Borders Inks Deal with Webcaster

Steven M. Zeitchik |

Dec 13, 1999

News
Borders Inks Deal with Webcaster Steven M. Zeitchik -- 12/13/99 In its latest effort to integrate the store and online experience, Borders.com has entered a partnership with digital startup Centerseat to create a new program that will transmit events to the Web. Borders Vision, as the program will be called, will offer full-motion video and audio for author interviews, musical performances and other in-store events. The events will be sent either as downloadable or streamed files from a co-branded site, as well as made available on the Centerseat site. Centerseat will shoot all events for Borders. In exchange, the bookseller will give Centerseat permission to air the events. "We went with an outside company because it presented itself and allowed us to move into a new area a lot quicker than if we would have built it by ourselves," Borders.com spokesperson Rich Fahle told PW. The program is scheduled to launch in the first quarter of next year. On its site, Centerseat, a New York startup, will not create a separate Borders channel but instead will distribute content to its existing channels, such as children's and sports. The company will have an affiliate relationship with Borders.com, selling books and other products and driving traffic back to Borders.com. Borders.com was quick to point out that decisions on which events will be aired will be made collaboratively. Publishers and bookstores have engaged in several efforts recently to deliver the in-store experience to customers' homes, with companies like Fatbrain and Bloomberg Press co-sponsoring an online signing.

News

Borders Inks Deal with Webcaster
Steven M. Zeitchik -- 12/13/99

In its latest effort to integrate the store and online experience, Borders.com has entered a partnership with digital startup Centerseat to create a new program that will transmit events to the Web.

Borders Vision, as the program will be called, will offer full-motion video and audio for author interviews, musical performances and other in-store events. The events will be sent either as downloadable or streamed files from a co-branded site, as well as made available on the Centerseat site. Centerseat will shoot all events for Borders. In exchange, the bookseller will give Centerseat permission to air the events.

"We went with an outside company because it presented itself and allowed us to move into a new area a lot quicker than if we would have built it by ourselves," Borders.com spokesperson Rich Fahle told PW. The program is scheduled to launch in the first quarter of next year.

On its site, Centerseat, a New York startup, will not create a separate Borders channel but instead will distribute content to its existing channels, such as children's and sports. The company will have an affiliate relationship with Borders.com, selling books and other products and driving traffic back to Borders.com. Borders.com was quick to point out that decisions on which events will be aired will be made collaboratively.

Publishers and bookstores have engaged in several efforts recently to deliver the in-store experience to customers' homes, with companies like Fatbrain and Bloomberg Press co-sponsoring an online signing.

A version of this article appeared in the 12/13/1999 issue of Publishers Weekly under the headline: