A&E, The History Channel and The Biography Channel Programming Joins Akimbo VOD Service

LAS VEGAS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 5, 2005--

Akimbo Will Showcase New Programs at the Digital Experience Event in Las Vegas Tonight

“The Akimbo service will allow viewers to access a vast library of programming from A&E, The History Channel and The Biography Channel at any hour of the day. In addition, the service will provide us with an opportunity to bring new viewers to our channels.”

Akimbo(TM) Systems announced today that A&E Television Networks (AETN) will provide award-winning television programming to Akimbo, the first Internet-delivered video on demand service for television. AETN will be offering content from three channels -- A&E, The History Channel(R) and The Biography Channel(R) -- on the recently-launched Akimbo Service. Akimbo allows consumers to create their own personal television experience, and has won many industry honors, including the "Best of" 2005 CES Innovations Award in the online/internet category.

"A&E Television Networks is a leader in top-quality entertainment and educational programming for the entire family. History and documentary film buffs and anyone fascinated with real-life, Biography(R) and justice series will enjoy the incredible programming that AETN will be bringing to Akimbo," said Steve Shannon, Akimbo's founder and executive vice president of sales and marketing. "These are the kinds of stimulating, fresh programs that our subscribers like."

"We are very pleased to be working with Akimbo as a content provider for this exciting new VOD service," said Steve Ronson, Sr. Vice President, Enterprises, AETN. "The Akimbo service will allow viewers to access a vast library of programming from A&E, The History Channel and The Biography Channel at any hour of the day. In addition, the service will provide us with an opportunity to bring new viewers to our channels."

Akimbo will feature a wide variety of programs from A&E, The History Channel, and The Biography Channel and will include monthly updates from each of the channels. The programming will build an archive of some of AETN's most popular series, including American Justice, Cold Case Files, Biography, Mail Call, History's Mysteries and Modern Marvels. Akimbo will also feature some of A&E Network's hottest new series, like Growing Up Gotti, Airline and Dog the Bounty Hunter, as well as Spanish-language programming from The History Channel En Espanol.

Akimbo's "Queue and View(TM)" feature lets consumers select programs for download to the Akimbo Player through a broadband-Internet connection, and view them on their televisions. The Akimbo Service works with the Akimbo Player, a stylish set-top box that can store up to 200 hours of video, and provides consumers with viewing controls such as pause, rewind and archive. The Akimbo Player uses widely adopted technology for playback including Windows Media technologies for audio and video compression, and Windows Digital Rights Management.

Offering over 50 categories of specialty video content, Akimbo is an enhancement for traditional television rather than a replacement for it. Akimbo constantly scours the world for dynamic new programs and partners with a growing list of video providers to ensure a wide ranging and ever-changing selection of programs. Many of the programs are about special interests such as education, independent film, sports and hobbies that aren't found elsewhere on television. As its video library builds, Akimbo is waiving its basic service fee through April 2005.

The Akimbo Service and Player will be demonstrated in Las Vegas at the Digital Experience media event at the Bellagio Hotel this evening, and at Ziff Davis' Last Gadget Standing shootout on Thursday, January 6 at 10:30 AM at the Ziff Davis Stage at booth No. 70117 in the CES Innovations area. Demonstrations of the Akimbo Service and Player will also be held at the Microsoft booth No. 7145 throughout CES.

About A&E Television Networks

A&E Television Networks, a joint venture of The Hearst Corporation, ABC, Inc. and NBC, is an award-winning, international media company offering consumers a diverse communications environment ranging from television programming, magazine publishing, web sites, books, music CDs to DVDs/home videos, as well as supporting nationwide educational initiatives. AETN is comprised of A&E Network, The History Channel(R), The Biography Channel(R), History International, AETN Consumer Products, Biography Magazine, and AETN International. The A&E web site is located at www.AETV.com, BIOGRAPHY(R) at www.Biography.com, and The History Channel at www.HistoryChannel.com.

About Akimbo

With the Akimbo Service, your wish is on demand(TM). Akimbo was recently named "Best of What's New" by Popular Science and winner of 2005 Digital World Innovations and CES "Best of" Innovations 2005 awards. With 12 patent applications featuring more than 150 patent claims, Akimbo is the first company to deliver digital-quality video-on-demand to any television via a broadband-Internet connection. Akimbo has offices in Los Angeles and San Mateo, Calif. and is a privately held company funded by Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, Draper Fisher Jurvetson, Sprout Group and Zone Ventures. For more information, visit www.akimbo.com