Maven Networks, Inc. today announced the launch of its new Internet TV Platform and the latest roster of major media companies that have embraced it, led by Hearst Magazines, a unit of Hearst Corporation. As the TV industry undergoes a fundamental transformation to meet the surging consumer demand for online video, media companies and their affiliate business partners are rapidly creating direct-to-consumer Internet TV channels and establishing their own controlled syndication networks to maximize audience reach without having to rely on online portals and other intermediaries. The Maven Internet TV Platform™ sets the industry standard for the broadest and deepest set of Internet TV publishing, syndication and community-building capabilities and has now been adopted by over 500 major media company affiliates to power their online video distribution and advertising businesses.

Fueling this explosive growth in video syndication networks is the drive by media companies to tap into the enormous advertising revenue potential generated by the growth of Internet video consumers, projected to reach 160 million by 2010. The vast majority of these advertising dollars will flow to professionally produced content, thereby creating an opportunity for content owners to maximize margins and brand control by building their own direct-to-consumer Internet TV channels. By partnering with Maven, professional media companies can stay focused on their expertise in content creation and advertising sales, while leveraging Maven’s technology platform to quickly launch sophisticated Internet TV channels that build mass audience reach through syndication, drive consumer engagement and viral awareness, and ultimately generate significant revenue in what is projected to be a $6 billion online video advertising market by 2010.

Hearst Magazines, publisher of magazines such as Cosmopolitan, Esquire and Good Housekeeping, is launching 14 new Internet TV channels built on the Maven platform with separate branding, promotions and advertising around the target audience of each magazine title.

Hearst’s library of exclusive and original video includes behind-the-scenes cover shoot videos with celebrities, product reviews from the Good Housekeeping Research Institute, recipes and culinary techniques, and hair-and-makeup “how tos” from Seventeen. Users can view these videos for free on the Hearst Web sites.

“As we aggressively build out our digital presence at Hearst, online video is an important channel through which we can offer our magazines’ rich content and expertise,” said Chuck Cordray, vice president and general manager for Hearst Magazines Digital Media. “With Maven’s technology, we’re able to quickly launch a sophisticated and unique TV experience online that not only differentiates us from our competitors but also creates additional real estate for our advertisers in the digital space.”

“Maven is fueling the transformation of the TV industry,” said Hilmi Ozguc, founder and CEO of Maven Networks. “By empowering major media companies like Hearst with critical Internet TV technologies and services, we enable them to rapidly bring their valuable video programming directly to consumers and tap into the exploding demand for online video content and advertising.”

Maven’s new Internet TV Platform uniquely offers media companies the unmatched technology and capability to quickly and easily replicate the success of the TV broadcast model, which leverages a network of local affiliates to reach a mass audience, online. The Maven Internet TV Platform is comprised of four key components:

Maven Core Internet TV Services™ – Media management, workflow and publishing, player experience, advertising, and business analytics form the foundation for efficiently creating and enhancing Internet TV channels.

Maven Syndication Services™ – Rapid creation and central management of affiliate syndication networks is key to maximizing audience reach and media distribution while also providing control over consumption of media assets, brands, and affiliate accounts.

Maven Community Services™ – Professional media companies can now deliver engaging community and social networking experiences around their video that keep like-minded people coming back for more. Viral sharing and player web site embedding, community member management, user contributed content, ratings, commenting and RSS are all tightly integrated into the player experience and workflow and publishing processes.

Maven Media Services™ – From strategic consulting to 24×7 customer care, Maven Networks provides a broad range of professional services and network operations designed to help media enterprises get the most out of the Maven Internet TV Platform.

About Maven Networks
Maven Networks (www.maven.net) is powering the Internet TV revolution. As a critical technology partner, Maven enables professional media companies to quickly and easily create, distribute and profit from direct-to-consumer Internet TV channels and networks. The Maven Internet TV Platform™ is used by industry-leading organizations around the globe such as 20th Century Fox, A&E Television Networks, CBS’s CSTV, Hearst, Sony Pictures Television, The Weather Channel and Univision Online.