Marks First-of-its-Kind Upfront Offering
NEW YORK, MARCH 3, 2009 – Rainbow Media, and its parent company Cablevision Systems Corp. (NYSE: CVC) have announced that they will now be making Cablevision’s suite of advanced and interactive advertising products and applications available to media buyers for the first time during this year’s upfront.
As a result of this collaboration, agencies and advertisers purchasing upfront inventory from Rainbow Media networks AMC, WE tv, Sundance Channel and IFC can now add interactive television applications on Cablevision’s systems to their buys. In addition to providing a creative, engaging and measurable advertising package, this enhanced buy will also provide marketers with access to the latest in television interactivity, including robust interactive ITV channels and interactive :30 second units (Power :30SM) that take traditional television spots to the next level, by using them to drive consumers to dedicated video-on-demand (VOD) channels, submit requests for information (RFI) and much more.
"Clients are eager to find ways to measure advertising effectiveness and viewer engagement with their messages," said Arlene Manos, president, national ad sales for Rainbow Advertising Sales Corporation (RASCO), the advertising subsidiary for Rainbow Media Holdings LLC and Cablevision. "Being part of Cablevision, a leader in the interactive television advertising space, gives us the opportunity to offer a select group of advertisers a valuable opportunity to directly engage consumers while also learning how to enhance their customers interactive experience with their brands."
Some of the advanced interactive television capabilities available on Cablevision systems in time for the upfront are:
- Dedicated Advertiser Channels – Branded environments featuring long-form VOD content, polling, photos, RFI capabilities and Cablevision’s unique "Click to Call" feature that allows consumers to request an immediate call from the advertiser’s customer service representative. (On average, consumers choose to engage with this content for five to 12 minutes, and its proprietary television "Click to Call" feature has shown conversion rates as high as 23%.)
- Telescoping – Available in time for the upfront, and one of the strongest applications of the Power :30SM, telescoping will feature overlays on a local 30-second spot that triggers direct tune-in to a dedicated advertiser channel or content.
- RFI – Features overlays on 30-second spots that allow viewers to, with a click of their remote, generate a pre-populated RFI form on-screen. This provides consumers the opportunity to request additional information, samples, coupons, etc.
- Vertical Channels – Interactive television/VOD channels in a highly-targeted, focused environment such as automotive, home, health, travel and electronics. Advertiser opportunities include banner ads, pre-roll and lead-generation. Also available is the option to place a :15 or :30-second spot before opt-in VOD content on any of these channels, or on News 12, targeting specific interest groups.
- Market Showcase (with RFI option) – A single long-form VOD asset (video content ranging from two to five minutes), placed on Cablevision’s Market Showcase channel, with the option of offering consumers the opportunity to submit a pre-populated RFI.
"Television is still the most powerful advertising medium there is, and through this partnership, AMC, IFC, Sundance Channel and WE tv are now offering advertisers unique opportunities to combine their television advertising with the interactivity, accountability and measurability that in the past was only associated with the Internet," said Barry Frey, senior vice president, Cablevision Advanced Platform Sales.
About Rainbow Media Holdings LLC
Rainbow Media Holdings LLC is a subsidiary of Cablevision Systems Corporation (NYSE: CVC). Rainbow Media is a leading producer of targeted, multiplatform content for global distribution, creating and managing some of the world’s most compelling and dynamic entertainment brands, including AMC, IFC (The Independent Film Channel), WE tv, Sundance Channel, IFC Entertainment and VOOM HD Networks. Through IFC Entertainment, Rainbow Media also owns and manages the following: IFC Films, a leading U.S. distributor of independent and foreign film with a unique day and date distribution model, "IFC In Theaters," that makes films available to a national audience by releasing them simultaneously in theaters as well as on cable’s On Demand platform; IFC Festival Direct features titles acquired from major international film festivals and initially offers them exclusively through On Demand; IFC Productions, a feature film production company; and IFC Center, a state-of-the-art cinema in the heart of NYC’s Greenwich Village. Rainbow Media also operates Rainbow Advertising Sales Corporation, an advertising sales company; Rainbow Network Communications, a full service network programming origination and distribution company; and 11 Penn TV, a company that manages Rainbow Media’s NYC studios and post-production facilities.
About Cablevision
Cablevision Systems Corporation is one of the nation’s leading media and entertainment companies. Its cable television operations serve more than 3 million households in the New York metropolitan area. The company’s advanced telecommunications offerings include its iO TV® digital television service, Optimum Online® high-speed Internet, Optimum Voice® digital voice-over-cable, and its Optimum Lightpath integrated business communications services. Cablevision operates several successful programming businesses, including AMC, IFC, Sundance Channel and WE tv, through Rainbow Media Holdings LLC, and serves the New York area as publisher of Newsday and other niche publications through Newsday Media Group. In addition to these businesses, Cablevision owns Madison Square Garden and its sports teams, the New York Knicks, Rangers and Liberty. The company also operates New York’s famed Radio City Music Hall, the Beacon Theatre, and the Chicago Theatre, and owns and operates Clearview Cinemas.