Rentrak Inks Audience Measurement Deal With NBC Universal

PORTLAND, Ore. (Map) - PORTLAND, Ore., Jan. 6 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Rentrak Corporation (Nasdaq: RENT) today announced a multi-year agreement with NBC Universal (NBCU) to use Rentrak's Mobile Essentials(TM) service which has been in trial with NBCU Mobile since early 2008. The Mobile Essentials tool will allow NBCU Mobile access to timely data to continue to enhance NBCU's market leading performance.

Rentrak's Mobile Essentials system is a first of its kind comprehensive suite of tools that analyzes trends and quickly tracks massive amounts of data in hard-to-aggregate formats such as video clips, SMS messaging, ring tones, video games, wall paper, and other mobile content in order to provide programmers, advertisers, operators and carriers immediate answers to questions that have traditionally required fielding extensive market research and consumer panel studies.

"Rentrak's Mobile Essentials service provides NBCU Mobile the unique opportunity to be the first in the industry with the ability to view and analyze their anonymous mobile data for the consumption of video and other downloads, text messaging, games, and more, all in one comprehensive application," said Ken Papagan, president and chief strategy officer at Rentrak Corporation. "Mobile handsets are the only video devices that are completely unique to each user and Mobile Essentials provides a major industry breakthrough by enabling longitudinal analytics of individual mobile viewing patterns that can also be used to drive viewers back to the TV screen as well."

"The Mobile Essentials tool gives NBC Universal access to timely usage data across video, mobile web, messaging, and downloads," said Salil Dalvi, Senior Vice President, Mobile Platform Development, NBC Universal. "The service makes it simple and practical for us to make data-driven decisions."

As the demand increases for more granular data to improve the effectiveness of advertising, Rentrak's Mobile Essentials system is taking the industry one step closer to providing accurate and timely multi-screen measurement. In addition to the Mobile Essentials system, Rentrak processes on demand television data representing more than 54 million set top boxes and processes detailed linear television data through its TV Essentials(TM) service from several million set top boxes.

Glen Friedman, President and Founder Ideas & Solutions, a media and technology consulting firm, represented Rentrak in securing the agreement.

About Mobile Essentials(TM)

Mobile Essentials leverages Rentrak's software and transaction processing power for use with an array of mobile devices and carrier services. Mobile Essentials has the power to track tens of millions of transaction records from data carriers and any consumer mobile device in order to provide measurement services for ring tones, video clips, video games, wall paper, music videos and music downloads.

About Rentrak Corporation

Rentrak Corporation, based in Portland, Oregon, is an information management company serving clients in the media, entertainment, retail, and advertising industries. The company's Entertainment Essentials(TM) suite of services is redefining media measurement in the digital broadband era. Entertainment Essentials provides customers with near-real-time, actionable insight into performance of content distributed over a wide variety of modern media technologies. Available by license or subscription, each Entertainment Essentials application allows executives to analyze detailed industry-wide and title-specific data to make decisions that enhance the bottom line and provide competitive advantage. For further information, please visit Rentrak's corporate Web site at http://www.rentrak.com.