WebTV Networks, Inc. today announced an entirely new way for advertisers to combine broadcast advertising with online communications. TV Crossover Links advertisements only will be available in the WebTV(R) Plus System. The company's new TV Crossover Links allow viewers to easily interact with both television commercials and online content simultaneously. This combines the strengths of direct response, online and broadcast advertising into one new, integrated medium.

WebTV Networks also announced that several companies including General Motors, Honda, AT&T and Charles Schwab have become advertisers on the company's WebTV Network™ and WebTV Plus Network services. Last week, WebTV Networks introduced a suite of advertising products that provide sophisticated subscriber targeting techniques and enhanced direct-response capabilities to large-brand advertisers, allowing them to reach a home consumer audience.

"Ads with TV Crossover Links introduce the next generation of Direct Response TV," said Joe Poletto, vice president of advertising sales, WebTV Networks. "These ads enhance broadcast commercials to include product information, promotions, retail locations and calls-to-action to which consumers can easily and instantly respond."

WebTV Networks has made the process of directly marrying broadcast spots with online content very simple. Advertisers place their URL into the television signal within their broadcast commercials. The WebTV Plus Receiver reads the URL and displays a TV Crossover Link watermark on the advertisement, indicating that there is supplemental information for the viewer to access immediately or save for later. For example, a movie studio could enhance a movie trailer with a link to a web site that is tailored to each viewer, featuring local theaters and ways to purchase tickets online. Not only can advertisers track individual consumer responses on their web sites, WebTV Networks also can provide a more immediate report of how effective their broadcast advertisements were by television program.

About WebTV Networks, Inc.

Founded in 1995 by Steve Perlman, Bruce Leak and Phil Goldman, WebTV Networks is dedicated to delivering entertaining new experiences and information to consumers through the integration of television programming and the Internet. WebTV Networks operates the WebTV Network™ Service and develops the WebTV Internet Terminal and WebTV Plus Receiver, which are available through the company's U.S. licensees, Sony Electronics Inc., Philips Consumer Electronics Company and Mitsubishi Consumer Electronics America at U.S. consumer electronics stores nationwide. WebTV Networks, based in Palo Alto, Calif., is a subsidiary of Microsoft Corporation.

Source: WebTV Networks, Inc.