Borders® Signs Exclusive Agreement with Ripple to Bring Original Programming to Shoppers through New In-Store TV Network

‘Borders® TV’ Enhances Customer Experience and Aligns with Borders’ Cross-Channel Retail Strategy While Expanding Ripple’s Network Nationwide

ANN ARBOR, Mich. and EL SEGUNDO, Calif.– Borders has signed an agreement with Ripple to launch an in-store television network called “Borders® TV” in the retailer’s superstores nationwide. Borders, a global retailer of books, music and movies, is teaming with Ripple, an interactive network of screens located in community gathering places to inform and entertain consumers, in a unique collaboration to feature Borders’ exclusive, original video content—until now only available on the Web—in conjunction with Ripple’s geographically targeted lifestyle content. Through this new, cohesive offering, Borders will unite its online and bricks-and-mortar store experiences and cultivate deeper relationships with the communities it serves.

Under the new agreement, tens of millions of Borders customers in 15 of the country’s largest markets, including New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, Dallas, San Francisco, Houston, Phoenix and the Washington, D.C. area, will have access to compelling, original content from Borders and Ripple. Borders’ exclusive programming includes “Borders Live at 01” and “Borders Presents,” which feature performances by artists such as Joss Stone, Patty Griffin and Gomez, as well as interviews with some of today’s biggest names including former President Bill Clinton, director Wes Anderson and authors such as Anne Lamott and Calvin Trillin.

Original programming also includes the “Borders Book Club,” which offers lively and in-depth group discussions with noted authors such as Elizabeth Gilbert, Khaled Hosseini, Mitch Albom, and Jodi Picoult; the popular self-help series, “Advice for Living with Mel Robbins,” where luminaries such as Donald Trump, Mandy Moore and Bill Cosby share their candid, no-nonsense advice for getting the most out of life; and the “Borders Kitchen,” featuring cooking demonstrations by some of the world’s most renowned culinary experts, including Nigella Lawson and Lidia Bastianich. Through Ripple’s technology, screens at each Borders store location will be customized with geographically and demographically tailored news, entertainment, weather and community information in real time on large-panel, high-definition displays.

Each participating Borders store will have two Ripple screens with both visual and audio content, strategically placed in the multimedia and periodical sections, and will feature news feeds from Reuters, Yahoo! and E! Entertainment, new and bestselling DVDs and CDs, local event calendar listings, and national headlines. With the addition of “Borders® TV,” the Ripple network will establish a national presence, reaching millions of consumers each month in thousands of community gathering places across the country.

“Borders® TV” is currently being installed in approximately 60 Borders stores, and will continue to roll-out in 250 stores by February, 2008.

“Working with Ripple is another way that Borders will differentiate our stores and help fulfill our cross-channel strategy, which marries the best of the Web with the great experience of shopping in our stores,” said Michael Tam, Borders’ senior vice president and chief marketing officer. “The high quality programming Borders produces is first rate,” he said. “We absolutely had to find a way to bring this fine programming to customers in our stores to enrich the total shopping experience.”

According to Myles Romero, vice president of strategic marketing and entertainment alliances for Borders, “Ripple’s innovative network allows us to customize by location and provide topically relevant content to our customers, strengthening our ties to the community.”

“From the start, we’ve been selective and strategic in working with well-respected and successful companies like Borders,” said Alex Nocifera, founder and president of sales and distribution for Ripple. “We think there’s a significant upside for a leading book retailer like Borders to leverage our network to enhance their shopping experience. Through this agreement, we not only have the opportunity to expand our network nationally, but it also allows us to achieve our goal of informing, entertaining and connecting people to their communities with relevant, localized content.”