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Nets, Sponsors Seek Better TV Sites

While online clips of TV shows may be available on Hulu, TV networks hope that diehard fans will click on the shows' dedicated Web sites to get the full fan experience. To generate those clicks, the networks are working to make their series' sites more unique with extras including blogs and interactive games tied to the shows and their characters.

Advertisers are actually driving the change because they covet targeted buys of online ads linked to popular shows, as opposed to ads on store-like aggregate video sites. Building traffic at in-house sites also allows networks to sell inventory as part of larger packages to advertisers. Nissan, for instance, had integration, commercials and online inventory buys on NBC's "Heroes."

Beyond deals with on-air advertisers, networks can sell packages across their online properties. An advertiser targeting young men or kids, for instance, could buy online ads across a media company's whole stable of show sites, targeting specific demos.

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