Focused on Growing New and Existing Audiences and Providing a Powerful Platform for Brand Marketers

•    Universal Pictures Sponsors New Movie Trailers Hub at Launch, with “Land of the Lost” Campaign
•    Fox Home Entertainment Offers Exclusive Video Content from Seth MacFarlane’s “Cavalcade of Cartoon Comedy” Blu-ray and DVD release

Palo Alto, CA – April 20, 2009 – Metacafe®, the world’s leading independent online video site, continues to advance its vision for transforming video sharing into entertainment for today’s multitasking, media-snacking consumer and a powerful marketing platform for the brand advertisers tasked with reaching them.  On the heels of 60% growth in viewership worldwide and in the U.S. from January 2008 to January 2009 , Metacafe is today introducing its first three premium entertainment hubs, which will be prominently featured in a new home page design.

By showcasing premium content in key entertainment categories – initially, Movie Trailers, Music Videos and Sports Highlights – Metacafe is making it easy for consumers to find and discover great videos that suit their tastes, preferences and mood of the moment, which also caters to brand marketers’ desire to associate with premium content and reach consumers in and around these entertainment categories.

“Metacafe has long been a leader in shaping the evolution of the online video industry, featuring the best in viral video, then incorporating the best in professional made-for-the-web entertainment and now adding the best in premium video,” said Erick Hachenburg, CEO of Metacafe.  “Unlike online TV destinations and video-sharing platforms, Metacafe is committed to presenting the full spectrum of content in a way that provides today’s consumers the choice they demand and enables advertisers to connect with them when and where they are immersed in the entertainment experience.”

The new Metacafe home page features a first-of-its-kind “billboard” ad unit with unmatched flexibility that empowers advertisers to communicate their message via a high-impact image, a custom Flash execution or an in-unit video player.  At launch, the Metacafe home page is sold exclusively to Universal Pictures, promoting the upcoming Will Ferrell adventure-comedy Land of the Lost, which opens in theaters on June 5, 2009.  This is the first campaign of a multi-picture Universal Pictures’ sponsorship of the new Metacafe Movie Trailers hub.

“Today’s consumer spends a significant amount of time online, enjoying and seeking information about entertainment,” said Megan Crowell, Associate Media Director for Ignited, a leading interactive marketing agency.  “This makes online video an environment ripe for marketers, and Metacafe has a consistent track record of innovation that makes the site especially effective in helping consumers connect with the content they crave and ensuring advertisers connect with their target consumers in a meaningful way.”

The three new premium entertainment hubs, the first of several to come over the course of 2009, are:
•    Movie Trailers, featuring HD – showcasing theatrical and home video releases from every major Hollywood studio and including HD capability;
•    Music Videos – featuring top artists and up-and-coming acts in Pop, Rock, R&B, Hip Hop, Country and Latin; and
•    Sports Highlights – featuring non-stop action from the NBA, Fox Sports and Fuel TV.

Each hub will be promoted across the Metacafe site, ensuring consumers can easily find the premium entertainment content they’re looking for and providing brand extension opportunities for hub sponsors.  Additional content partners will be integrated into these hubs in the coming weeks and months, and additional hubs including TV Clips and Video Game Trailers will be launching over the course of 2009.

Timed to Metacafe’s launch on April 20, in conjunction with a little-known holiday on that same date, Fox Home Entertainment is making available, exclusively to Metacafe viewers, a never-before-released uncensored clip from the Seth MacFarlane’s Cavalcade of Cartoon Comedy Blu-ray and DVD, available on May 12.  The video kicks off the home entertainment campaign on a high note.

“Prominent exposure on a top video entertainment site like Metacafe is a great way to drive increased awareness of and demand for our content, especially something like Seth MacFarlane’s Cavalcade of Cartoon Comedy, which already has a loyal fan base online,” said Mark Levien, Executive Director of Digital Marketing for Fox Home Entertainment. “Our strategy was to release this uncensored clip prior to the DVD street date and generate significant buzz on 4/20 – a significant date for our targeted demo – and Metacafe’s launch timing aligned perfectly.”

About Metacafe® – Entertainment That Connects
Metacafe® is the world’s leading independent online video site.  We connect consumers with the entertainment content they love and brand advertisers with the consumers they serve.  The company is teaming with content creators including top movie studios, music labels, professional sports leagues, television networks and best-of-the-web production firms to deliver an exceptional entertainment experience to its more than 46 million unique monthly viewers, 11 million of them in the U.S. .  The privately held company is headquartered in Palo Alto, CA, and has offices in New York City, Los Angeles, London and Tel Aviv.  For more information – and millions of entertaining videos – visit www.metacafe.com.

Media Contact
Michelle Cox:  michelle@metacafe.com  / 415-823-7574