USA Today launches 'The Q' online platform for quick-hit sports news; mobile platform to provide second-screen information during games, curated content on-the-go

Kendall Sinclair

MCLEAN, Virginia , September 10, 2013 (press release) – Curated, mobile-optimized platform will initially focus on NFL news, with expansion of coverage throughout the year

The USA TODAY Sports Media Group today officially announced the launch of "The Q" (q.usatoday.com), a platform that delivers sports news to fans through a quick-hit, near-real-time stream of curated analysis designed specifically to provide on-the-go consumption and context.

The Q is initially focused on serving NFL fans, beginning with a preview of the product that launched with the first Sunday of the NFL regular season.

"The Q platform helps fans keep up with the big stories they care about, in the quick-twitch way they want to do it," said Dave Morgan, SVP of Content and Editor-in-Chief of USA TODAY Sports Media Group. "From game days to the storylines everyone is talking about during the week, The Q is designed to keep fans out in front."

USA TODAY Sports Media Group is putting The Q at the center of its NFL coverage on Sundays, Monday nights and Thursday nights as an optimal second-screen companion for fans following NFL games, filtering out everything but the best real-time analysis through editor-led curation and exclusive, original content. Throughout the rest of the week, The Q service tracks the biggest storylines and connects fans to the most interesting analysis, whether they are waiting for an office meeting to start or waiting in line for coffee.

The Q editorial team includes longtime digital sports media veteran Dan Shanoff (@danshanoff on Twitter), whose company Quickish was acquired by USA TODAY Sports Media Group in 2012; Chris Korman (@ChrisKorman), most recently a reporter and NFL editor at the Baltimore Sun; Maggie Hendricks (@maggiehendricks), most recently an NFL, MMA and Olympics writer for Yahoo! Sports; and Brent Sobleski (@brentsobleski), most recently an "Insider" contributor for ESPN.com.

Other original contributions will come from USA TODAY Sports' NFL team, including Lindsay Jones, Jarrett Bell, Tom Pelissero, Jim Corbett, Kevin Manahan, Pete O'Brien and Nate Davis; the staff of the fastest-growing digital sports property in the country, For The Win, including Chris Chase and Chris Strauss; and talent from across USA TODAY Sports' portfolio of NFL-focused properties, including Sports On Earth, The Big Lead, and KFFL, among several others.

Expanded plans for The Q in 2014 include dedicated coverage of the biggest live events, including Super Bowl XLVIII, the Olympic Games in Sochi, the World Cup, the NCAA Tournament, the NBA Playoffs, the NASCAR Chase, the major golf championships and full-time coverage of the biggest events in sports.

About USA TODAY Sports Media Group:

The USA TODAY Sports Media Group encompasses all sports initiatives across USA TODAY Sports and Gannett's more than 100 well-known local media brands. It also includes the sports photography wire service USA TODAY Sports Images, leading high school sports destination USA TODAY High School Sports; For The Win, the first mainstream sports media property focused exclusively on "social news," and designed specifically to resonate on social networks and non-traditional media channels and platforms; Sports On Earth, a joint venture with MLB Advanced Media dedicated to great sports writing in all its forms; and the hundreds of sites within USA TODAY Sports Digital Properties, such as Hoopshype.com and mixed martial arts site MMAjunkie.com, among others. USA TODAY is owned by Gannett Co., Inc. (GCI).

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