First-of-Its-Kind, Pure-Play Partnership Bolsters Blastro.com's Position as Leading Aggregator of Urban/Hip Hop Broadband Video
AUSTIN, Texas, March 12 /PRNewswire/ -- Today at the SXSW Interactive conference Blastro Networks, a leading operator of broadband video Web sites for music videos, movie reviews and original shows, announced a program licensing agreement with H2O-Hip Hop OnDemand(TM), the popular Urban/Hip-Hop video-on-demand channel available in 20 Million homes on Comcast and Cox Cable's Free Video OnDemand services. The agreement marks Blastro's first cable programming deal and will provide television quality videos to Blastro.com, adding 50 new Urban/Hip-Hop videos and specials to its Web site each month.
Under the agreement, Blastro Networks will immediately begin streaming H20-Hip Hop OnDemand(TM)'s video content on http://www.blastro.com/ , which will include hundreds of exclusive Hip Hop and R&B artist interviews, urban comedy, video vixens, dance and rap battles. Blastro and H20-Hip Hop OnDemand(TM) will share revenue generated from ads, which play before each program title.
"Blastro's foresight and technology is making this possible," commented Will Griffin, CEO of H2O -- Hip Hop OnDemand(TM). "We're taking the most popular Hip Hop/Urban focused video-on-demand channel on television and delivering it directly to Blastro's installed base of millions of Hip Hop/Urban broadband video viewers. This is an industry first and probably a trend for the future of the broadband video industry."
Hip-Hop music and culture began in the South Bronx in the 1970s and has spread worldwide, becoming one of the fastest growing genres in pop culture. Advertisers such as Sprite, McDonald's, General Motors, Burger King, HBO, Cingular, Verizon and American Express are targeting the $500 billion-plus U.S. Urban youth market's purchasing power, according to Packaged Facts, a division of MarketResearch.com. Blastro.com, the leading supplier of broadband video specifically for the Hip-Hop audience, reports 150,000 unique visitors a day and streams more than 10 Million urban and Hip Hop broadband video streams per month.
"H2O-Hip OnDemand(TM)'s breadth and depth of content is perfect for our audience," said Casey Charvet, Technical Director for Blastro. "Offering their fresh, Hip Hop content will continue to expand our site traffic. We look forward to realizing the synergies that exist for our business."
About Blastro Networks
Austin, Texas, based Blastro Networks operates the Internet's best destinations for music videos, movie reviews and original shows. Blastro.com features major label and independent hip-hop, R&B and Latin artists, Roxwel.com features major label and independent rock and pop artists, and Yallwire.com features major label and independent country, bluegrass, alternative country and Christian artists.
Advertisers choose Blastro Networks websites as highly-efficient, highly- targeted alternatives to other websites where advertisers overpay to reach audiences outside of their target demographics. Blastro Networks advertisers include American Express, Ford, General Motors, Honda, Hyundai, Microsoft, Miramax, New Line Cinema, Nokia, Pfizer, Procter & Gamble, Reebok, T-Mobile and Toyota/Scion.
About H2O-Hip Hop OnDemand(TM)
H2O-Hip Hop OnDemand(TM) is the first all video-on-demand channel solely devoted to Hip-Hop and Urban programming on television. It is available in 45 of the top 50 Urban markets on Comcast and Cox Cable's Free Video On Demand Tiers (Go to Channel 1. Click on Music Section. Click H2O-Hip Hop). It is headquartered in New York City and is an autonomous spin-off of the leading Urban television and film production company, Simmons Lathan Media Group (SLMG). Founding Sponsors are long-time supporters of the growth of Hip Hop and Urban Culture including the Coca-Cola Company (Sprite Brand) and General Motors. The company is also backed by Syndicated Communications and Pacesetter Capital Group, the leading private equity funds in Urban Media. More information may be found by visiting http://www.hiphopondemand.tv/
Source: Blastro Networks
CONTACT: Erin Brennan Gilmore of Blanc & Otus Public Relations,
+1-512-466-4559, or ebgilmore@blancandotus.com , for Blastro Networks; or
Celeste Rodriguez, Publicist of Hip Hop OnDemand [H2O], +1-646-435-5730,
ext. 4, or celeste@hiphopondemand.tv
Web site: http://www.blastro.com/
http://www.hiphopondemand.tv/
http://2007.sxsw.com/
