Sabo Launches 'Hitviews' Online Video Ad Company

New Idea

Veteran radio consultant WALTER SABO has launched a new company to bring brands and online video creators together, HITVIEWS. The company, backed by investors including MIRAMAX and THE WEINSTEIN COMPANY co-founder BOB WEINSTEIN, CENTENNIAL BROADCASTING CEO ALLEN SHAW, and former STANDARD RADIO owner GARY SLAIGHT, represents some of the most successful viral video "stars" and pairs them with clients who wish to reach audiences online. SABO is partnered with Australian video producer CAITLIN HILL (aka THEHILL88), who is serving as co-Founder and Chief Creative Officer. The company expects to have 100 creators under contract by the end of 2009.

Clients can purchase an "instant hit" (multiple videos by multiple online "stars" in one month) or "hit series" (one video per week), in three or six month packages. A charter client, READER'S DIGEST, received over 700,000 views of a video that drove viewers to the magazine's website. Another client, TIVO, got over 744,000 views and 9.600 positive reviews for two videos promoting the machine's new downloading capabilities.

"HITVIEWS makes it realistic for companies to go beyond traditional 'interruption advertising'. Now they can take the low-risk route of having stars integrate brand messages within entertaining web shows for very large but hard to reach audiences," said SABO.

"This can become the new studio system," said WEINSTEIN. "I am amazed by the talent of the HITVIEWS stars, who have proven over and over again that they can get millions of views with thousands of responses from their audiences."

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