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Time Inc.’s SPORTS ILLUSTRATED Play Named Official Technology Partner of U.S. Futsal

SI Play’s World-Class Suite of Digital Services and Tools to Enhance and Grow U.S. Futsal Nationwide

May 11, 2017

(NEW YORK, NY, MAY 11, 2017)—Time Inc.’s (NYSE:TIME) Sports Illustrated Play—an industry leader in youth sports technology platforms and services—and U.S. Futsal (USFF) have formed a wide-ranging technology and development partnership, it was announced today. SI Play is now the Official Technology Partner of USFF, its leagues and more than 110,000 members nationwide. As part of their mission to enhance and grow youth sports, SI Play and USFF will also collaborate to develop new resources and programs that make the experience of playing futsal more accessible and rewarding for the community.

As part of the alliance, SI Play’s Tourney Machine—the industry’s premier tournament management platform—will now organize and manage all USFF-sanctioned events. This includes tracking data and analyzing all tournaments and events to create a new national ranking system, which is set to debut later this year. SI Play will develop the official U.S. Futsal website, http://usfutsal.org, which launches today. It will also provide premium website development, online registration and league management tools and integration into the SI Play team app to all U.S. Futsal-affiliated clubs and leagues.

Alex Para, CEO of U.S. Futsal, said: “It was important for U.S. Futsal to partner with a singular provider that could support all our technology needs. SI Play supplies an all-in-one service that wholly meets the demands of our organization as we continue to grow. SI Play’s trusted and burgeoning popularity in the soccer community and unrivaled resources made this a natural match for a national governing body like U.S. Futsal.”

SI Play CEO Jeff Karp said: “SI Play is thrilled to be chosen by a growing organization that has tremendous relationships with its community of players, coaches, volunteers and administrators. We will use all our assets and our passion for youth sports to help U.S. Futsal bolster the sport and ensure that each level of the organization has a great experience.”

This is the latest partnership adding to SI Play’s state-of-the-art digital, mobile and social ecosystem as it remains at the forefront of the movement to bring cutting-edge technology to youth sports. SI Play has maintained unparalleled momentum since its launch in 2015 and now serves a community of more than 17 million across many sports, regions and age groups. This new partnership adds to SI Play’s strong foundation of elevating and celebrating top youth sports organizations across the United States.

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ABOUT SI Play 
SI Play brings together industry leaders in sports software around a simple yet ambitious goal: to connect the world of youth sports. Since its launch in July 2015 as part of Time Inc., SI Play now supports more than 17 million users across a wide range of sports, regions and age ranges through its digital products and services and is the official technology provider for a growing number of youth sports’ national governing bodies. The company provides the platform and tools to fuel the passion for sports and ensure a rewarding experience for all participants. For more information, please visit www.siplay.com. 

 

ABOUT U.S. FUTSAL 
United States FUTSAL (USFF) has governed the sport of Futsal in the United States since 1981 at the Youth, Adult, and Professional level. Futsal is the way the world plays indoor soccer. It is played on all the continents of the world in over 100 countries by more than 12 million players. Futsal is played on a basketball-size court. It can be played on a variety of surfaces. Without the use of walls, futsal is a great skill-developer, demanding quick reflexes, fast thinking, and pin-point passing. It is an exciting game for children and adults. Great soccer superstars such as Pele, Zico, Maradona, Ronaldo and Messi grew up playing the game and credit Futsal with developing their skills. Futsal is played with a special low bounce ball, requiring players to use their skills, rather than the ball’s bounce, to propel it. U.S. Futsal, the only Futsal organization directly affiliated to U.S. Soccer, first affiliated in 1988; governs futsal league play, with leagues designed for beginners as well as premier players of all ages. U.S. Futsal conducts eight Regional Championships throughout the United States, culminating with the U.S. Futsal National Championship, the oldest, biggest and most prestigious Futsal Competition in the United States. For more information, visit futsal.org, usfutsal.org and usyouthfutsal.org or contact info@futsal.com. 

 

CONTACT 
Scott Novak, 212-522-2687, Scott.Novak@timeinc.com