NBC.COM CREATES IMPROVED VIEWING EXPERIENCE WITH NEW STREAMING VIDEO PLAYER ENHANCEMENTS

NBC.COM CREATES IMPROVED VIEWING EXPERIENCE WITH NEW STREAMING VIDEO PLAYER ENHANCEMENTS

User Feedback Determined Upgrade Strategy

BURBANK, Calif. � March 22, 2007 � NBC.com today announced the latest enhancements to NBC Rewind, its full-episode streaming video player. Upgrades include a larger format, easier navigation and a host of interactive features -- all of which provide a more engaging viewing experience. Many of the enhancements were determined by feedback from user focus groups held in February.

The announcement was made by Vivi Zigler, Executive Vice President, NBC Digital Entertainment and New Media.

"We asked what our users wanted and did our best to give it to them," said Zigler. "More and more consumers are streaming video on the web and we intend to provide the best experience possible."

With the new interactive features, users will be able to access chat options and invite friends for simultaneous online viewing parties. The viewing parties can be open or closed making it either just a close group of invited friends or an opportunity to meet and interact with other show fans.

The new full-screen experience integrates a revised design and improved navigation that reduces clutter and highlights the viewing experience. The result is a much higher quality video stream.

The new NBC Rewind also features a companion window in which text based facts about the show, live group polling or trivia are available to fans as they watch the show.

Other notable components of the new upgrade provide more user content control. Users will now have the ability to post select clips on their own web pages or blogs and share them with their friends. The new edition of NBC Rewind will also allow users to select tailored pre-roll from the same advertiser.

Findings from the focus group determined many of the changes made to the video player. The study found that the video player was being used in place of a DVR by many users. Other highlights found that it was not uncommon for a young multi-tasker to say he or she watched full-length television shows at work during a break. Additionally, the incidence of streaming video on the web is growing fast among all age groups, in concurrence with the fast-growing awareness of the option. The majority of those who stream shows say the most common reasons for watching full episodes online were to catch a missed episode and to watch it on their own schedule.

Focus groups were held in February 2007. The groups were heavily comprised of younger (18�39) users who were familiar with full-episode streaming. All research was conducted by Colen Research and Consulting.