Magazine publisher and broadcaster Meredith Corp. will help
create new content for the Mag Rack video-on-demand network starting this
fall, the companies said today.
Brands and topics of new programming weren't disclosed, but
the companies said they would share advertising and sponsorship revenue from
new programming and that Meredith would sell ads and sponsorships for current
Mag Rack programming. Both will cross promote the new arrangement, they said.
Meredith's female-focused magazine brands include Better
Homes and Gardens, Family Circle, Parents, Ladies' Home Journal, More and Fitness,
with a claimed readership of ore than 75 million American women. Mag Rack
programming, available to an estimated 25 million homes, are in the categories
of health and wellness; house and home; food; fitness; kids and family and relationships.
Meredith also owns 12 TV stations and various consumer Web
sites. With Comcast, it launched VOD service Parents TV On Demand in 2007. Mag Rack owner Interactivation also owns the Concert TV VOD music service and has been experimenting with text-messaging based interactive advertising.
"This partnership represents a unique content and
revenue-sharing arrangement in the video on demand space," Meredith CEO Steve
Lacy said in a release. "We possess tremendous video content creation
capabilities across our multiple national and local brands. Interactivation's
Mag Rack network has an impressive national footprint across the major cable
and satellite television operators. That's a powerful combination that will be
attractive to viewers and marketers alike."
"Meredith's well-known consumer brands and recognized
content expertise will be very attractive to Mag Rack's demographic," Interactivation
CEO Joe Covey said in the release. "This partnership bridges print, Web video,
and VOD viewed on television in a way that will allow consumers to move
seamlessly between media throughout their day."
