Choice Media and About.com Sign Exclusive Multi-Year Advertising Agreement

Choice Media and About.com Sign Exclusive Multi-Year Advertising Agreement

Choice Media to Represent About.com's Health Channel

SOMERVILLE, N.J. and NEW YORK, Dec. 1 /PRNewswire/ -- Choice Media, the second largest consumer healthcare information network on the Internet, and About.com, the leading online source for original consumer advice and information, today announced a multi-year partnership for exclusive worldwide ad sales representation of About.com's Health Channel.

As part of this new partnership, Choice Media will be the exclusive representative for all health-related display advertising on About.com's Health Channel, including banner ads, multimedia offerings and newsletters. Additionally, Choice Media will be the exclusive provider of video content and advertising on About.com's Health Channel and will have the right to sell all Health Channel-related inventory.

"This joint venture solidifies our position as one of only two premium networks where marketers can reach an audience of 10+ million consumers actively seeking healthcare information on the Web," said Ash Nashed, MD, co-founder and CEO of Choice Media. " About.com served 22 million unique visitors in October 2004, connecting to more women than iVillage.com, more men than CBS Sportsline and more teens than MTV.com. This is a natural fit for both parties," he added, pointing out that About.com's visitors are almost three times more likely to seek healthcare advice than the average consumer.

About.com's Health Channel covers more than 61 health related topics including fitness, diseases, medicine, mental health and recovery. With more than 63 million page views per month, About.com's Health Channel is part of the About.com network, which is used by one out of every five people on the Internet, according to Nielsen NetRatings. As the largest publisher of original content on the Web today -- offering practical advice and solutions across 50,000+ topics -- About.com generates more than 400 million page views per month.

"We chose to partner with Choice Media because of their in-depth knowledge of the healthcare arena and their ability to create targeted marketing opportunities," said Peter Horan, president and CEO of About.com. "Choice Media has one of the largest health clientele in the industry, including 13 of the 15 largest pharmaceutical companies in the world and many of the leading medical device and biotech firms, which syncs up nicely with the robust information available on About.com's Health Channel. We expect the scale and focus of Choice Media's network will strengthen our connection and relationship with the blue chip advertisers already interested in our comprehensive, full-scale programs."

The partnership, which follows on the heels of Choice Media's recent acquisition of drkoop.com, doubles the size of the Choice Media's network and extends its reach to ten million unique visitors each month. Advertisers who are interested in customized marketing solutions can call Bob Cecere at 908-203-5200, ext. 11, or e-mail: cecere@choicemedia.com.

About Choice Media

Choice Media, Inc. is one of the largest online healthcare networks in the world and a leader in convergence marketing for healthcare companies. It owns or represents some of the top medical and health-related websites, including drkoop.com, HealthCentral.com, Healthscout.com, MDChoice.com, Healthsquare.com, HeartInfo.org, Drugs.com, and InteliHealth. In addition, the company provides quality health content for professional and consumer Web destinations. Choice Media distributes "Medical Breakthroughs from HealthCentral," a consumer television newsmagazine that reaches more than 50 million households coast-to-coast through 60 network stations. Founded in 1996 by a group of physicians, the company's main office is located at 68 E. Main Street, Somerville, NJ. Further information is available at http://www.choicemedia.com/.

About About.com

Founded in 1997, About.com is the leading online source for original consumer information and advice, and is part of PRIMEDIA, Inc., the leading targeted media company. As a top 10 Web property, About.com holds a valued role in the lives of more than 20 million Internet users. The success of About.com centers around a unique Guide System that features 23 content channels and promotes original content from more than 475 topical advisors or "Guides." The Guides are the heart and soul of the About.com experience, sharing their passions across 50,000+ topics and offering actionable information and advice that is always useful, practical and personally relevant. With more than 1 million pieces of original content and approximately 400 million page views per month, About.com's robust library stands as the largest of its kind on the Web today, maintaining its position as one of the Web's most popular destinations.

Contact:
Julie Laitin
(212) 286-2424
jlaitin@julielaitin.com


Source: Choice Media

CONTACT: Julie Laitin of Choice Media, +1-212-286-2424,
jlaitin@julielaitin.com

Web site: http://www.choicemedia.com/
http://www.about.com/


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