Gemstar-TV Guide International has expanded its portfolio of TV-related Web sites to gain more forums that might attract advertising dollars.
The sites the company just purchased are: TVShowsOnDVD.com, TV-now.com, and FansofRealityTV.com, as well as certain assets of eVoke TV.
That last operation was a blog that had a personal TV line-up feature. The blog had been idled for a few months due to a lack of operating funds. Gemstar-TV Guide began to see value in Web sites with built-in demographically-defined audiences when it acquired JumptheShark.com last June. The company said it will introduce a redesign of that site on February 28.
As of December 31 2006, TVGuide.com said it had 3.6 million monthly unique users, as measured by Nielsen Net Ratings. The combined acquired sites, including Jump the Shark, had approximately one million unique users. The traffic, of course, translates directly into advertising opportunities.
Rich Cusick, senior vice president and general manager of Digital Media for Gemstar-TV Guide, said, “We will work closely with the sites’ founders to provide new services to their existing communities, such as listings and entertainment news that will also lead to audience growth.”
