JERICHO, NY – November 14, 2001 – It's a whole new ball game when AMC scores a double-header during THE NATURAL with its first-ever, interactive on-air, online auction honoring America's favorite sport. The auction features exciting and authentic memorabilia, including signed baseballs from early Hall of Famers Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig and Mickey Mantle to more contemporary icons Cal Ripken and Derek Jeter. Several rare signed photographs from baseball legends Ted Williams, Mickey Mantle, THE NATURAL star Robert Redford and an original wire photograph of Marilyn Monroe and Joe DiMaggio are additional auction items.
On Friday, November 30, during breaks in AMC's 8:00 PM (ET) airing of THE NATURAL (1984), host John Burke will share some of the excitement generated by a live auction of hot collectibles while tempting baseball enthusiasts with close-ups on some of the most high-profile auction items. Knowledgeable guests, including memorabilia expert Elyse Luray Marx, appraiser Simeon Lipman of Mastro Fine Sports Auctions, and sports personalities will offer insight and context on the auction items.
Included in the auction is memorabilia from THE NATURAL. An original one-sheet movie poster from the film and autographed photos from stars Robert Redford, Glenn Close and Kim Basinger are accompanied with a letter of authenticity from Gotta Have It!, one of the leading baseball memorabilia companies, as do all of the auction items.
This event is AMC's first-ever multi-platform interstitial auction. A special link will be available on amctv.com on November 30 for direct access to the live bidding. Users can view a complete catalog of auction lots on the site beginning Saturday, November 17. Amctv.com is AMC's complementary interactive destination website, powered by the exclusive AMC Movie Companion Database.
THE NATURAL stars Robert Redford as "Roy Hobbs," a middle-aged baseball player who leads a losing 1930s team to victory aided by a bat with mystical powers. Directed by Barry Levinson, the film was nominated for four Academy Awards®, including Best Support Actress (Glenn Close), Art Direction, Music and Cinematography.
AMC is the nation's premier movie entertainment network, bringing timeless favorites to a broad audience by placing them in a fresh and contemporary context. Award-winning original documentaries, series and specials are infused with the energy and excitement of Hollywood. Launched in 1984, AMC is currently available in 81 million homes.
AMC is owned and managed by Rainbow Media Holdings, Inc. A subsidiary of Cablevision Systems Corporation (NYSE: CVC) and NBC, Rainbow manages American Movie Classics, WE: Women's Entertainment, Bravo, The Independent Film Channel, MuchMusic USA, Rainbow Sports, News 12 Networks and MetroChannels as well as the Rainbow Advertising Sales Corporation and Rainbow Network Communications. In addition, Rainbow is a fifty-percent partner in FOX Sports Net. AMC is one of the assets included in a new series of Cablevision common stock — Rainbow Media Group tracking stock (NYSE: RMG) — which began trading on the NYSE on March 30th. MGM (NYSE: MGM) owns a 20 percent stake in four of Rainbow's national networks – AMC, Bravo, IFC and WE: Women's Entertainment.
Contact:
Jaime Saberito
Dina White
516-803-4350
Fenot Tekle
Lynn Weiss
310-998-9300