Nationallampoon.com's Edgy Comedy Wows the Web With More than 250,000 Hits In the First Two Days; Average Visitor Is Spending 12 Minutes at Nationallampoon.com;Early E-Commerce Sales Patterns Are
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA--J2 Communications/National Lampoon (Nasdaq:JTWO - news) today declared it believes it has a hit on its hands given the strong launch of its interactive online entertainment network, nationallampoon.com. The comedy network launched its original programming this week on the World Wide Web to opening numbers of more than a quarter of a million hits.
''The reaction to this new comedy network has been extraordinary,'' said J2/National Lampoon Chairman and CEO James P. Jimirro. ''In the entertainment business, we call it a hit.''
Once visitors click on to the network, they have been staying to explore the constantly-changing programming, which Newsweek magazine recently described as its ''take-no-prisoners brand of humor.'' The average user session length is nearly 12 minutes, Jimirro said, making it one of cyberspace's ''stickiest'' destinations, especially among one of advertisers' most prized demographic segments, 18-34 year-old men.
''We've developed a network that appeals to viewers that are hungry for our special brand of satiric comedy. Unlike television, we offer our audience short, punchy interactive comedy that will leave them laughing for hours,'' said Jimirro, the founding President of The Disney Channel.
The Company said rave e-mail reviews have been pouring in to nationallampoon.com's corporate headquarters in Los Angeles:
-- "I haven't laughed this hard in years. I had to
take quite a few breaks while viewing your site so I
could catch my breath, and wipe the tears from my eyes."
-- "This site rules!"
-- "I have been on the site for three hours and laughed
my a** off."
Some of the most popular features include:
-- Fantasy Losers League - A biting parody of rotisserie
sports games where contestants pick pro players based
on their most egregious off-the-field misbehavior
(druggies, deadbeat dads, etc.)
-- Cyber Cops - An ongoing series that cuts between
full-motion-video and animation. Inspired by reality
television, the series follows mismatched buddy cops
who patrol smut peddlers, white collar crooks and other
undesirables on the Internet.
-- Apocalyptic Al - A websodic cartoon that follows the
tawdry decline of an average white-collar Joe who snaps
and decides to dabble in all things unhealthy and
unethical before Y2K brings about the end of
civilization.
Sales are beginning at the e-commerce site. ''The response rate for visitors to our e-commerce store Smash & Grab is, so far, way above average,'' said Jimirro. In one promotion, random shoppers are rewarded by having their entire order given to them for free. In addition, J2/National Lampoon is selling advertising, and is receiving positive early interest. The humor web is also syndicating its content to other Internet sites. |
