WavePhore Forms Marketing Agreement With CompUSA

WavePhore Inc., the content delivery service for home PC users via its WaveTop TV tuner technology, formed a joint marketing and promotional agreement with CompUSA.

WaveTop will provide CompUSA with its own branded storefront channel on WaveTop’s national data broadcasting service for home PC users. In addition, WaveTop will conduct a variety of in-store promotions and advertising initiatives in conjunction with CompUSA’s 157 superstores across the U.S.

Spending was not disclosed.

“This joint promotions agreement with CompUSA is part of a major advertising and marketing program in the second half of 1998,” said David E. Deeds, chairman, president and CEO of WavePhore. “We want to spread the good news to consumers that there is now a fast, free and easy-to-use medium for accessing the Best of the Net without dialing up the Internet. As the leading retailer of PC technology in the country, CompUSA will be a powerful ally in this campaign.”

WaveTop said its ad-supported data broadcast service is now being broadcast to most homes across the United States. It will reach more than 99% of U.S. households by year’s end. WaveTop delivers content from dozens of Web sites by embedding data streams into the unseen portion of the existing broadcast television signals of 264 PBS stations nationwide.

Consumers need a free copy of WaveTop software and a PC enabled with a WaveTop compatible TV tuner board. WaveTop will be included in Windows 98 when it becomes available, the company said.

Phoenix, AZ-based WaveTop will broadcast content from the CompUSA Web site, which will be the source for continually updated information including specials and promotions. Consumers will be able to see an offer and easily link to the Internet to place an online order.

Also as part of the agreement, WaveTop will conduct a mix of in-store promotions and participate in CompUSA advertising. In-store promotions will include WaveTop demonstrations, as well as point-of-sale and shelf displays near TV tuner boards that bundle WaveTop’s free software.