NEW YORK, Jan. 17, 2000 — Oxygen Media and Microsoft Corp. today announced that Oxygen Media has entered into an advertising agreement with the MSN TM Hotmail TM Web-based e-mail service. This agreement was announced by Sarah Bartlett, Oxygen’s editor in chief, and Jim Kinsella, general manager of MSN sales and marketing at Microsoft and president and CEO of MSNBC.
Under this agreement, Oxygen will have premier placement in the Hotmail Women’s newsletter and will be an anchor tenant within its Health and Fitness and Teen categories. Among others, Oxygen Media’s popular online properties Girls On ( http://www.girlson.com/ ), Moms Online ( http://www.momsonline.com/ ), Breakup Girl ( http://www.breakupgirl.com/ ), Oprah.com ( http://www.oprah.com/ ), Thriveonline ( http://www.thriveonline.com/ ), and the soon-to-be-launched sports site We Sweat ( http://www.wesweat.com/ ) will supply content for the Hotmail Web Courier, which distributes free online newsletters three times each week to 45 million subscribers to Hotmail. Further, Oxygen expects to see a significant increase in traffic to its online site, Oxygen.com.
“Working with MSN Hotmail is a great opportunity for us to enable larger numbers of women to see what Oxygen is all about as well as to provide subscribers to Hotmail with a taste of Oxygen’s interesting, valuable content,”
Bartlett said.
“This relationship helps Oxygen ‘superserve’ women by increasing our presence on the Web and directing women to the Oxygen Web site, where they can check out and experience all we have to offer.”
“Oxygen is an exciting, innovative new presence on the Web that is changing the face of women’s online programming,”
Kinsella said.
“We’re excited to bring its intelligent, irreverent and entertaining content to subscribers to Hotmail through our newsletter service.”
Girls On, Trackers and We Sweat will generate content on young adult issues, providing fun and unique perspectives on television, movies, music and books, as well as offer a safe place for teens to gather online.
Thriveonline provides innovative solutions and credible information on staying healthy, managing illness and living well. It features programming in six major areas covering the breadth of a healthy life: medical issues, fitness, nutrition, sexuality, serenity and weight. We Sweat, scheduled to launch February 2000, will include in-depth sports programming, including information and advice on getting in shape.
In addition to providing high-quality content to Hotmail newsletters, Oxygen will advertise on additional MSN properties, including MSN.com TM and MSNBC.
About MSN
MSN is the network of Internet services from Microsoft that helps people better organize the Web around what’s important to them. The network of MSN services, located on the Web at MSN.com ( http://www.MSN.com/ ), helps people easily stay in touch with friends and colleagues, make smart and secure purchasing decisions, and get more done. MSN offers award-winning e-mail functionality; personal communications services; wireless services information; customizable access to news; popular sites for personal finance, travel, automotive services, shopping and more; an online community; a Web search engine and directories; and top-rated Internet access.
About MSN Hotmail
Microsoft Corp.’s award-winning Hotmail is the world’s leading free Web-based electronic mail service, with over 50 million members and more than 150,000 new accounts established each day (connect-time charges may apply). With offices in California’s Silicon Valley, the company offers globally accessible, easy-to-use and feature-rich personal e-mail to its members.
Hotmail was acquired by Microsoft in December 1997 and is now part of the Microsoft Consumer Group. Hotmail is a leader in consumer advocacy and is widely recognized for its strong anti-spam measures. Those interested in signing up for a free Hotmail account can visit http://www.hotmail.com/ or http://www.MSN.com/ .
About Oxygen Media
Oxygen Media is an integrated media brand that superserves modern women by combining the best qualities of the Internet and cable television. Founded in 1998 by Geraldine Laybourne and in partnership with Marcy Carsey, Tom Werner, Caryn Mandabach and Oprah Winfrey, Oxygen consists of a growing network of popular Web sites and a 24-hour cable network that will launch on Feb. 2, 2000.
In addition to ka-Ching and Girls On, Oxygen’s online properties include Oxygen.com, the home base and network hub ( http://www.oxygen.com/ , AOL Keyword: Oxygen); Thriveonline, a leading healthy living site ( http://www.thriveonline.com/ , AOL Keyword: thrive); Moms Online, the home for moms in cyberspace ( http://www.momsonline.com/ , AOL Keyword: momsonline); Oprah.com ( http://www.oprah.com/ , AOL Keyword: Oprah); and Breakup Girl, advice on relationships and a comic view of dating ( http://www.breakupgirl.com/ ).
On Feb. 2, 2000, Oxygen will launch four additional sites: We Sweat, our sports site ( http://www.wesweat.com/ ); Trackers, the online place that knows what girls like ( http://www.trackers.net/ ); Womenshands, an Internet showcase for handcrafted works by women ( http://www.womenshands.com/ ); and Picky, which offers ideas, resources and answers for fashion, beauty and home ( http://www.picky.com/ ).
The cable network — programmed by Marcy Carsey, Tom Werner and Caryn Mandabach — will offer original and diverse programming 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Among the offerings of the new cable network are Pure Oxygen, a two-hour block of live prime-time programming featuring information, insights and opinions on parenting, business, health, style, home and entertainment; Exhale, a nightly conversation with Candice Bergen; X-Chromosome, cable television’s first original animated prime-time series created specifically for women; Inhale, high-energy yoga in the morning; We Sweat, sports programming; Oxygen.comedy, laugh-out-loud comedy; Pajama Party, a weekly pajama party; Oprah Goes Online, an introduction to the Internet; and Trackers, a block of programming that celebrates teen-girl power.
About Microsoft
Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq
“MSFT”
) is the worldwide leader in software for personal and business computing. The company offers a wide range of products and services designed to empower people through great software — any time, any place and on any device.
Microsoft, MSN, Hotmail and MSN.com are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corp. in the United States and/or other countries.
The names of actual companies and products mentioned herein may be the trademarks of their respective owners.
Note to editors: If you are interested in viewing additional information on Microsoft, please visit the Microsoft Web page at http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/ on Microsoft’s corporate information pages.
