Future And AOL Sign Advertising And Content Partnership
Consumer magazines and internet group, Future Network, has this morning announced a partnership agreement with AOL’s new free internet service provider, Netscape Online, which launched last week (see AOL Moves In To Free ISP Market). Future is the UK’s largest publisher of consumer computer magazines and its new media division, FutureNet, produces a number of magazine-related computing, gaming and music websites.
Under the two-year partnership with Netscape Online, FutureNet will provide content for the ISP, focusing on areas of interest to Netscape Online’s target audience, including games, technology, entertainment and sports news. In return, Future Network will provide Netscape Online with a major distribution and promotion channel, through its portfolio of 60 consumer magazines. Future’s titles, which include Essential Playstation and PC Plus, have a total circulation of 2.1 million copies.
Future’s titles will also covermount CDs containing the Netscape Online software. In return, Future will share the telephony, advertising, sponsorship and ecommerce revenues generated from all customers that subscribe to the Netscape Online service using the covermounted CDs. Future will be given a sponsor’s flag on the Netscape Online homepage, linking to FutureNet’s network of websites. Future believes that its target audiences overlap considerably with that of Netscape Online – predominantly under 35 ‘DIY’ internet enthusiasts.
Neil Bradford, director at Fletcher Research, believes that software distribution and promotion are key to the growth of free ISPs, making the deal with Future all the more valuable for AOL. Netscape Online software will also be distributed and co-branded with high-street retailer Woolworths.
Commenting on the partnership, Future’s chief executive, Greg Ingham, said: “Linking up with the world’s leading internet service provider gives Future’s online business a great boost. We see this as a major, but still early step towards unlocking the enormous potential that we believe exists for Future online.”
Future Network: 01225 442 244 … http://www.futurenet.co.uk/ AOL: 0171 594 4400 … http://www.netscapeonline.co.uk/