Yahoo! and Mark Burnett Productions Announce Multi-Program Alliance; ``The Apprentice'' Says `You're Hired' To Internet's Leading Entertainment Destination

Business Wire, Sept 9, 2004

SUNNYVALE, Calif. & HOLLYWOOD, Calif. -- Leading Branded Content Including Exclusive Video, Play-by-Play Commentary, In-Depth Strategies, "You're Fired" Audibles and More Premieres Exclusively On Yahoo!

Yahoo! Inc. (Nasdaq:YHOO), a leading global Internet company, and Mark Burnett Productions, the industry's most successful producer of reality television programming, today announced a multiple program content relationship in which Yahoo! will produce, host and sell advertising for the official website for the second and third season of "The Apprentice", as well as integrate exclusive "Apprentice" content throughout the Yahoo! network. Additional reality programs on which Yahoo! and Mark Burnett Productions are expected to collaborate will also be announced in the near future.

"The Apprentice" official website goes live today at http://apprentice.yahoo.com, through Yahoo! TV (http://tv.yahoo.com), or through the SBC Yahoo! DSL front page, and will be operational throughout the show's four-month run.

"We chose to work with Yahoo! because of its tremendous reach on the Internet, as well as its ability to develop a comprehensive and entertaining user experience," said Mark Burnett. "The fans of 'The Apprentice' are very devoted to the program and can now enjoy a deeper relationship with our program and its contents by going online to Yahoo!."

Each week, "The Apprentice" website will feature up to 40 minutes of exclusive video footage from each episode specially edited for the online audience and not seen on TV, such as additional task footage, taxi confessionals and boardroom drama. In addition, Sam Solovey, famously ousted from the first season of "The Apprentice" will write an exclusive weekly column with play-by-play commentary. Users will also be able to download a themed "Apprentice" IMVironment background in Yahoo! Messenger, as well as use a verbally animated "You're Fired" Audible to taunt their friends while instant messaging. Other site features include an inside tour of the candidates' residence, extensive photo galleries, bios, episode recaps, task overviews and team stats and strategy.

"This relationship with Mark Burnett Productions helps further Yahoo!'s commitment to provide the next generation of original and compelling broadband content for our consumers," said Jim Moloshok, senior vice president of entertainment and content acquisition. "At the same time, advertisers will have the opportunity to reach a large, engaged audience within an extremely attractive demographic."

Yahoo!'s advertising inventory for the site, which includes sponsorship, broadband video ads, and banner ads, is proving popular with brand advertisers wanting to take advantage of Yahoo!'s reach with the 18-49 year-old online audience attracted to "The Apprentice".

As the season progresses Yahoo! will add additional elements to the official "Apprentice" site and throughout the Yahoo! network. Integration of "The Apprentice" content will ultimately span six Yahoo! destinations reaching more than 60 million unique users per month(a), via Yahoo! TV, Yahoo! Messenger, Yahoo! HotJobs, Yahoo! Search, Yahoo! Finance, and LAUNCH, Music on Yahoo!.

Previously, Yahoo! and Mark Burnett Productions announced a relationship to promote "The Apprentice" on Yahoo! HotJobs to encourage show viewership and drive contestant applications.

About "The Apprentice"

During its first season (January 8-April 15, 2004), "The Apprentice" was the #1 new show of the television season among total viewers and among adults 18-49. An average of 20.7 million people watched each week and 40.1 million watched all or some of the finale. Excluding a single run of a reality series (the first "Joe Millionaire"), "The Apprentice" is the top-rated new series on any network in five years in adults 18-49. It was also NBC's #1 series of the season and NBC's #1 new series in five years. "The Apprentice" is tied with NBC's "The West Wing" as primetime's most upscale program.

"The Apprentice" is produced by Mark Burnett Productions in association with Trump Productions LLC. Mark Burnett, Donald Trump and Jay Bienstock are executive producers. Conrad Riggs, who brokered the deal with Yahoo!, and Kevin Harris are co-executive producers.

About Yahoo!

Yahoo! Inc. is a leading provider of comprehensive online products and services to consumers and businesses worldwide. Yahoo! is the No. 1 Internet brand globally and the most trafficked Internet destination worldwide. Headquartered in Sunnyvale, Calif., Yahoo!'s global network includes 25 worldwide properties and is available in 13 languages.

(a) Nielsen//NetRatings, July 2004