Chevrolet Inks Deal To Sponsor "The Biz" -- A New Reality Show Produced By AOL and Warner Music Group
Meet First 50 Hopefuls Online Starting Next Week
New York, NY (September 1, 2005) - AOL and Chevrolet have inked a sponsorship deal for the "The Biz," a new reality series searching for the next music mogul produced by AOL® Music and Warner Music Group, as part of Chevy's promotion of its all-new 2006 Chevrolet HHR.
Chevrolet's sponsorship launches on "The Biz" (http://www.thebiz.com) next week with the introduction of the first 50 prospects* - of the thousands who applied - with personal photos, bios, statements and more. The top 20 contestants will be revealed when the interactive competition kicks off on September 15. Each episode will be available on demand.
Through the Chevy sponsorship, which will last from August 1, 2005 to November 30, 2005, Chevy will receive prominent brand placement wherever "The Biz" is promoted across the AOL® service, the AOL.com® portal, the AOL® Instant Messenger(tm) service and AOL's leading entertainment web properties, including http://www.aolmusic.com and the AOL® Radio Network. With its unique styling, the HHR is built to appeal to consumers on the cutting edge - a perfect fit for the audience of AOL's innovative original online programming. This deal comes on the heels of Chevy's recent sponsorship of AOL Music's intimate, in-studio performance show, AOL Music Sessions, announced in May.
"The Biz," is a co-production of AOL Music and Warner Music Group with executive producers Lyor Cohen, Chairman and CEO of U.S. Recorded Music for Warner Music Group, and Kevin Conroy, Executive Vice President of the AOL Media Network, in conjunction with critically acclaimed Stick Figure Productions. Contestants from around the country will test their music industry savvy, vying for a position as president of a newly created WMG record label. An interactive online competition between the Top 10 finalists set to take place in New York City this fall will air online and be promoted to AOL's audience of more than 100 million monthly visitors**.
AOL Music (http://www.aolmusic.com) is the leading online destination for music, reaching more than 26 million music fans a month** through a rich array of programming, products and services that make it easy to discover, experience, listen to and buy music online.
About Chevrolet
Chevrolet is a division of General Motors Corp. (NYSE: GM). GM, the world's largest automaker, has been the global industry sales leader since 1931. Founded in 1908, GM today employs about 324,000 people around the world. It has manufacturing operations in 32 countries and its vehicles are sold in 200 countries. In 2004, GM sold nearly 9 million cars and trucks globally, up 4 percent and the second-highest total in the company's history. GM's global headquarters are at the GM Renaissance Center in Detroit. More information on GM can be found at http://www.gm.com.
About Stick Figure Productions
Stick Figure Productions is a New York based film and television production company who have made projects with HBO, UPN, PBS, Cinemax, IFC, VH1, AMC, Bravo, and Showtime. Their projects have played at numerous film festivals, and been nominated for Emmy and Academy Awards. They recently created and executive produced "Family Bonds," a critically-acclaimed real-life series for HBO's Sunday night lineup. They also executive produced "Amish In the City," a reality series for UPN which drew some of the network's highest ratings ever.
About Warner Music Group
Warner Music Group, with its broad roster of new stars and legendary artists, is one of the world's major music companies. The company is home to a collection of some of the best-known record labels in the music industry including Atlantic, Bad Boy, Elektra, Lava, Maverick, Nonesuch, Reprise, Rhino, Sire, Warner Bros. and Word. Warner Music International, a leading company in national and international repertoire operates through 37 affiliates and numerous licensees in more than 50 countries. Warner Music Group also includes Warner/Chappell Music, a global music publisher, with a catalog of more than one million copyrights worldwide.
About America Online, Inc.
America Online, Inc. is a wholly owned subsidiary of Time Warner Inc. Based in Dulles, Virginia, America Online is the world's leader in interactive services, Web brands, Internet technologies and e-commerce services.
* applicants must be over age 18 to be considered for the program
** ComScore Media Metrix, July 2005