Autobytel's CarTV Served 45,000 Hours of Online Automotive Content in October
IRVINE, Calif.--Dec. 6, 2005--| User-Initiated Video Views up 2,278% Since January |
More and more online car shoppers are tuning in to CarTV to shape their buying decisions. The Internet broadcast division of Autobytel Inc. reports that it served over 293,047 hours of online video programming from January to October 2005 via the Autobytel network of auto consumer sites and other outlets. The amount of video served by the company has grown exponentially throughout the year, with a 2,278% increase in user-initiated video views since January 1st - and 45,000 hours of video served in October alone.
"With CarTV video views soaring and analysts forecasting that Internet video advertising spending will triple by 2007(1), we believe we're well ahead of the pack when it comes to one of the most important growth areas in online automotive marketing," said Autobytel Senior Vice President, Media & Marketing Services Michael Rosenberg. "Given that online video is such an appealing medium for auto marketers and shoppers, it's extremely gratifying to see CarTV take the industry lead in terms of developing technology, content and marketing platforms - and attracting users."
In a recent Autobytel survey, 81% of respondents said seeing a video vehicle review would impact their buying decision. And 71% said that they'd be more likely to visit an automotive site that provides enthusiast, racing, auto show, instructional and auto news video (all of which CarTV provides).
The rapid rise in CarTV video views has been largely driven by the company's expanded presence on the Autobytel network of auto consumer sites, where CarTV videos have been interwoven into the research and shopping process to provide a more engaging, dynamic and informative consumer experience. (For example, CarTV video vehicle reviews and crash tests are featured on corresponding make/model pages, as is other relevant CarTV programming - news clips, debut coverage, etc.) CarTV also provides the sites with original vehicle maintenance 'how-to' videos, auto show and event coverage, motorsports/car enthusiast content, and an original weekly automotive news program informing in-market shoppers about late-breaking debuts, trends and issues.
According to Rosenberg, CarTV has also grown its viewership through a strong search engine presence for automotive video seekers and a thriving web network (blogs, message boards, etc.) linking to CarTV-powered pages. CarTV's recent integration on iTunes, which lets video-enabled iPod users download free CarTV videos, contributed to the company's record-high video view numbers in October. "Our innovative products and exclusive content are why companies like ESPN, AOL and Viacom trust Autobytel to be their exclusive provider of their automotive channels," said Rosenberg.
CarTV recently expanded its video and audio production studio in Irvine to fulfill Autobytel's surging demand for online broadcast programming.
About Autobytel Inc.
Autobytel Inc. , a leading Internet automotive marketing services company, helps retailers sell cars and manufacturers build brands through marketing, advertising, data and CRM products and programs. It's estimated that every 7.4 seconds(2) an American car shopper requests a vehicle through Autobytel, which owns and operates the automotive websites Autobytel.com, Autoweb.com, Carsmart.com, Car.com, AutoSite.com, Autoahorros.com, and CarTV.com. This automotive research and buying network reaches millions of car shoppers each month as they make their vehicle buying decisions, generating billions of dollars in sales for dealers. A leader in dealership customer management and CRM solutions, Autobytel also owns and operates AVV, Inc., a top provider of dealership CRM and sales management products, and Retention Performance Marketing, Inc. (RPM(R)), which powers dealerships with cutting-edge customer loyalty and retention marketing programs. Autobytel's AIC (Automotive Information Center) has been a trusted industry source of automotive marketing data and technology for over 20 years. Autobytel Inc. is the only company to achieve top rankings for both its lead management and lead generation services among the nation's top-100 Internet dealers. http://www.autobytel.com
(1)eMarketer, 2005
(2)(Based on 2004 Autobytel Purchase Request data.)
