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Sports stars take Web shot
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January 12, 2000: 10:03 a.m. ET
Jordan, O'Neal, Woods take minority stake in Sports.com to aid expansion
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NEW YORK (CNNfn) - Sports superstars Michael Jordan, Shaquille O'Neal and Tiger Woods heightened their Internet play Wednesday, taking a minority stake in Sports.com Ltd. that will help the upstart Web site expand overseas.
The athletes took part of a previously announced $52.5 million secondary round of funding for the European-oriented subsidiary of SportsLine.com Inc. (SPLN). The company did not disclose how much each athlete invested.
But the deal amplifies a growing push by sports-related Internet sites to attract high-profile names to their investment groups.
Last month, Jordan, John Elway and Wayne Gretzky combined forces to help launch MVP.com, which will blend sports content and e-commerce activities, with Elway at its helm.
Jordan, the retired basketball star rated one of the best players of all time, and O'Neal, center for the Los Angeles Lakers, both already were shareholders in SportsLine.com, as was Tiger Woods, the leading money winner on the Professional Golf Association tour last year.
The secondary round of funding for Sports.com, which launched its Web site last August, represents a 25 percent stake in the company. Others participating in the offering included investment bank Goldman Sachs Group (GS), Aetna Life Insurance Co. and financial news wire Reuters (RTRSY).
Company officials intend to use the funding for working capital, overseas expansion and additional marketing. 
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