NBC Universal Launches Widgets to Expand Distribution of Content on Digital Platforms

NBC Universal Launches Widgets to Expand Distribution of Content on Digital Platforms

NEW YORK and WASHINGTON, June 6 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- NBC Universal today announced that it will enable viral distribution of its popular content online by transforming content associated with news, entertainment and sports programming into easily portable widgets, using the industry leading content syndication and distribution platform from Clearspring Technologies. Users will be able to personalize these widgets and post them on their own blogs, social networking profiles, web sites, wikis and personal start pages, allowing deeper engagement for fans of NBCU content.

Initial launch widgets include popular content from "Dateline," "Hardball with Chris Matthews," "Meet the Press" and "NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams," as well as content from NBC Sports, DotComedy.com and iVillage.com. Available content will continue to expand, along with increased personalization options and enhanced features.

"We want to create a fun, shared experience for our users and understand their needs as they interact with our content beyond our online properties." said Sab Kanaujia, Vice President, Digital Product Strategy & Development, NBC Universal. "Changes in the behavior of online users and innovation in technology has provided us with new opportunities to grow the reach for our content and brands online. Clearspring's content syndication and distribution platform provides us a robust distribution and analytics solution for our widgets initiative."

"We are delighted to have been chosen to deliver this start-to-finish solution for NBC Universal," said Chris Marentis, CEO of Clearspring. "By using our premium hyper-syndication platform, fans of NBCU's programming can now easily personalize their favorite Web sites with NBCU content. This allows NBCU to lead the shift to the new distributed web and deliver their premium content whenever and wherever consumers chose to enjoy it."

About NBC Universal Digital Media

NBC Universal Digital Media is a centralized organization within NBC Universal that leads the company's content and distribution efforts to capitalize on new and emerging digital platforms. Partnering with content leaders across the business, in 2006, NBC Universal Digital Media changed the television experience by adding broadband, mobile and other digital extensions to NBC programs. Key to that expansion was the continued development of robust websites such as NBC.com, BravoTV.com and NBCSports.com as well as the recent heralded relaunch of CNBC.com. Each site features a wide variety of original programming and interactive features. The fostering of community-driven broadband channels is core to the company's Digital Media strategy and, in May 2006, the team oversaw the acquisition of iVillage, the leading online destination where millions of women have been connecting for over ten years. A leader in the mobile space, the company continues to expand its presence in Wireless with mobile gaming from Universal Mobile Entertainment, SMS texting connected to popular TV programming and by making News and select entertainment content available on all of the major carriers. The team has also made a number of new platform distribution deals, including Apple's iTunes, where NBC Universal programs regularly represent most of the top 10 programs downloaded. NBC Universal Digital Media is also responsible for launching innovative digital businesses and, in the Fall of 2005, founded NBC Universal Digital Studios, which is dedicated to creating a wide variety of engaging video content for broadband and wireless devices.

About Clearspring

Clearspring leads the world in the global delivery of widgets, having delivered in excess of 4 billion widgets (check our homepage ticker!) to date. Clearspring is pioneering digital content syndication and distribution of premium brand equity, content and value-added services. Headquartered outside of Washington, D.C., Clearspring customers include the NBA, CBS, Indianapolis Colts and RockYou. For more information about Clearspring Technologies and how you can use widgets in your business please visit http://www.clearspring.com/.

What's A Widget?
Learn more about widgets at:

http://www.clearspring.com/widgets101/

Source: Clearspring Technologies

CONTACT: Sara Parker, +1-202-350-6651, sara.parker@edelman.com for
Clearspring Technologies; or Mary Ellen Mooney of NBC Universal Digital Media,
+1-212-664-6333, Maryellen.mooney@nbcuni.com

Web site:

http://www.clearspring.com/

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