WebTV Networks has four big news items this month: the announcement of The One Thumb Shop, information about the upcoming upgrade, news about our promotion of the Tyson vs. Holyfield fight, and the announcement that the WebTV Network will arrive in the United Kingdom!

Introducing The One Thumb Shop!

Hello! Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Shelly, and I'm the shop manager of The One Thumb Shop. I want to officially welcome you to our debut here in The Inside Scoop. First, I would like to tell you a little about how this shop evolved. Then, more importantly, I want to let you know what you can expect from it.

There is one major reason the shop was created: you! Yes, you. For many months now, all of us at WebTV Networks have been asked by our club members where they can find or purchase merchandise. So I was given the great task of giving you a chance to add some stylish looks to your wardrobe! As it stands, The One Thumb Shop is going to be a trial effort, so its success depends on your feedback! I have a great many ideas for the future of this shop and would like to keep adding merchandise that would be both useful and fun for our many subscribers. So the more feedback I receive, the better the shop will be.

Currently, we have two items to choose from: a stylish baseball cap, and a cool T-shirt. If you find that neither of these items is what you are looking for, then let me know or give me an idea of something that you would be interested in purchasing. To get in touch with the The One Thumb Shop, send me e-mail at: OneThumb@corp.webtv.net.

WebTV Summer Upgrade

We've all been waiting for the completion of this upcoming upgrade. We think you'll find it worth the wait. The upgrade will first become available later this month; it will be offered to each Club WebTV member in turn, so it may be a while before it gets offered to everyone. When the Summer Upgrade is available and you connect to the WebTV Network, you will receive a message describing the new features. You will have the option to download the new version immediately, or at a later time. It will take about 15 minutes to download, and then you'll see a whole new world of features!

Tyson vs. Holyfield II - You make the call

During the June 28 Tyson-Holyfield boxing rematch, WebTV Networks is helping put together a unique opportunity for boxing fans. If you're watching the match and you disagree with the official scoring, you'll be able to do something about it! Viewers of the match can vote for the winner of each round. Results will be posted after each round on the Tyson vs. Holyfield II web site and after every third round on the live broadcast.

You can use the Web and the TV at the same time to vote for the round winner while watching the fight. If your television has picture-in-picture, simply have one picture on the voting page and the other on the broadcast. Otherwise, you can toggle back and forth between TV and the Web by hitting the TV/Video button on the Sony remote control, or the TV/Web button on the Philips remote control.

Sweepstakes bonus!
Visit the WebTV Network's Sports Channel from your home page for more information and enter the Tyson vs. Holyfield II Sweepstakes. You could win a trip for two to Las Vegas, armed with two tickets to the rematch.

WebTV In the United Kingdom!

On April 21, 1997, Pace Micro Technology announced their signed agreement with WebTV Networks, Inc. to license WebTV reference design technology. Like Sony and Philips in the US, and Fujitsu in Japan, Pace will design and manufacture an Internet terminal for the UK that will feature the WebTV Network.

Pace and WebTV Networks provided demonstrations of the Pace WebTV Internet terminal at the Cable and Satellite '97 Show in London. Visitors had the opportunity to surf the Internet, communicate through electronic mail, and access the Internet via the television with the most advanced technology of its kind.

WebTV Networks and Pace plan to begin trial service before Christmas.

Pace Micro Technology is Europe's leading manufacturer of satellite television receivers. The company operates in over 80 countries worldwide, through a combination of Pace subsidiaries, distributors and joint ventures. Pace's head office is in Shipley, West Yorkshire. The company's shares are traded on the London Stock Exchange.

For more information, see the entire press release on our corporate web site.