LOS ANGELES (May 28, 2009) – BlackTree TV, an online urban entertainment content provider and subsidiary of BlackTree Media, is quickly emerging as a bona fide player on the digital media scene. The Los Angeles-based entertainment website is now ranked among the top 25 most-viewed channels found on YouTube, with more than 175 million video views of BlackTree TV content (www.youtube.com/blacktreemedia). YouTube is the leading online video community that allows people to discover, watch and share originally created videos.
After several years of working to build the brand and develop the site’s offerings, the executive team at BlackTree couldn’t be more thrilled to reach this important milestone.
“We’re delighted that online viewers are really connecting with our content. The company has come a long way in a relatively short time and it’s just the beginning of our growth strategy,†said Jamaal Finkley, President of BlackTree Media. “2009 is a breakout year for BlackTree Media. In addition to business relationships with companies such as Google and YouTube, our content is available on mobile phones. Now, we’re working on forging new partnerships that will extend our reach online and across more new media platforms.â€
One such example is the site’s new partnership with technology company Vidiator to create the “Urban Stylez†channel on Sprint TV. Sprint customers looking for exclusive urban entertainment news and original programming can access this channel on select video-enabled Sprint cellular devices by clicking on the Sprint TV icon and finding BlackTree TV in the entertainment folder.
“BlackTree Media is quickly becoming an emerging player in the new media landscape,†said Connie Wong, Vidiator CEO. “Their unique and highly-targeted urban content combines with the Vidiator platform to enable high quality broadcasts to mobile phones. Vidiator is very happy to be the technology enabler for BlackTree and we look forward to their continued success,†added Wong.
BlackTree TV content ranges from coverage of celebrity parties, fashion events, award shows and red carpet events such as movie premieres, the BET Awards, MTV VMAs, American Music Awards, Academy Awards®, Grammy Awards, Fashion Week and others, to original programming such as popular series “Hobbies and Hustles,†which covers successful business ventures and careers that began as sidelines; “Monday Night Conversation,†featuring one-on-one interviews with today’s hottest celebrities discussing current events, their latest projects and all things pop culture; “Test Drive,†which takes a spin in the latest cars from high-end luxury to eco-friendly, giving a behind-the-wheel perspective on cool gadgets and features; and “Pure Logic,†a politically-charged, humorous take on the issues and topics of the day hosted by former news anchor Anthony McLemore.
BlackTree TV’s engaging, skillfully produced content and desirable traffic metrics have also generated attention from the advertising community. Marketers looking to gain visibility for their brands with Blacktree’s trendsetting, multicultural viewership have included companies such as Universal, General Motors, Land Rover, Sprint and The Weinstein Company.
About BlackTree Media
BlackTree Media is a leading distributor of online urban entertainment content and lifestyle information. In partnership with Google and YouTube, the BlackTree Broadcast Network (B2N) has branded BlackTree TV (www.blacktreetv.com). It is ranked among YouTube’s top 25 content channels and is featured on over 3,000 websites, including popular urban sites AllHipHop.com and XXLmag.com. BlackTree TV can also be found on the ‘Urban Stylez’ channel on the Sprint TV mobile phone network. BlackTree TV supplies advertisers with the ideal avenue for reaching multicultural consumers with an affinity for urban-oriented lifestyle, music, entertainment, products and information.
About Sprint TV
Sprint TV is included at no additional charge in Sprint’s Everything plans starting at $69.99, including Simply EverythingSM, which combines unlimited voice, messaging and extensive data services – such as Sprint TV – for just $99.99 per month. With other Sprint plans, customers can get Sprint TV by adding a Data Pack, starting at $15 per month and it can also be accessed with casual data charges on a per data byte basis. Sprint TV can only be accessed on Sprint video-enabled phones and is available on most Sprint handsets.
About Vidiator
Vidiator is changing the way people use mobile with technology that helps carriers and content providers deliver live and on-demand TV, music and 3G multimedia services and content to mobile devices. Vidiator is deployed in 20+ countries on four continents, with customers like AT&T, Sprint, NTT DoCoMo, “3,” Vodafone, PCCW and Alltel. Vidiator is headquartered in Bellevue, Washington, USA, with offices in England, China, Korea, Spain and Italy. For more information please visit www.vidiator.com.
About YouTube
YouTube is the leading online video community that allows people to discover, watch and share originally created videos. YouTube allows people to easily upload and share video clips on www.YouTube.com and across the Internet through websites, blogs, and e-mail.
