The Knot Teams With Columbia Pictures To Launch Wedding Movie

Business Wire, Dec 15, 2000

Business Editors/Entertainment & Interactive/Multimedia Writers

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec. 15, 2000

The Face of No. 1 Wedding Resource Gets Animated for

"The Wedding Planner"

With a three-book wedding-planning series under her belt and two magazines to her name, Carley Roney, editor-in-chief of The Knot, (www.theknot.com; AOL keyword: weddings), the nation's leading online wedding resource, has quickly become the most popular authority on modern weddings.

Now, Roney will extend that high-profile image into uncharted territory as a leading character in an animated series for "The Wedding Planner" website, an area that supports the upcoming release of Columbia Picture's new romantic comedy, "The Wedding Planner," starring Jennifer Lopez and Matthew McConaughey.

"The Wedding Planner" website is hosting an eight-week-long animated series featuring Carley. Every two weeks an animated Carley will introduce a new segment that details the assorted wedding planning dilemmas of one couple as they make their way from engagement to wedded bliss. Participants will be automatically entered into "The Wedding Planner" sweepstakes after voting on the outcome of each wedding predicament, from what to do when you don't like the engagement ring to dealing with an overzealous mother.

Users can enter "The Wedding Planner Sweepstakes" daily at www.theknot.com, www.sony.com/theweddingplanner and on AOL (Keyword: wedding planner). Prizes include a diamond ring from Diamond.com, digital camera from Ofoto (www.ofoto.com) and gift certificates from The Knot Registry -- the site's one-stop wedding shop with over 10,000 name-brand products. The grand prize, a luxurious all-inclusive trip for two to any Sandal's Resort, will be awarded at the conclusion of the promotion on February 15th. The sweepstakes started last night at 6:00p.m. EST.

"The Knot is thrilled to work with Columbia Pictures on a movie that tackles our area of expertise," said Roney. "`The Wedding Planner' is an absolute treat that today's brides and grooms will have fun watching."

"With `The Wedding Planner Sweepstakes' we are utilizing the Internet to drive excitement and interactivity amongst our target audience for the movie," said Dwight Caines, vice president of internet marketing strategy at Columbia Pictures. "The Knot is an ideal partner because of their enormous popularity and the valuable relationships they have created with contemporary brides and grooms. As the established wedding industry leader, they were the obvious choice."

"The Wedding Planner" movie will debut January 26th, 2001 at theaters nationwide.

About The Knot

The Knot (NASDAQ: KNOT) is the leading online wedding destination and the premier wedding content provider on America Online, located at www.theknot.com and at AOL keyword: weddings. Combining comprehensive content and an active online community with wedding-related commerce, the company's online sites provide extensive resources to help couples plan their wedding and future lives together as a couple.

Offline, The Knot offers a series of books with Random House's Broadway Books, a semiannual gown magazine called Wedding Gowns, and in conjunction with its affiliate Weddingpages, regional wedding magazines that reach over 50 U.S. markets. The Knot is based in New York and has several other offices across the country.

About Columbia Pictures

Columbia Pictures is a Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE) company. SPE is a division of Sony Corporation of America (SCA), a subsidiary of Tokyo-based Sony Corporation. SPE's global operations encompass motion picture production and distribution, television production and distribution, worldwide channel investments, home video acquisition and distribution, operation of studio facilities, development of new entertainment products, services and technologies, and distribution of filmed entertainment in 67 countries. Sony Pictures Entertainment can be found on the World Wide Web - http://www.spe.sony.com -.

This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any state or jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state or jurisdiction.

This release may contain forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. Among the important factors which could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements are (i) The Knot's unproven business model and limited operating history, (ii) The Knot's history of losses and expectation of significant losses for the foreseeable future, (iii) The Knot's lack of significant revenues and the risk that it may be unable to adjust spending quickly enough to offset any unexpected revenue shortfall, (iv) the significant fluctuation to which The Knot's quarterly revenues and operating results are subject, (v) The Knot's reliance on AOL, QVC and a limited number of online sponsors and advertisers, (vi) the seasonality of the wedding industry and (vi) other factors detailed in The Knot's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including its recent filings on Forms 10-K and 10-Q. Forward-looking statements in this release are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions contained in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995.