NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC AND AMERICA ONLINE SIGN MULTI-YEAR CROSS PROMOTIONAL AGREEMENT

Nationalgeographic.com’s Award-Winning Content and E-commerce Offerings to be Featured Across America Online

(Washington, D.C., October 29, 2001) - National Geographic today announced a multi-year cross promotional agreement with America Online that will distribute and integrate Nationalgeographic.com’s popular and award-winning content to more than 33 million AOL and Netscape users and will promote America Online in National Geographic’s popular magazine titles.

Under the agreement, National Geographic will have a major presence across the AOL service, appearing in several channels including Research and Learn, Travel, News, and Kids Only. Nationalgeographic.com’s content will also be showcased on Netscape’s Research and Learn, and Travel channels. With this agreement, Nationalgeographic.com will deliver adventure and exploration to new audiences through interactive content in the areas of travel, photography, maps and geography, animals and nature, kids, and news.

This expanded reach will bolster National Geographic’s already diverse and rich cross-platform advertising offerings. National Geographic will be featured on Shop@AOL, including offers for National Geographic’s line of maps, specialty gifts, CD-ROMs, educational toys, travel accessories, subscriptions to its three magazines and memberships in National Geographic Society, one of the benefits of which is the National Geographic magazine.

AOL will receive promotional opportunities across many of the National Geographic’s media properties including AOL Keywords appearing on the covers of National Geographic, National Geographic Traveler, Adventure, National Geographic World, and on-air promotions on the National Geographic Channel. Recently launched in the U.S., the National Geographic Channel is now seen in 134 countries in 21 languages, reaching nearly 120 million households.

“This is a major first step in what will be a substantial and broad-reaching relationship in the years to come,” said Mitchell Praver, President of Nationalgeographic.com. “Nationalgeographic.com will help meet the needs of AOL’s users across multiple services, allowing them to take advantage of National Geographic’s vast offerings at their convenience.”

“National Geographic’s unique content will be a great resource for AOL members,” said Jonathan Sacks, President of AOL. “People of all ages have benefited from National Geographic’s award-winning world coverage of environmental and cultural themes. We are thrilled to give our members access to National Geographic’s innovative educational information at the click of a mouse.”

Nationalgeographic.com launched the National Geographic Society into cyberspace on June 20, 1996 and currently averages more than 25 million page views per month. The site has been honored with virtually every key industry award including, most recently, the Fifth Annual Webby Award and People’s Voice Award for Best Education Web site. These awards add to an impressive list of other top industry awards received by the site this year including a 2000 International Web Page Award and Best of Show in the 2000 Omni Intermedia Awards. Nationalgeographic.com has also received “Best of the Web” accolades from various media outlets including Yahoo! Internet Life, PC Magazine and Forbes.com.

About National Geographic
Founded in 1888, the National Geographic Society is one of the largest nonprofit scientific and educational organizations in the world. It reaches nearly 200 million people globally each month through its four magazines, the National Geographic Channel, books, videos, maps, educational programs, and interactive media. The Society has funded more than 7,000 scientific research projects and supports an education program combating geographic illiteracy.

National Geographic Ventures is the wholly owned taxable subsidiary of the National Geographic Society. National Geographic Ventures supports the Society’s commitment to exploration, conservation, and education through National Geographic Television, the National Geographic Channel, Nationalgeographic.com, National Geographic Maps, Travel Expeditions, as well as licensing, merchandising, and retail. For more on National Geographic log onto www.nationalgeographic.com.

CONTACT:

Carol Seitz
National Geographic
+1 202 828 6678
cseitz@ngs.org

Fiona McClelland
Connors Communications
+1 917 408 6831

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