NTRT Netratings (MM)

Top TV Search Terms Demonstrate the Convergence of Television and the Web NEW YORK, April 24 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Nielsen//NetRatings (NASDAQ:NTRT), a global leader in Internet media and market research, today announced that year over year, searches on Google and Yahoo! grew 41 percent and 47 percent, respectively, outpacing the overall search growth rate of 36 percent (see Table 1). Google's searches increased from 2.1 billion in March 2005 to 2.9 billion in March 2006, while in the same time period Yahoo's searches increased from 907.8 million to 1.3 billion. The No. 3 search provider, MSN, saw a 9 percent year-over-year growth in searches, from 592.2 million to 643.8 million. Table 1: Search Growth among Top Search Providers (U.S.) ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Provider Mar-05 Searches (000) Mar-06 Searches (000) YOY Percent Change ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Google Search 2,057,897 2,900,375 41% ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Yahoo! Search 907,751 1,330,183 47% ----------------------------------------------------------------------- MSN Search 592,153 643,803 9% ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Nielsen//NetRatings MegaView Search, April 2006 In March, Google and Yahoo! also gained search market share, increasing two percentage points and one percentage point year over year, respectively (see Table 2). Google now accounts for 49 percent of all searches, Yahoo! 22 percent. MSN's share dropped slightly, from 14 to 11 percent. "As the recognized leaders in the search market, Google and Yahoo! continue to gain ground as new features, such as instant search suggestions and video search, heighten loyalty among their users," said Michael Lanz, vice president, search industry solutions, Nielsen//NetRatings. "To compete, other search providers must be equally innovative and build consumer trust in their search results," he continued. Table 2: Search Share among Top Search Providers (U.S.) ------------------------------------------------------------------ Provider Mar-05 Search Share Mar-06 Search Share YOY Change (Percentage Points) ------------------------------------------------------------------ Google Search 47% 49% 2% ------------------------------------------------------------------ Yahoo! Search 21% 22% 1% ------------------------------------------------------------------ MSN Search 14% 11% -3% ------------------------------------------------------------------ Nielsen//NetRatings MegaView Search, April 2006 Search: The Web-TV Portal Buzz is increasing about the Internet-television connection, with online offerings of popular TV shows from ABC, CBS and other distributors, and the replacement of family television sets by so-called "media centers," which are run by personal computers and allow consumers to access digital entertainment, including Web content and television shows, from the same device. Among top television search terms in March, "American Idol" topped the list, followed by "Days of Our Lives," and "Deal or No Deal." "American Idol" takes advantage of the Web to actively engage its audience, allowing them to vote for their favorite performers online. "Days of Our Lives" relies on its viewers' thirst for details about the comings and goings of their favorite characters. And "Deal or No Deal" offers an online contest in which players can win cash by sending a text message via cell phone. "We see increasing convergence between people's consumption of television media and their search for related content online," said Lanz. "Television networks are beginning to capitalize on cross-channel advertising, using the Web not only as a new source of revenue, but also as a way for consumers to connect with the programming on a deeper, more interactive level." Table: 3 Top TV Search Terms (U.S.) ------------------------------------------------------ TV Search Term Rank Searches (000) ------------------------------------------------------ American Idol 1 4,261 ------------------------------------------------------ Days of Our Lives 2 1,258 ------------------------------------------------------ Deal or No Deal 3 1,137 ------------------------------------------------------ Lost 4 418 ------------------------------------------------------ Wheel of Fortune 5 408 ------------------------------------------------------ 24 6 312 ------------------------------------------------------ 24 spoilers 7 310 ------------------------------------------------------ Who Wants to be a Millionaire 8 281 ------------------------------------------------------ Survivor 9 268 ------------------------------------------------------ South Park 10 216 ------------------------------------------------------ Nielsen//NetRatings MegaView Search, April 2006 About Nielsen//NetRatings NetRatings, Inc. delivers leading Internet media and market research solutions, marketed globally under the Nielsen//NetRatings brand. With high quality, technology-driven products and services, Nielsen//NetRatings is the global standard for Internet audience measurement and premier source for online advertising intelligence, enabling clients to make informed business decisions regarding their Internet and digital strategies. The Nielsen//NetRatings portfolio includes panel-based and site-centric Internet audience measurement services, online advertising intelligence, user lifestyle and demographic data, e-commerce and transaction metrics, and custom data, research and analysis. For more information, please visit http://www.nielsen-netratings.com/. Contacts: Suzy Bausch, +1-408-941-2965, or Leilani Han, +1-408-941-2930, both of NetRatings, Inc. DATASOURCE: Nielsen//NetRatings CONTACT: Suzy Bausch, +1-408-941-2965, or Leilani Han, +1-408-941-2930, both of NetRatings, Inc. Web site: http://www.netratings.com/

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