A seamed press felt formed from a base fabric material including MD yarns arranged in two superimposed layers joined by the MD yarns at CD folds at opposing ends thereof to form a continuous unbroken tube-like structure. The MD yarns form loops at the folds to define a pintle channel. A generally planar yarn assembly including an array of polymeric yarns bonded to an elastic carrier material that is extensible by at least 1% is located inside the base fabric with the yarns of the array oriented in the CD. A high surface contact area material is bonded to the elastic carrier material at both exterior MD ends adjacent to the MD loops at the folds. Each of the MD ends is anchored in a fixed position adjacent to the loops at the folds. A pintle extends through the channel defined by intermeshing the loops from the opposing ends.