CDNOW: TIME IS ON ITS SIDE

Troubled music e-tailer CDNow has signed a marketing agreement with Time Inc, making Time the premier publishing company promoted on the site. CDNow will promote free trial subscription offers of Entertainment Weekly, People and Sports Illustrated, receiving a percentage of revenues generated from paid subscriptions.

CDNow, which recently said that they might maybe possibly merge or be bought out by someone by June 30, will receive advertising exposure on Time properties, including banner ads on Time sites, links from Time sites to CDNow, direct mailings and e-mails. The agreement may be expanded to other Time magazines later this year.

"We are pleased to be working with Time Inc., a leading magazine publisher," said Steve Bobowski, Senior Vice President of Marketing at CDNow, explaining what Time actually is for those who thought they made watches or something. "The relationship is indicative of the growing value of CDNow's brand to marketers and customers alike. This transaction, and others like it, will positively impact our gross margins and be instrumental in our plans to achieve profitability by the end of 2002. Now can I put you down for a year of People or Entertainment Weekly?"