TVCATCHUP APPOINTS 24/7 REAL MEDIA TO EXCLUSIVELY SELL AND PLACE ADVERTISING ON ITS TV PLATFORM
TVCatchup, a new web site which acts as a personal online VCR, has appointed 24/7 Real Media, the leading global digital marketing company, to exclusively sell and place advertising across its television platform. TVCatchup allows viewers to record shows scheduled for the next seven days on free-to-air channels including BBC1, BBC2, ITV, Channel 4, five, ITV2, E4, Virgin 1, CBeebies and Sky Sports News. The new agreement with 24/7 Real Media will allow advertisers to target banner, pre-roll and text advertising to viewers before they watch their recorded programmes.
TVCatchup is free to use and requires no additional software; users simply register on the site. It is available on any internet browser.
As well as allowing users of the site to record programmes scheduled to air in the next seven days, TVCatchup also allows users to view programmes broadcast in the past 60 days that have been recorded and shared by another member.
TVCatchup launched a live trial in the UK on 1st December with 5,000 beta testers using the service. Already the site has attracted 20,000 additional pre-registered users and has been running trial advertising with some of the top brand advertisers in the market. 24/7 Real Media will place the first paid-for advertising on the site on 1st January and will be TVCatchup’s exclusive advertising agent.
Adam Smith, one of the founders of TVCatchup, said: “We have a really unique proposition as, unlike other online TV services, we are not limited to offering only a few TV channels. Nor do we only offer certain programmes – users can choose to record whatever they like on any of the channels available. We are on target to get 100,000 people visiting the site daily by the end of 2008 and with 24/7 Real Media’s help we can offer advertisers a very cost effective route to a growing audience of television viewers. With anonymous yet detailed demographic and viewing analytics, we are also able to offer a degree of targeting not available via the traditional broadcasting methods.”
Ed Stevenson, UK Managing Director of 24/7 Real Media, said: “Our partnership with TVCatchup demonstrates the new channels now available to forward thinking advertisers. The growth of online TV services should be a major focus next year and this deal highlights our position as an expert in this developing market. The ways in which online TV advertising can be packaged and targeted are constantly expanding so this is a very exciting area to be working in.”
As a free, personal service, TVCatchup provides a legal time-shifting service that is fully compliant with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. The service aims to increase its channel coverage and introduce a mobile platform by the end of Q2 08.
About TVCatchup
TVCatchup is the first web based personal video recording service to launch in the UK and the only online catchup TV service to cover the entire range of UK free-to-air channels. Having already invested £100,000 and secured first round funding of almost three times this sum, the company is now preparing for a country-wide public launch in the run up to Christmas. TVCatchup is headquartered in Berkshire, with London offices scheduled to open in the New Year.
TVCatchup: Never Miss A Show Again
About 24/7 Real Media
24/7 Real Media is the leading global digital marketing company, empowering advertisers and publishers to engage their target audiences with greater precision, transparency, and ROI. Using its award winning ad serving, targeting, tracking, and analytics platform, powerful search marketing capabilities and global network of specialized Web sites, the company has turned the art of reaching audiences across virtually any digital medium into a measurable science. The company is headquartered in New York, with 20 offices in 12 countries throughout North America, Europe and Asia Pacific.
