Multi-Year Pact Calls for Google to Provide Search and Advertising
Across Fox Interactive Media's Growing Online Network Including the
MySpace Community
MOUNTAIN VIEW and LOS ANGELES, Calif., August 7, 2006 - News
Corporation's Fox Interactive Media and Google Inc. (NASDAQ: GOOG)
today announced a multi-year search technology and services agreement
whereby Google will be the exclusive search and keyword targeted
advertising sales provider for Fox Interactive Media's growing network
of web properties including MySpace.com (http://www.myspace.com).
The agreement calls for Google to power web, vertical and site specific
search for MySpace.com and the majority of Fox Interactive Media
properties. Google will be the exclusive provider of text-based
advertising and keyword targeted ads through its AdSense program, for
inventory on Fox Interactive Media's network. Google will also have a
right of first refusal on display advertising sold through third
parties on Fox Interactive Media's network.
The integration of Google's services including consistent search
navigation across Fox Interactive Media's network of properties is
slated to begin in the fourth quarter 2006 and will provide users with
access to Google's industry leading search capabilities as well as text
and display advertising from its global advertiser base.
Under the terms of the agreement, Google will be obligated to make
guaranteed minimum revenue share payments to Fox Interactive Media of
$900 million based on Fox achieving certain traffic and other
commitments. These guaranteed minimum revenue share payments are
expected to be made over the period beginning in the first quarter of
2007 and ending in the second quarter of 2010.
"Our partnership with Google underscores News Corp's continued
evolution to become a powerful force in the digital media marketplace.
To have come this far and gained this much momentum in just over a year
is truly remarkable," said Peter Chernin, President and Chief Operating
Officer of News Corporation. "This is an exciting time in our history
as a forward thinking media company and this is just the first of many
steps we plan to take with Google. We look forward to expanding our
relationship into many new areas over years to come."
"We believe that our innovative technologies will be of real benefit to
Fox Interactive Media's growing number of users," said Eric Schmidt,
Chief Executive Officer of Google. "MySpace.com is a widely
acknowledged leader in user-generated content and incorporating search
and advertising furthers our mission of making the world's information
universally accessible and useful."
"This deal is the next step in our evolution as a significant
interactive player," said Ross Levinsohn, President of Fox Interactive
Media. "Forming a strategic partnership with one of the most innovative
companies in the world to expand our business together, monetize our
platforms effectively and leverage our combined scale will provide
substantial growth for our businesses."
"This agreement demonstrates our commitment to bring the same
innovation to monetizing user-generated content that we brought to
search advertising," said Omid Kordestani, Senior Vice President,
Global Sales & Business Development of Google. "We look forward to
other opportunities to partner with News Corp. to the benefit of its
community."
In addition to MySpace.com (http://www.myspace.com), Fox Interactive
Media properties that will benefit from the Google integration include
top ranked online videogame and entertainment site IGN
(http://www.ign.com), dynamic collegiate and pro sports network
Scout.com (http://www.scout.com), leading site for movie lovers
Rottentomatoes.com (http://www.rottentomatoes.com), popular men's
lifestyle site AskMen.com (http://www.askmen.com); as well as
Gamespy.com (http://www.gamespy.com), Gamespyarcade.com
(http://www.gamespyarcade.com), Fileplanet.com
(http://www.fileplanet.com), Direct2drive.com
(http://www.direct2drive.com), Teamxbox.com ( http://www.teamxbox.com),
3dgamers.com (http://www.3dgamers.com), Gamestat.com
(http://www.gamestat.com), Cheatscodesguides.com
(http://www.cheatcodesguides.com) and Gamermetrics.com
(http://www.gamermetrics.com).
About Google:
Google's innovative search technologies connect millions of people
around the world with information every day. Founded in 1998 by
Stanford Ph.D. students Larry Page and Sergey Brin, Google today is a
top web property in all major global markets. Google's targeted
advertising program provides businesses of all sizes with measurable
results, while enhancing the overall web experience for users. Google
is headquartered in Silicon Valley with offices throughout the
Americas, Europe and Asia. For more information, visit www.google.com.
About Fox Interactive Media:
A division of News Corp. (NWS and NWS.A), Fox Interactive Media (FIM)
is an integrated network of sites offering socially rich media
experiences centered on entertainment, news, information and
self-expression. The company's network includes Internet assets from
News Corp., including the highly trafficked Foxsports.com
(http://www.foxspports.com), Americanidol.com
(http://www.americanidol.com) and Fox.com (http://www.fox.com). FIM
also owns and operates such category leaders as MySpace.com
(http://www.myspace.com), the number one social networking site on the
Web; Scout.com (http://www.scout.com), a dynamic collegiate and pro
sports network; and IGN Entertainment (http://www.ign.com), a network
of leading gaming and entertainment sites including men's lifestyle
site AskMen (http://www.askmen.com) and premier destination for
movie-goers Rotten Tomatoes (http://www.rottentomatoes.com) among
others.
***NOTE: A conference call for financial analysts and members of the
press only will occur at 1:30 p.m. Pacific Time / 4:30 p.m. Eastern
Time today.***
The Teleconference Dial-In Numbers are:
United States: (800) 230-1059
International: (612) 332-0107
Passcode: NEWS
For a webcast of the call, please visit Google's Investor Relations web
site at: http://investor.google.com/webcast.html.
FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS
This press release contains forward-looking statements that involve
risks and uncertainties, including statements relating to the growth of
our business. Actual results may differ materially from our expected
results. Factors that could cause actual results to differ from our
expectations include competition, our ability to continue to attract
users to our web sites, our ability to attract web sites to our AdSense
program, general economic conditions and those economic conditions
specific to the Internet and Internet advertising, our ability to
innovate and improve monetization, and the growth of the market for
internet advertising. More information about potential risk factors is
included in our report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31,
2006, and from time to time in other reports that we file with the SEC.
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