Forbes.Com and Podbridge Announce Agreement to Offer New Advertising Capabilities for Downloadable Video

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. & NEW YORK, N.Y.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Forbes.com and Podbridge, Inc., the leading audio and video podcast advertising platform, today announced that Podbridge will be the exclusive provider of audience measurement tools and ad insertion services for all Forbes.com podcasts. Under the agreement, Forbes.com will utilize the Podbridge platform to gain insight into podcast consumption, including detailed statistics on the number of downloads and plays, and to dynamically insert targeted ads into all of Forbes.com’s video podcasts.

“We are very excited to be working with Forbes.com”

“We are very excited to be working with Forbes.com,” stated Murgesh Navar, Founder and CEO of Podbridge. “All media is going digital, and consumer demand is driving everything digital to become portable and personal. Popular Forbes.com shows such as StreetTalk and SportsMoney will now meet the increasing consumer demand for convenience, while advertisers will be able to effectively reach and engage with a tremendously valuable audience. We’re delighted that our platform will provide Forbes.com with the tools and information necessary to make downloaded content attractive to advertisers.”

“Downloadable and portable video subscriptions are a fast emerging trend. Our audience can access their preferred content wherever they please, including on their iPods. Greater convenience drives greater engagement. This is a very effective medium for business news and information, and it can deliver an exceptionally engaged audience to advertisers,” said Mike Smith, Vice President and General Manager at Forbes.com.

“Up until now, the big hurdle for advertisers has been the inability to gauge if someone had viewed any or all of the video content that they have downloaded. With Podbridge, not only can we measure actual viewing, but we also get a detailed breakdown by audience demographics and are able to precisely target advertisements.”

A pioneer of online video since 2002, Forbes.com has long recognized the demand for more visually engaging content among subscribers. Leading a larger industry trend, the popularity of Forbes.com videos has grown exponentially. Podcasts enable consumers to subscribe to popular video content, such as StreetTalk and SportsMoney, receiving daily and weekly editions automatically in their iTunes accounts or on their iPod for on-demand viewing.

As the popularity of online video explodes, publishers are recognizing the value that podcasting offers to consumers and advertisers alike, as well as its growing usage. Spending on online video is expected to hit $2.3 billion in 2010, about a tenfold increase from $265 million last year, according to data from eMarketer, making it the fastest growing area of Web advertising. According to Nielsen/NetRatings, within 30 days in June and July 2006, over 5.5 million web users downloaded a video podcast.

The Podbridge system is unique in its ability to offer accurate audience metrics, including the number of actual “plays” and user opt-in demographics, for both video and audio podcasts. The turnkey service for advertisers and publishers manages the insertion and rotation of ads at any point within the content; provides advertisers with significant control over the insertion of ads within specific content; and enables precise targeting to specific demographics.

Initial use of the Podbridge service to support Forbes.com podcasts will be launched over the next few months at www.forbes.com. Initial video programs will include popular Forbes.com podcast channels, as well as the development of additional channels.

About Podbridge, Inc.

Founded in 2005, Podbridge provides a podcast audience measurement and advertising insertion and rotation service. The company is focused on helping media companies extend their profitable content business into podcasting. The founding team has filed four patents for its technology - accurately measuring podcast audiences and the industry’s most sophisticated podcast ad management system. The company’s service is currently in use by BBC, Military.com, Sports Byline USA and an assortment of other radio stations. Blue-chip venture capital firms Mayfield Fund and Worldview Technologies have provided Series A funding. Located in Mountain View, CA, more information can be found at: www.podbridge.com.

About Forbes.com

Forbes.com Inc. (www.forbes.com), home page for the world’s business leaders and the No. 1 business news source in the world, is among the most trusted resources for senior business executives, providing them the real-time reporting, uncompromising commentary, concise analysis, relevant tools and community they need to succeed at work, profit from investing and have fun with the rewards of winning. Throughout the business day Forbes.com publishes more than 2,500 articles, delivering the best of Forbes journalism and that of its selected partners with all the immediacy, depth and interactivity that the Web allows.