NSYNC and AOL Music Announce Broad Strategic Alliance; AOL Members and Web Music Fans Gain Unprecedented Access to Unique Music Programming and Exclusive Content Including Advance Ticket Sales to NSYNC's Upcoming 'Celebrity' Tour; NSYNC and AOL to Enga

Business Wire, Jan 23, 2002

Business Editors/Hi-Tech Writers

NEW YORK & DULLES, Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 23, 2002

America Online, Inc., the world's leading interactive service company, and *NSYNC, one of the world's most popular music groups, today announced a broad strategic alliance that will bring an array of content and exclusive benefits to AOL members and Web music fans worldwide, while providing unique cross-promotional and marketing opportunities for both the band and the online service. Advance ticket sales to *NSYNC's upcoming "Celebrity" Tour, also announced today, will be made available to AOL members as part of this agreement.

This alliance will bring *NSYNC offerings to the AOL family of brands, including the flagship AOL service and AOL's Web Properties. AOL members and Web music fans will gain exclusive and advance access to a rich array of *NSYNC content through AOL Keyword: *NSYNC, AOL Keyword: Music on the AOL service and High-Speed Broadband, and throughout the music sites of AOL's Web Properties including Netscape, AIM, ICQ and CompuServe. Original programming from AOL music ranges from listening parties, song lyrics, and videos to "behind-the-scenes" clips, video production, band tours, online radio and much more.

*NSYNC's JC Chasez said, "To be working with AOL provides a great opportunity to build a stronger connection to our fans around the world. There are so many amazing opportunities ahead of us, and together with AOL, we are bringing more of this excitement to our fans with online chats, concert tickets and previews of music and videos."

"We are thrilled to be partnering with *NSYNC - a band that has proven itself with worldwide super-stardom. Music has become an increasingly important part of the online experience, as millions of consumers now regularly discover, listen to, and buy music online," said Kevin Conroy, SVP and General Manager of AOL Music. "Through this innovative deal, AOL Music will provide consumers with easy access to more of the best music content available anywhere in the world. This is another example of how music is redefining the interactive experience, and how the interactive experience is redefining music."

"This history making partnership brings together two giants in their respective businesses. *NSYNC has always been committed to bringing things to their fans in an eventful way. Through this ground breaking relationship, our fans have the opportunity to feel closer to the guys and more involved in the *NSYNC experience," said Johnny Wright of Wright Entertainment Group, *NSYNC's Manager.

This relationship will offer members of the world's largest online community advance ticket sales for the band's "Celebrity" Tour scheduled to visit more than 30 cities in North America, beginning on March 3, 2002. Members will be able to find information and purchase the presale tickets at AOL Box Office (AOL Keyword: Box Office). AOL and *NSYNC will also work together to provide members access to pre-ordering of upcoming albums, and unique opportunities to participate in online sweepstakes. Exclusive content from *NSYNC such as online chats, photo galleries, interviews and a regularly updated diary chronicling the group's tour will also be available to AOL members.

*NSYNC and AOL Music will partner to develop customized offerings to be featured across the AOL Service and Web Properties, including an exclusive *NSYNC Celebrity DJ station on Radio@AOL, the official *NSYNC skin for the popular Winamp player and a downloadable *NSYNC screensaver. Additionally, *NSYNC will record AOL's trademark greetings including "Welcome" and "You've Got Mail" in English, French, Spanish, Japanese, Chinese, Portuguese, and German and AOL will make these available to its members worldwide.

AOL and *NSYNC will also engage in a wide range of online and offline cross-promotional and marketing initiatives. AOL Music will have the option to develop and sell co-branded sponsorship packages featuring unique *NSYNC programming and content offerings. America Online will be promoted as the preferred way to access the official *NSYNC site (http://www.nsync.com/) and other interactive content from the band. The official *NSYNC Web site will include information about America Online and the ability to download AOL software and popular AOL services like AOL Instant Messenger. AOL software may also be included in *NSYNC merchandise sold on CD-ROM, including music and other collectibles, available at retailers.

This marketing partnership was facilitated for *NSYNC by AXCESS, a marketing and business advisory firm, based in Atlanta, GA and San Diego, CA, specializing in corporate partnerships, brand management and cause-related marketing.

About *NSYNC

*NSYNC, one of the biggest bands in the world, has sold over 30 million albums since their debut in 1997. NSYNC.com receives an average of 25 million hits a month and received the American Music Award's Internet Fan Award. With numerous awards won from MTV, American Music Awards, Billboard Music Awards, People's Choice, Teens Choice, and seven Grammy nominations since there debut, *NSYNC continues to set new tour attendance records and continues to raise the bar of pop superstardom.