Limelight Networks and Podbridge Partner to Provide Turn-Key Solution for Ad-Supported Downloadable Video

Msnbc.com, the Leading News Web Site, is Initial Customer

Podbridge, Inc., the leading provider of analytics and ad insertion services for downloadable media, today announced a new turn-key solution for ad-supported downloadable video and audio content in partnership with Limelight Networks, a leading content delivery network (CDN) for digital media. Msnbc.com, the leading news site delivering more than a billion page views and registering visits from more than 85 million computers in an average month, will be the first customer to use this pre-integrated distribution, advertising and analytics solution.

The joint solution provides turn-key media delivery, measurement and ad insertion services to large-scale content providers without any IT integration requirements, bringing to market the easiest way to implement and monetize video and audio downloads. The joint solution integrates Limelight Networks’ advanced CDN with the power of Podbridge Virtual Media Bridge™, a sophisticated solution providing the ability to insert and manage targeted ads in downloadable media. Publishers gain reliable analytics and dynamic ad campaign management for instant download and playback on their destination website and for time shifted download playback within desktop media players like iTunes. The integrated solution provides global content distribution capabilities as well as the ability to measure and monetize media downloads.

Msnbc.com, which delivers an average of 29 million unique users monthly(1), offers a wide variety of video and audio downloads including such shows as “NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams,” “Meet the Press,” “TODAY,” “Hardball with Chris Matthews,” “Countdown with Keith Olbermann,” and “Morning Joe.” The Limelight and Podbridge solution enables msnbc.com to profitably deliver millions of monthly video and audio downloads to consumers. “Ad-supported downloadable media is an important area of growth for msnbc.com,” said Andrew Locke, director of product strategy at msnbc.com, “The new download delivery and advertising solution from Limelight Networks and Podbridge is an invaluable component of our monetization strategy.”

“This new integrated solution from Limelight Networks and Podbridge makes it profitable for all content publishers to unleash their video and audio content for the rapidly growing download market,” said David Hatfield, senior vice president of worldwide sales, services and marketing at Limelight. “We offer publishers an integrated service to monetize all forms of consumer video downloads making it an easy choice.”

“Limelight Networks’ content delivery network provides the scale and performance our customers demand. Our integrated solution represents the transition in focus from containing costs to generating revenue while delivering content consumers demand,” stated Jeff Karnes, vice president of marketing and products at Podbridge. “We’re committed to providing content publishers flexible, powerful solutions to maximize their market opportunity.”

The new integrated solution from Limelight Networks and Podbridge is available immediately.

(1) Source: Nielsen//NetRatings

About Podbridge:

Founded in 2005, Podbridge provides audience measurement and advertising insertion services for downloadable content. The company is focused on helping media companies extend their profitable content businesses. Podbridge currently provides measurement and advertising services to many large media companies including Fox News, Forbes, The Nielsen Company and InfoWorld, among others. Located in Mountain View, CA, more information can be found at: www.podbridge.com.

About Limelight Networks

Limelight Networks is a high performance content delivery network for digital media, providing massively scalable, global delivery solutions for on-demand and live Internet distribution of video, music, games and social media. Limelight Networks’ infrastructure is optimized for the large object sizes, large content libraries, and large audiences associated with compelling rich media content. Limelight is the content delivery network of choice for more than 850 of the world’s top media companies, including Akimbo, Amazon Unbox™, Belo Interactive, Brightcove, “BuyMusic” @ Buy.com, DreamWorks, LLC, Facebook, FOXNews.com, IFILM, ITV Play, Metacafe, MSNBC.com, MySpace, NC Interactive, Valve Software, Radio Free Virgin and Xbox Live. For more information, visit www.llnw.com

About msnbc.com

Msnbc.com delivers a fuller spectrum of news. Drawing on its award-winning original journalism, NBC News heritage, trusted sources and Microsoft’s advanced technologies, the site presents compelling, diverse and visually-engaging stories on the consumer’s platform of choice. Based in Redmond, WA, msnbc.com is a joint venture of Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) and NBC Universal (NYSE:GE).
Contacts

Krause Taylor Associates for Podbridge
Lindsay Sheppard, 408-918-9085 (direct)
408-918-9080 (office)
lindsay {at} krause-taylor(.)com