Next New Networks Creates New Audience Development and Programming Groups

NEW YORK, NY--(Marketwire - July 15, 2009) - Leading online television company Next New Networks today announced that it has created two new departments within the company in order to better serve audiences and advertisers and create the next-generation of award-winning online programming.

The Audience Development Group, headed by co-founder Tim Shey, will now drive all audience building efforts, working with all of the company's networks and shows to gain exposure, create engaged, loyal fan bases, and codify the methodology that has led the company to be the most-viewed online television company in the world. Among the new department's responsibilities will be deepening relationships with distribution and editorial partners, managing promotions and outreach, and further developing the shared Web and community platform for all networks, so that Next New Networks can more quickly expand its programming offerings and work successfully with even more independent creators and shows. Accomplished online entertainment producer Kathleen Grace, who has worked with Next New Networks' producer team since late 2008, will now lead the company's programming group. In her new role, Grace will manage the team producing, sourcing and publishing the company's current and new programming for existing and upcoming networks.

"We've had a lot of great successes this year at Next New Networks: we've launched a number of new shows, redeveloped our Web platform, we dominated the Webby Awards, we've secured major advertisers, and we've won millions of fans. Now's the time to build on our brand and expand our footprint in the industry," said Lance Podell, CEO of Next New Networks. "When we launched Next New Networks, we were forging the way with TV for the Internet. Today, the industry has matured and this new organizational structure allows us to focus on helping the large pool of great creative teams producing quality programming to effectively brand, syndicate and develop larger audiences for their content. The addition of Kathleen, alongside Tim's dedicated focus on audience development as a unique capability of our company, will enable us to best serve all our constituents and positions the company to be a lasting, important brand in pioneering TV for the Internet."

Next New Networks veteran and Barely Political founder Ben Relles will be working closely with Grace on programming and development efforts. Vanessa Pappas, who previously directed entertainment programming for the company, will spearhead audience-building efforts across the company's powerful super distribution network in the new Audience Development Group. Next New Networks' creative services team, responsible for creating and developing the packaging, promos and branding for the company and its networks, will continue to report to Shey.

"This is still a new evolving industry and it's thrilling to have the opportunity to work with the great team at Next New Networks," added Grace. "We're just at the tip of the iceberg in terms of the potential of online video to be a dominant entertainment format. Next New Networks has the brand, the talent, and the distribution, and proven success in audience development to become a clear leader for many years to come."

Grace is a pioneer in the world of online television. She was a creator of the popular Web sitcom, the Burg, which premiered on YouTube in June 2006, and has since gone on to become an Internet sensation. Most recently, Kathleen worked with Michael Eisner's new media studio Vuguru directing and producing the Web mockumentary "The All-for-Nots."

The new Audience Development Group is a direct result of the ability to successfully grow audiences at Next New Networks. The company's focus on Indy Mogul, for example, has resulted in record viewership for the network: in the last quarter, Indy Mogul more than doubled its viewership from its previous average of just under 1.2 million views a month -- now averaging closer to 2.4 million. The recently launched comedy network Barely Digital has grown to over 5 million monthly views as of June, and Next New Networks overall has grown to reach 10 million unique viewers per month. Next New Networks helped pioneer and coin the super-distribution strategy, now an industry standard.

Both teams have already begun collaborating on several new networks that are in the works.

About Next New Networks

Next New Networks is TV for the Internet. As the leading independent producer of online television networks Next New Networks creates, packages, brands, markets and syndicates some of the Web's most popular regularly scheduled and episodic programming. Since its inception in March 2007, the company has launched sixteen networks, and its programming has been viewed more than 500 million times.

Hit programming from Next New Networks includes Channel Frederator (home of the popular series "Nite Fite"), Barely Political (the creators of Obama Girl), TMI Weekly (co-hosted by Web celeb Julia Allison), daily auto news network Fast Lane Daily, DIY filmmaker network Indy Mogul, lifestyle network ThreadBanger, tech comedy network Barely Digital and your one-stop showcase of the cutest pets across the globe, Ultra Kawaii. The company, headquartered in New York, is privately owned, with investors including Spark Capital, Goldman Sachs, Saban Capital and Fuse Capital. For more information, please visit www.nextnewnetworks.com.

Contact Information: Contacts: LaunchSquad Melissa Klein 415-625-8555 nnn@launchsquad.com