| CNET Networks Launches TV.com; Information on More than 2,500 TV Series from the 1940s to Today, from The Brady Bunch to Desperate Housewives; Content and Community for Today's Passionate TV Fan |
SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--June 2, 2005--CNET Networks, Inc. (Nasdaq:CNET) today launched TV.com (www.tv.com), the online community and information resource for today's passionate TV fan. TV.com provides today's increasingly fragmented TV audiences a place to meet people with similar interests, discuss favorite shows, find new programs, and access a wealth of information on more than 2,500 TV series from the 1940s to today, from The Brady Bunch to Desperate Housewives. TV.com builds on the viral success of TVTome, a user-driven TV content site CNET Networks acquired in January of 2005 to form the foundation of TV.com. It launches with innovative new social networking, community, and navigation features that further enhance the site for the nearly 3.5 million TV fans that visit monthly(1). CNET Networks will make the announcement today from The NASDAQ Stock Market, where Chairman and CEO Shelby Bonnie will open the market in commemoration of the company's 10th anniversary on the Web. "TV.com is a great example of our successful ongoing strategy to expand our business, entering new content categories with Web sites that fulfill the needs of active, passionate audiences," said Bonnie. "TV.com brings our brand of engaging interactive content environments to people who love specific TV shows enough to learn more about them, contribute their knowledge and opinions, and meet others who share their interests." The communal nature of TV is changing fast. Thanks to the proliferation of channels and program options, and the rapid adoption of DVDs and DVRs that let people watch shows on-demand, TV viewers are increasingly watching different shows at different times. This makes it harder and harder to come by the traditional "water cooler" conversation about last night's hit TV show. At the same time, popular shows such as 24 and Lost are engaging viewers more deeply than ever, with complex, multifaceted plots, and detailed storylines that evolve over time, making each episode a "must see" event and something fans want to talk about. TV.com fills the gap, providing a consistent, easy-to-use destination that lets people find and engage with others who share their passion for a specific TV show no matter when it was produced or broadcast, as well as access a wealth of information about each series' stars, writers, episodes, and more. "TV.com is designed to complement the way many people watch TV today, and the way everyone will watch TV tomorrow," said Vince Broady, CNET Networks' Senior Vice President, Games & Entertainment. "For every show on every network, it provides an instant, on-demand connection to information, trivia, and community so that fans can engage with the show and each other long after the episode, season, or even the entire series is over." At TV.com, fans can view a complete list of episodes of a specific show, find comprehensive information about a single episode including a list of all of the actors that appeared in it, and go even deeper to get complete background, news, and photos of a specific actor. Users can go beyond consuming information and actually contribute through TV.com's cutting-edge community capabilities. The site leverages "architected participation," a CNET Networks innovation that enables TV.com to efficiently moderate and organize user contributions -- from data submissions, to reader reviews, to message boards -- and surface the highest-quality material in a way that is most relevant and useful to other users. TV.com enhances CNET Networks' demographic reach, including more exposure to the female market. The site enables CNET Networks to establish relationships with a wider range of advertisers, such as TV networks, and marketers that want additional exposure to the audiences of specific TV shows or program categories. Launch sponsors include HBO, The Discovery Channel, and Vivendi. TV.com also features an innovative brand-focused ad unit called "skins," which enables advertisers to send a strong integrated brand message by surrounding the content on all four sides with a backdrop of appealing visuals, in addition to the ad unit featured on the page. As TV.com evolves, it will work seamlessly with CNET Networks' other entertainment properties -- including GameSpot and MP3.com -- to allow users to easily and naturally follow their interests across all media types.
(1) comScore, April 2005 CNET Networks, Inc. is a worldwide media company and creator of content environments for the interactive age. CNET Networks takes pride in being "a different kind of media company," creating richer, deeper interactive experiences by combining the wisdom and passion of users, marketers and its own expert editors. CNET Networks' leading brands -- such as CNET, GameSpot, MP3.com, Webshots, and ZDNet -- focus on the personal technology, entertainment, and business technology categories. The company has a strong presence in the US, Asia and Europe.
CONTACT: CNET Networks, Inc. |