CNN Interactive Offering Streaming Banner Ads

In an effort to offer advertisers a experience more similar to television, CNN Web sites will soon offer video and audio spots on its Internet news networks. The trial is being promoted by Turner Broadcasting Sales, the marketing and advertising division of Turner Broadcasting Systems, a division of AOL/Time Warner.

CNN is partnering with EyeWonder and Bluestreak to introduce full-motion video and audio streaming in banner advertisements for clients on a trial basis. EyeWonder is providing the player-less delivery of video and audio to any java-enabled browser. Bluestreak is providing the technology to manage and measure the content in real-time.

The new multimedia banners will be available throughout CNN.com, CNNfn.com and CNNSI.com.

"We are always looking for ways to make a CNN advertiser's online adcampaign more effective," said Charles Theiss, senior vice president ofsales and operations for CNN Interactive.

MCI Worldcom, Mydiscountbroker.com and Volvo will each be running enhanced streaming banner ads throughout the CNN sites for the duration of the trial, which will begin in March and run until the middle of April.