Brian Grey, SVP & General Manager of FOX Sports Interactive, Joins Polaris Venture Partners As Executive In Residence

9/18/2008

Waltham, Mass.—September 18, 2008— Polaris Venture Partners today announced Brian Grey, Senior Vice President and General Manager of FOX Sports Interactive, is joining the firm as Executive in Residence.

Grey, a longtime leader in the digital media and sports marketing industries, oversees all interactive programming, production and business strategy for FOX Sports, including FOXSports.com and FOX Sports Mobile, as well as the Scout.com Media Network and WhatifSports.com. Under Grey’s leadership, FOXSports.com became the Web’s leading source for online sports video. He joins Polaris in October and will reside in the Bay Area.

As Executive in Residence, Grey will provide strategic guidance to Polaris’ digital media and consumer products and services portfolio companies, mentor entrepreneurs and help identify new investment opportunities.

Polaris’ digital media portfolio currently includes BlackArrow, a provider of multiplatform ad-management systems for viewer-controlled video; Hangout, creators of online 3D user experiences for teenagers and college students; The HealthCentral Network, a collection of Web sites that provide timely, in-depth, trusted medical information; Heavy, one of the web’s leading consumer media companies and the leader in content for 18-34 year old males; JibJab Media, the internet comedy pioneers; LegalZoom, the number one online provider of comprehensive legal documentation services; Modelinia, a lifestyle media company; Quantcast, a pioneer in online audience measurement; Sprout, a provider of rich media content tools; TechTarget, an online IT media company; Turbine Entertainment, a premier developer, publisher and operator of online entertainment including “The Lord of the Rings Online”™; and WordPress, a top blog publishing system with more than four million hosted blogs.

Polaris’ consumer products and services portfolio includes Art.com, the world’s largest online retailer of posters, prints and framed art; Athletes' Performance, the world leader in integrated performance training; Botanical Laboratories, one of the fastest growing nutritional supplement companies; Free & Clear, providers of specialized counseling services to help smokers kick the habit; Ice.com, one of the largest online jewelers; Life Line Screening, the leading provider of community-based preventive health screenings in the United States; and Living Proof, a technology-based beauty company.

Prior to FOX, Grey served as general manager of Yahoo! Sports and had served as vice president of business development at Shutterfly, where he was instrumental in securing strategic partnerships with Microsoft, Dell, and Verizon among others.  He also spent two years at Netscape and began his career at Nike.

About Polaris Venture Partners:
A national venture capital firm with over $3 billion under management, Polaris invests in seed, early stage and growth equity businesses in the technology, life science, digital media, enertech and consumer products and services sectors.