Reader’s Digest Association to Publish 50,000 Original Articles Online at HowStuffWorks.com

-- Global Publisher and Marketer in First Major Digital Licensing Agreement for DIY and Home and Garden Content --
-- Strategic Partnership Further Positions HowStuffWorks.com as the Pre-eminent Online Destination for High-Quality Content --


(Atlanta, Ga. and Pleasantville, N.Y.) HowStuffWorks.com (HSW), the Web site famous for its easy-to-understand explanations of how the world actually works, and The Reader’s Digest Association, Inc. (RDA) today announced a strategic partnership in which RDA will contribute 50,000 articles to the HSW Web site over five years. In RDA’s first large-scale digital partnership, HSW will be the exclusive English-language online publisher of these articles in many popular categories including home and garden, science and nature, lifestyle, and how-to reference content, such as sleeping better and reducing stress. Until now, this material has only been available in print.

HowStuffWorks.com’s quality content is highly ranked by the world’s leading search engines, attracting an audience of approximately 15 million unique users each month. The addition of the RDA articles to established categories within HSW will create unique and compelling opportunities for advertisers, who can now easily reach groups of engaged consumers interested in areas such as DIY and home and garden topics. This partnership also represents a new revenue stream for the RDA articles, which, now available in their online format, will be able to attract new advertisers.

“We are delighted to partner with HSW in our first major digital play based on our partner’s product mission, commitment to quality and unique formula for organizing reference information and serving consumers,” said Mary Berner, President and CEO of RDA. “RDA is committed to aggressively growing in the digital space including seeking new ways to leverage our content, and this partnership allows us to extend our content by introducing it to a new audience online.”

By adding RDA content, known worldwide for its combination of quality and personality, HSW is continuing to expand its portfolio of expert information and to enhance the user experience. Recently, HSW has contextually integrated thousands of engaging and relevant video clips drawn from Discovery Communications’ vast video library to provide information-seeking consumers with a rich, multimedia experience. Now, consumers will be able to read HSW and Reader’s Digest Association articles about everything from remodeling your kitchen to growing an organic garden to setting up a home wireless network, augmented with video clips from the Discovery family of networks.

“With its unrivaled reputation for publishing trusted and practical content, we are pleased to partner with the Reader’s Digest Association, tapping into this industry leader for its expertise in increasingly popular lifestyle categories,” said Jeff Arnold, CEO of HowStuffWorks.com. “The addition of RDA articles is an important step in rapidly deploying a broader wealth of quality information to consumers online and creating an even more attractive environment for additional publishing partners and advertisers.”