Independent Video Creators Earn $1 Million on Metacafe^®

PALO ALTO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Metacafe^®, whose more than 30 million¹ unique viewers each month make it one of the world’s largest video entertainment sites, is celebrating the success of its Producer Rewards^® program, which pays video creators for their best original work as judged by the audience. More than 550 people have now collectively earned more than $1 million since the program’s launch on October 30th, 2006. Reaching this important milestone in just over a year makes Producer Rewards the leading payment program for independent video creators.

“Metacafe is hands-down the best place for talented people making entertaining short videos to showcase their work,” said Erick Hachenburg, CEO of Metacafe. “We help them reach a large and global audience. Our unique approach to audience-driven programming ensures that those videos our viewers find most entertaining automatically receive exposure. And Producer Rewards pays creators based on positive response from the audience.”

Since the program’s inception:

• The top-earning producer has made more than $80,000.
• Seven people have each earned more than $20,000.
• 21 people have each earned more than $10,000.
• 44 people have each earned more than $5,000.

To celebrate 2007 and the million-dollar milestone, Metacafe is currently featuring the “Best of Producer Rewards” channel, showcasing a countdown of the year’s top-earning videos. The countdown is now underway at www.metacafe.com/bestof07.

Among the most popular genres on Metacafe are:

• MacGyver-inspired how-to videos that bring out the super secret agent in all of us and provide hours of amusement using everyday household products;
• Amazing human stunt videos ranging from break-dancing babies to death-defying urban performance artists to fast-footed soccer specialists;
• Entertaining educational videos that teach you how to do anything from give a great massage to tune-up your computer skills; and
• Laugh-out-loud funny videos, scripted or spontaneous, that deliver a punch in a matter of moments.

“If you would have told me this time last year that I’d have an extra $80,000 in my pocket from making videos, I would have laughed out loud,” said “Kipkay,” Metacafe’s top earner. “Of course, the money’s not actually burning a hole in my pocket. I’ve used it to help pay my kids’ college tuition, make some home improvements, and take my wife to Las Vegas for a week. Making the videos is good fun in its own right. Making the money is a great bonus.”

The Metacafe Producer Rewards program is open to any creator of an original short video, and the payment system is simple and straightforward – $5 for every 1,000 views, starting at the 20,000 views mark. More information about the program is available at http://studio.metacafe.com/producer_rewards/.

About Metacafe

With more than 30 million¹ unique viewers each month, Metacafe^® is one of the world’s largest video entertainment sites. We specialize in short-form original content – from new, emerging talents and established Hollywood heavyweights alike. Metacafe delivers an exceptional entertainment experience by engaging and empowering our audience every step of the way. Our VideoRank^™ technology helps expose the most entertaining content, and our Producer Rewards^® program rewards video creators for their best work – all as determined by viewer response. The privately held company is headquartered in Palo Alto, Calif., and has offices in Tel Aviv and New York City. For more information – and hundreds of thousands of entertaining videos – visit www.metacafe.com.

¹ comScore Media Metrix, October 2007