News America Digital Publishing, News Corp.’s interactive
media division, acquired an equity stake in community site operation sixdegrees.com.
Financial specifics were not disclosed.
As part of the agreement, News America Digital Publishing and sixdegrees will
cooperate in the cross-licensing of content and NADP will have the ability to
use sixdegrees’ community functionality across its properties. The two
companies also will work together to cross- promote each other’s brands and
work together to expand sixdegrees.com internationally.
“The potential power of community on the Web is astonishing and our investment
symbolizes an important direct marketing and advertising partnership for us
and allows NADP to build community from the bottom up,” said James Murdoch, president of News America Digital Publishing.
sixdegrees said its goal is to make the theory of “six degrees of separation”
a reality for more than 2.5 million members in over 165 countries. Members
can connect to their friends and their friends’ friends, meet new people and
interact and transact
with them. The ad-backed site includes personalized bulletin boards, special
interest groups, live chat rooms, people search tools and a services listing
and auction marketplace.
News America Digital Publishing operates FOX Sports Online and FOX News Online.