WESTLAKE VILLAGE, Calif., Feb. 12, 2004 (PRIMEZONE) -- United Online, Inc. (Nasdaq:UNTD), the nation's leading provider of value-priced Internet and e-mail access services, and USATODAY.com, the online site of the nation's top-selling newspaper USA TODAY, today announced that USATODAY.com has become the exclusive provider of news and headlines for United Online's NetZero, Juno and BlueLight Internet services, including NetZero HiSpeed and Juno SpeedBand. Specific terms of the deal were not disclosed.
USATODAY.com's content will be featured on the newly redesigned NetZero, Juno and BlueLight Internet start pages and will feed headlines for all of the paper's highly read categories of NEWS, SPORTS, MONEY, TECH and TRAVEL. In addition to providing easy access to a variety of content channels, the start pages give users their own personal Web portal, including access to their e-mail accounts and Web search powered by Yahoo! Search.
"Our Internet users demand fast and accurate news from a source they can trust. USATODAY.com fits this bill and offers them one of the finest sources of information in the world," said Brian Woods, EVP and chief marketing officer of United Online, Inc. "This content alliance is another example of how we continuously strive to deliver the highest quality Internet experience for our growing millions of Internet users."
USATODAY.com is an award-winning news and information site providing visitors news, sports, money, life, weather, technology and travel news -- all updated 24 hours a day, seven days a week. USA TODAY is the number one newspaper in the nation in terms of circulation.
"USATODAY.com and United Online's Internet services are a perfect fit to reach a national audience that seeks out timely and comprehensive news," stated Jeff Webber, Sr. Vice President and Publisher of USA TODAY.com.
The value-priced NetZero Platinum and Juno Platinum Internet access services each offer high-quality Internet connections for only $9.95 per month -- less than half the price of other premium-priced standard services from AOL, EarthLink and MSN.(1) These easy-to-use services also include POP and web-based email, direct access to the Internet, reliable connections, compatibility with popular instant messaging programs, and features such as easy access to search engines, news and sports headlines, shopping, and financial services.
NetZero HiSpeed and Juno SpeedBand offer all the features of the Platinum services along with web surfing at up to five times the speed of standard dial-up (2). Using next generation technology, NetZero HiSpeed and Juno SpeedBand work from any standard phone jack and do not require any new hardware to provide an accelerated dial-up Internet surfing experience. These services cost $14.95 (1) per month and can be downloaded in five minutes at www.netzero.com and www.juno.com
(1) Additional phone and live tech support charges and usage restrictions may apply. References to competitors' pricing and savings amounts based on standard monthly rates as of 2/01/04.
(2) NetZero HiSpeed and Juno SpeedBand do not increase the transmission speed of files or attachments, including music or video.
About USATODAY.com
USATODAY.com is an award-winning news and information site on the Internet. More than 35 million monthly visitors experience comprehensive, convenient USA TODAY news and information through interactive features, information graphics and multimedia functions including audio, video and live Webcasts. USATODAY.com has more than 200,000 pages of breaking stories in News, Money, Sports, Life, Technology and Weather -- updated 24 hours a day, seven days a week. USATODAY.com is owned by Gannett Co., Inc. (NYSE:GCI). For more information, please visit www.usatoday.com.
About United Online
United Online, Inc. (Nasdaq:UNTD), is the nation's leading provider of value-priced Internet services through its NetZero, Juno and BlueLight Internet consumer brands. The company's standard services are offered at less than half the standard prices of its major competitors and are available in more than 6,500 cities across the United States and in Canada. United Online is headquartered in Westlake Village, CA, with offices in New York City, San Francisco and Hyderabad, India. For more information about United Online and its Internet access services, please visit www.untd.com.