IATV should get a nice pop from this much anticipated news:
AT&T Broadband to Test SpotOn From ACTV's Digital ADCO
ENGLEWOOD, Colo. & NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov. 2, 2000--
Interactive TV Advertising Service with Full-Motion Video
Will Be Tested in Colorado on Currently Deployed Digital Set-Tops
AT&T Broadband and ACTV, Inc.'s Digital ADCO subsidiary will test addressable interactive digital TV advertising (iTV), using Digital ADCO's SpotOn(TM) service, to AT&T Digital Cable customers in Aurora, Colo., before the end of the year, the companies said today. The iTV advertising trial will be available on AT&T Broadband's currently dUployed DCT-1000 and DCT-2000 digital set-top boxes. AT&T Media Services will announce the participating advertisers at a later date.
"The ability to introduce a beneficial interactive feature to customers makes this trial with SpotOn exciting for us at AT&T Broadband," said Judi Heady, senior vice president of Media Services for AT&T Broadband. "The SpotOn service will allow us to offer a digital, interactive advertising service that features full-motion video, just like we see in the traditional TV environment, and to reach customers through currently deployed digital set-top boxes."
"SpotOn delivers incredible value on all fronts - for advertisers, customers and operators - and we're thrilled that the first trial of our service will be with an industry leader like AT&T," said David Reese, president, ACTV, Inc. "We believe that our SpotOn technology will create a paradigm shift in TV advertising."
"AT&T Media Services has been working to deliver customized ad messages and to quantify the effects this customization has on product sales. This trial will demonstrate our ability to deliver specific commercial messages and create a true R.O.I. metric to quantify our performance," said Marc Favaro, vice president, National Ad Sales for AT&T Media Services.
SpotOn allows viewers to choose and interact with television commercials, making advertising more useful to consumers. SpotOn is the only end-to-end, software-based and TV-centric system that enables the delivery and accounting of highly addressable and interactive TV advertising, featuring full motion video. The system customizes advertising based on the serial number in the set-top box, and has no need to know the customer's name or address.
SpotOn is compatible with all of the leading digital interactive platforms and digital set-top terminals. ACTV's SpotOn partner is Motorola Broadband Communications Sector. Motorola combined its digital interactive platform and consumer set-top boxes with ACTV's technology and programming capabilities to deliver this robust iTV advertising solution.
ACTV created its Digital ADCO subsidiary in late 1999 with Motorola Broadband Communications Sector to redefine and revolutionize traditional TV advertising. SpotOn is founded on an array of system technologies, including ACTV's patented One To One TV(TM) software and Motorola's digital interactive platform. ACTV, Motorola and OpenTV recently joined forces for the international deployment of SpotOn.
ABOUT ACTV, INC.
ACTV, Inc. (Nasdaq:IATV), with headquarters in New York City, pioneered enhanced media with its patented convergence technology, which it markets under the brand name HyperTV(R) (http://www.hypertv.com). The company also created interactive one-to-one digital television with its proprietary One To One TV(TM) software and programming capabilities. SpotOn(TM), the advertising application of One To One TV(TM), is a service of ACTV subsidiary Digital ADCO, Inc. (http://www.spoton.tv).
ACTV has developed an extensive patent portfolio that broadly covers the core methodologies for enhancing television, radio and other audio visual programming with an array of synchronous and non-synchronous Internet-based functions, and for the creation and delivery of interactive, one-to-one digital television.
ACTV has key strategic relationships with many of the dominant players in the Internet, television and digital technology fields, including Liberty Digital, Inc. (Nasdaq:LDIG), Motorola (NYSE:MOT) Broadband Communications Sector, OpenTV (Nasdaq and AEX:OPTV), and Liberty Livewire Corporation (Nasdaq:LWIRA). For more information, visit actv.com.
ABOUT AT&T BROADBAND
AT&T Broadband, a business unit of AT&T, is the nation's largest broadband services company, providing television entertainment services to about 16 million customers across the nation. The company also provides advanced services, such as digital cable, high-speed cable Internet services and competitive local phone service. AT&T Corp. (NYSE:T) is the world's leader in telecommunications services and technology.
This news release contains forward-looking statements as defined by the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements include statements concerning plans, objectives, goals, strategies, future events or performance, and underlying assumptions and other statements which are other than statements of historical facts. These statements are subject to uncertainties and risks including, but not limited to, product and service demand and acceptance, changes in technology, economic conditions, the impact of competition and pricing, government regulation, and other risks defined in this document and in statements filed from time to time with the Securities and Exchange Commission. All such forward-looking statements, whetherwritten or oral, and whether made by or on behalf of the companies, are expressly qualified by the cautionary statements and any other cautionary statements which may accompany the forward-looking statements. In addition, the companies disclaim any obligation to update any forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date hereof.
CONTACT:
FOR ACTV, INC.:
Bratskeir & Company
(ACTV Media Relations)
Mike Rosen
212/679-2233, ext. 213
mrosen@bratskeir.com
or
Brainerd Communicators
(Financial Media)
Kim Holt
212/986-6667
holt@braincomm.com
or
ACTV, Inc.
Bill Roll
212/217-1600
wroll@actv.com
or
FOR AT&T BROADBAND:
AT&T Broadband
Tracy Baumgartner
303/858-5430
baumgartner.tracy@broadband.att.com
KEYWORD: NEW YORK COLORADO |
