Irvine, Calif. —March 24, 2009— Brand Affinity Technologies President and CEO, Ryan Steelberg was named to SportsBusiness Journal's "Forty Under 40" list of the best and brightest young executives in sports business. The publication recognized Steelberg — a relative newcomer to the sports business world — as an innovator in the field of endorsements.

Steelberg is co-founder of Brand Affinity Technologies, Inc. (BAT), which recently came to market with a new model of endorsement advertising, created for the online world. BAT's Platform makes it easy and affordable for advertisers to launch ad campaigns featuring athletes and celebrities. Steelberg and his team have already signed more than 1,400 top athletes, and more than 45 premier sports agencies to the BAT Platform, representing every major professional sport in the U.S. In addition to the business development success of building a world-class roster of athletes and agencies, BAT has successfully developed and launched its proprietary and patent-pending technology Platform. This IP-based Platform enables online advertisers and agencies to research, procure, and activate local and national celebrity talent at scale in days instead of months.

This year marks the 10th annual Forty Under 40 list from SportsBusiness Journal. Others named to this year's list include David Berson, executive vice president of program planning and strategy for ESPN; Sarah Robb O'Hagan, chief marketing officer for Gatorade; and Peter Farnsworth, senior vice president of business development for the NBA.

Steelberg is considered one of the foremost experts in digital and online advertising, and has more than 13 years of executive management experience in technology, marketing, business development, and sales. With his business partner and brother Chad Steelberg, he founded and operated three successful companies prior to BAT: dMarc, AdForce, and 2CAN Media. Since 1996, the Steelbergs have raised more than $150 million in equity financing, managed more than 400 employees and created in excess of $3.0 billion in shareholder value through their three previous ventures. In 2006, the Steelbergs were named two of the "50 Most Powerful People in Radio," by Radio Ink Magazine. Inventors and holders of several prominent U.S. and international patents, the Steelbergs have developed advertising technologies and methodologies that have facilitated billions of dollars in advertising transactions.

About Brand Affinity Technologies (BAT)

Founded in 2007, BAT (http://brandaffinity.net) is reinventing the business of endorsement marketing for the online world by making it easy and affordable for advertisers of all sizes to launch ad campaigns featuring athletes and celebrities. Advertisers use BAT’s Endorsement Platform to identify, license, and activate the most effective talent for their campaigns, based on brand and targeting considerations. Currently, BAT’s Platform features more than 1,400 top athletes in markets nationwide, and is used by leading advertisers to build brand value and boost campaign performance.  BAT’s celebrity roster includes marquee active and retired players in nearly every sport, including Drew Brees (NFL), Josh Hamilton (MLB), Baron Davis (NBA), Brooks Robinson (MLB – Hall of Fame), Emmit Smith (NFL - retired), and Lennox Lewis (Boxing).