EVST Everlast Worldwide (MM)

Everlast, the Exclusive Supplier of Boxing Equipment and Active Wear for ESPN Series, The Contender, Contributes Brand Awareness to Increased Viewer Ratings Everlast(R) Worldwide Inc. (Nasdaq: EVST), manufacturer, marketer and licensor of sporting goods, apparel, footwear and other active lifestyle products under the Everlast brand name, is proud to announce The Contender reached 20 million viewers nationwide across all airings on ESPN and ESPN2 just ten days since the second season of ESPN's critically acclaimed boxing reality series premiered. The series, which moved to ESPN for this, its second season, is produced by ESPN, Mark Burnett Productions and DreamWorks Television under the ESPN Original Entertainment (EOE) banner. The Contender, which chronicles the lives, fears and hopes of 16 professional boxers as they compete for the chance to become Contender champion, is aired every Tuesday night at 7 p.m. PST / 10 p.m. EST on ESPN. Through two original telecasts, The Contender's 1.2 rating has increased 31% from the corresponding 10-11 p.m. time slot last year. In Particular, key demographic groups are showing even larger ratings increases from 2005: -0- *T Males 12-17 - up 106% Males 18-34 - up 87% Males 18-49 - up 71% Males 25-54 - up 62% Females 18-34 - up 265% Females 18-49 - up 153% Females 25-54 - up 105% *T In response to the increased viewership, Seth Horowitz, Chairman, President & CEO of Everlast Worldwide Inc. explained, "We are all very pleased with the viewer ratings for this new season of The Contender. The show gives Everlast a tremendous branding platform to reinforce our strength and authenticity and displays a wide variety of our products to the core ESPN consumer. The series' renewed success is great news for Everlast as well as all the parties involved, and we are very proud to be the exclusive supplier for the show." "The strength of these results thus far demonstrates that our viewers appreciate the compelling nature and inherent drama of The Contender series," said Ron Semiao, ESPN senior vice president, ESPN Original Entertainment. Executive Producer Mark Burnett said, "We are back with another incredible season of The Contender. I have always believed there was a solid core audience for this series and am glad to see so many viewers flocking to see this season's The Contender." About Mark Burnett Productions One of the driving forces behind reality television, Mark Burnett has a long history of executive producing Emmy Award-winning television. Burnett's entrepreneurial spirit pioneered the success of the reality "unscripted" drama series, garnered skyrocketing ratings and introduced millions of Americans to an entirely new television genre. Mark Burnett Productions revolutionized television, with hits such as Eco-Challenge, Survivor, and The Apprentice. About DreamWorks Television DreamWorks Television is a division of DreamWorks SKG which was founded in 1994 by Steven Spielberg, Jeffrey Katzenberg and David Geffen. DreamWorks Television is currently in production on season three of the hit NBC series "Las Vegas" as well as season three of the critically acclaimed FX drama "Rescue Me," and the upcoming ABC reality series "The Miracle Workers." DreamWorks Television recently finished production on "Into The West" for TNT, which was the highest rated mini-series for the season with 81 million unique viewers. Other DreamWorks Television projects include: "Spin City," "Band of Brothers," "Taken," "Father of the Pride," "Freaks and Geeks," "The Job," "Boomtown," and "Undeclared." About Everlast Worldwide Inc. Everlast Worldwide Inc. manufactures markets and licenses sporting goods, apparel, footwear and other active lifestyle products under the Everlast brand name. Since 1910, Everlast has been the preeminent brand in the world of boxing and is among the most dominant brands in the overall sporting goods and apparel industries. Over the past 96 years, Everlast products have become the "Choice of Champions(TM)", having been used for training and professional fights by many of the biggest names in the sport. Everlast is the market leader in nearly all of its product categories, responsible for leading eight of the top ten boxing equipment products in sales. In addition to producing and marketing the equipment and accessories, Everlast Worldwide Inc. licenses its brand to providers of men's and women's sportswear and active wear, children's wear, footwear, watches, cardiovascular exercise equipment, nutritional foods and gym/duffel bags to name just a few categories. At the retail level, Everlast's licensed products generate more than $700 million in revenues. The company's Web site can be found at http://www.everlast.com. Statements made in this Press Release that are estimates of past or future performance are based on a number of factors, some of which are outside of the Company's control. Statements made in this Press Release that state the intentions, beliefs, expectations or predictions of Everlast Worldwide, Inc. and its management for the future are forward-looking statements. It is important to note that actual results could differ materially from those projected in such forward-looking statements. Information concerning factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in forward-looking statements is contained from time to time in filings of Everlast Worldwide with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Copies of these filings may be obtained by contacting Everlast Worldwide or the SEC.