WWE Works With Microsoft To Energize Online Content

World
Wrestling Entertainment is working with Microsoft Corp. to develop a new,
cutting edge interactive video experience at WWE.com based on the Microsoft Silverlight
cross-browser, cross-platform interactive plug-in. WWE will make this
interactive video player the primary front-end tool for delivering all
streaming video, as well as providing a rich and compelling “web 2.0”
experience to the WWE fan nation. WWE.com currently attracts more than 20
million unique visitors and streams more than 40 million videos each month.

“We are
very excited that WWE.com will be utilizing Microsoft Silverlight to deliver
the type of interactive, media-intensive and high-quality experiences that its
dedicated and fervent fan base demands,” said Brian Goldfarb, group product
manager in the UX Platform and Tools team at Microsoft. “The support of an
established brand such as WWE is proof that Silverlight is fast becoming a new standard
in delivering media online.”

In
September, Microsoft will publicly release Silverlight 1.0, a web plug-in that
allows for the development of world class, interactive and cutting edge user
experiences. With Silverlight as its backbone, WWE will develop a one-of-a-kind
experience that will provide fans with the rich and compelling interface they
deserve, while at the same time providing advertisers with new and innovative
methods by which to reach the loyal and dedicated WWE customer base.

“Using the
Silverlight tool kit we have been able to take advantage of tremendous creative
flexibility and create a compelling user environment that our previous video
product had only begun to offer,” said Ross Angert, WWE.com Creative Director. “We
plan to continue to use these new tools to extend the WWE brand and the
consumption of our unique and amazing content.”

WWE.com
will use the Silverlight technology as the primary video display and
interactive experience. Currently, WWE.com offers more than 14,000 individual
video clips, including original online shows, highlights from weekly WWE
programming and classic moments in WWE’s long and legendary history.

“The
flexibility and ease-of-use of Silverlight will allow WWE to deliver its online
video content within a more compelling and interactive experience, to the
millions of WWE.com visitors each month,” said Jonathan Zerden, WWE Vice
President, Interactive Technologies. “We are committed to using cutting-edge
technology to create the most immersive online experience we can. Working with
an established organization such as Microsoft, we are confident that this new
method of delivering video will only improve upon the experience our fans
already enjoy at WWE.com.”