RealNetworks and Meredith Interactive Announce Partnership to Bring Casual Games to Top Online Women's Destinations

RealNetworks and Meredith Interactive Announce Partnership to Bring Casual Games to Top Online Women's Destinations

Better Homes and Garden.com (BHG.com), Ladies' Home Journal.com (LHJ.com) and American Baby.com to Offer More Than 280 Games in New Game Section

SEATTLE, March 31 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- In yet another indication of women's growing interest in casual games, RealNetworks(R), Inc. (NASDAQ:RNWK) and Meredith Corporation (NYSE:MDP), publisher of such well-known titles as Better Homes and Gardens, Ladies' Home Journal and American Baby, announced today a jointly operated games area on some of the publishing firm's top internet properties. These games are currently available on the Meredith sites, which reach more than eight million unique visitors a month.

With more than 63 percent of American adults online, demand for fun, simple and safe entertainment is growing. Since 2002, games played online have increased 45 percent among women, who comprise 61 percent of active Internet users.*

"We are excited to deliver RealArcade's(R) outstanding games experience to our online readers," says Dave Kurns, Editor-in-Chief, Meredith Interactive. "This agreement enables us to continue to deliver the type of first-class, trusted content that our online readership has come to expect and represents another important step in creating fun, simple and safe destinations for online information and entertainment."

RealArcade provides an industry leading casual games experience that delivers simple access to a broad selection of fun online and downloadable games. These games are a perfect fit for the diverse group of readers who visit the Meredith sites for helpful, trend conscious information and entertainment.

In making the announcement, Julie Pitt, General Manager, Real Games Division said, "Meredith Corporation has long been a leader in publishing for women and families, and we are thrilled to provide their online readership a quality games experience through RealArcade. We are confident that through our combined efforts we will deliver a great entertainment break for grownups in a fun and simple way with games for every taste."

RealArcade and GamePass(R) are part of a family of consumer entertainment and information products and services RealNetworks offers. RealNetworks' subscription services have more than 1.55 million paid subscribers. By working with RealNetworks, online media partners can offer some of these products and services to their customers to enrich and expand their services. As the leading all-in-one Internet games service, RealArcade supports ad-based transaction and subscription business models.

For additional information, please visit American Baby.com, BHG.com, and Ladies Home Journal.com websites.

About Meredith Corporation

Meredith (www.meredith.com) is one of the nation's leading media and marketing companies with businesses centering on magazine and book publishing, television broadcasting, integrated marketing and interactive media. The Meredith Publishing Group, the country's foremost home and family authority, features 18 magazine brands including Better Homes and Gardens, Ladies' Home Journal and American Baby and approximately 150 special interest publications. Meredith owns or operates 14 television stations including properties in top- 25 markets such as Atlanta, Phoenix and Portland, and an AM radio station.

Meredith has approximately 350 books in print and has established marketing relationships with some of America's leading companies including The Home Depot, DIRECTV, DaimlerChrysler, Wal-Mart and Carnival Cruise Lines. Meredith's consumer database, which contains approximately 75 million names, is one of the largest domestic databases among media companies and enables magazine and television advertisers to target marketing campaigns precisely. Additionally, Meredith has an extensive Internet presence that includes 26 web sites and strategic alliances with leading Internet destinations.

About RealArcade

RealArcade offers consumers a fun, unique and compelling way to discover, acquire and play PC games in a single, easy to use environment. RealArcade provides play-before-you-pay access to over 280 of the best in downloadable games (titles such as Feeding Frenzy, Mah Jong Quest and Word Slinger), free online Web games and Palm games. RealArcade also recognizes and manages many retail CD titles and top shareware games, giving users a one-stop destination for any game on their PC. Features such as download and installation management, automatic systems requirements checking and integrated e-commerce make acquiring downloadable games a safe, easy and reliable experience for consumers. RealArcade is available for free at: http://www.realarcade.com/ .

About RealNetworks, Inc.

RealNetworks, Inc. is the leading creator of digital media services and software including the award-winning Rhapsody Internet jukebox service, RealArcade downloadable game service and RealPlayer 10. Consumers can access and experience audio/video programming and download RealNetworks' consumer software at http://www.real.com/ . Broadcasters, network operators, media companies and enterprises use RealNetworks' products and services to create and deliver digital media to PCs, mobile phones and consumer electronics devices. RealNetworks' systems and corporate information is located at http://www.realnetworks.com/ .

NOTE: RealNetworks and Rhapsody are trademarks or registered trademarks of RealNetworks, Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

* Pew Internet And The American Life Survey, December 2003

Source: RealNetworks, Inc.

CONTACT: Maureen Farley of RealNetworks, Inc., +1-206-892-6653 (o), or mfarley@real.com; or Amy Jantzen of SutherlandGold, +1-866-262-7373, ext. 104 (o), or amy@sutherlandgold.com, for RealNetworks, Inc.; or Patrick Taylor of Meredith Corporation, +1-212-551-6984, or Patrick.Taylor@Meredith.com

Web site: http://www.meredith.com/

Web site: http://www.realnetworks.com/

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