Field as guests on the WGN News Morning Show in Chicago, where Rivalfish CFO Scott Merz predicts the Cubs to win the World Series.

April 2006 - Rivalfish featured live at U.S. Cellular Field as guests on the WGN News Morning Show in Chicago, where Rivalfish Editor-in-Chief Mike Raspatello predicts the White Sox to win the World Series.

March 2006 - Rivalfish featured as grass roots marketing success story in Startup Nation.

March 2006 - Rivalfish's "A Babe, A Dog, and A Dick" March Madness contest featured on Yahoo! Sports

March 2006 - Rivalfish's "A Babe, A Dog, and A Dick" March Madness contest featured on WGN Morning News in Chicago

March 2006 - Rivalfish's "A Babe, A Dog, and A Dick" March Madness contest featured in the Chicago Tribune publication, the Chicago Red Eye

Februrary 2006 - Chicago Sun Times writes feature article on Rivalfish

September 2005 - Rivalfish announces collegiate collectibles partnership with topselling giftware manufacturer, Ridgewood Marketing.

February 2004 - December 2004 - Rivalfish test markets products to small school rivalries.

January 2004 - Rivalfish partners with George Washington University computer science department to design web programs.

December 2003 - Rivalfish completes business development stage, sets up shop at Chicago headquarters.

November 2003 - Rivalfish featured in Wednesday Journal paper.

October 2003 - Rivalfish test markets products in Mid-Atlantic and Northeast.

September 2003 - Rivalfish founders profiled in Amherst Student newspaper.

June 2003 - Rivalfish begins development stage, in Washington, D.C. headquarters.

In The News

National Lampoon Acquires Rivalfish.com

Continues to Aggressively Grow Wholly Owned Web Properties Portfolio