Salt Lake City, Utah – August 16 - August 18
Cincinnati, Ohio – August 31- September 1
St. Petersburg, Fla. – September 14 - 15
Santa Barbara, Calif. – September 28 - 29
Huntington Beach, Calif. – October 19 - 20

After several years on the back burner, AVP beach volleyball is back!

Association of Volleyball Professionals (AVP) has seen highs and lows during the past several years when it looked like everyone was abandoning the ball and just walking away from the game. A variety of management and marketing organizations tried to create an entertainment model and buzz with billboards on California freeways showing tight shots of the backside of a female player in a tiny bikini. But, with all the money spent, sponsorship continued to be hard to get and the group filed for bankruptcy in 2010.

At the Olympic Games sand volleyball is a sizzling sensation -- to watch the Americans will keep you on the edge of your seat. When those same players compete at a California beach, however, audiences don't generally come in big numbers--especially if a fee is charged. Donald Sun, whose dad co-founded the 3rd largest chip & memory maker in the world, Kingston Technologies in Fountain Valley,  purchased AVP  organization last year for an estimated $2 million. The avid volleyball player teamed up with marketing pros and re-formulated the plan for success. In Santa Barbara last fall AVP Championships with Olympic medalists drew around 30,o00 spectators, most who watched free.

AVP PRO BEACH VOLLEYBALL SIGNS MULTI-MEDIA AGREEMENT WITH CBS SPORTS NETWORK AND CBS INTERACTIVE

The AVP to Showcase Pro Beach Volleyball's Elite Men's and Women's Action Live on CBS Sports Network during the AVP's Five-Tour Schedule Newport Beach, CA (May 1, 2013) - The AVP has reached a multi-media agreement with CBS Sports Network and CBS Interactive to showcase the 2013 AVP Pro Beach Volleyball Tour. CBS Sports Network will air live men's and women's Championship round action from each of the five Tour stops, while CBS Interactive will provide a live stream of the preliminary rounds from each event on AVP.com.

Kerry Walsh Jennings and Nicole Branagh The tour kicks off on Friday, August 16 in Salt Lake City, Utah and culminates Sunday, October 20 in Huntington Beach, Calif., just down the street from the new home of the AVP. The Tour features the world's best players including Olympic Gold Medalist Kerri Walsh Jennings, Phil Dalhausser, Todd Rogers, Silver Medalists Jen Kessy and April Ross; and Olympians Sean Rosenthal Jake Gibb and Nicole Branagh – all of whom have been signed exclusively by the AVP.

The agreement with CBS Sports Network marks AVP Pro Beach Volleyball Tour's return to television for the first time since the summer of 2010. In addition to player signings, the AVP has renewed an agreement with long-time AVP partner, Wilson Sporting Goods, making it The Official Volleyball of the AVP Tour. Wilson has renewed its sponsorship and licensing commitment for three more years through the 2015 season and represents the first of several sponsorship partners that the AVP is planning to announce for the 2013 season and beyond.

As a highlight in each of the five-city Tour stops, the AVP Cares nonprofit program will continue its' Serve and Protect America's Beaches initiative. This unique program allows the AVP to support organizations that help preserve the beautiful beaches and coastlines of the US, such as the Surfrider Foundation, while also paying homage to the brave men and women of the US armed forces. For more information, please go to AVP.com.

ABOUT THE AVP
The AVP (Association of Volleyball Professionals) is a leading lifestyle sports and entertainment company that produces, markets and distributes professional beach volleyball events. Organized in 1983, it has operated the industry's most prominent national touring series, the AVP Pro Beach Volleyball Tour, featuring the top American men and women competitors in the sport including athletes who have won numerous Gold, Silver and Bronze Olympic medals. Synonymous with the sport and the most recognized brand in the space, the AVP was recently acquired by new ownership that has set out to solidify its leadership position. Please visit AVP.com for additional information.

ABOUT CBS SPORTS NETWORK
CBS Sports Network is the 24-hour home of CBS Sports and is available across the country through local cable, video and telco providers and via satellite on DirecTV Channel 613 and Dish Network Channel 158. For more information, and to access the CBS Sports Network channel finder, go to cbssportsnetwork.com

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