Turner Broadcasting System, Inc.'s New Products Group has signed a one-year deal with Kaneva to build and test virtual world extensions of its entertainment properties.
Each Turner
Web community and corresponding virtual space inside Kaneva will contain video players for video streaming of select Turner network content.
"Our exploration with Kaneva of virtual worlds is yet
another example of Turner staying at the forefront of consumer technology trends," said Blake Lewin, vice president for TBS Inc.'s New Products Group. "Through this opportunity, we hope to leverage
the Kaneva platform to explore how users interact with our brands in a virtual world."
The agreement will grant Turner access to Kaneva's technology and tools to create and use Web communities
and Virtual Spaces on the Kaneva Web site and in the virtual world of Kaneva.
"Turner is an ideal flagship media partner for Kaneva," said Christopher Klaus, founder and CEO of Kaneva. "Turner's
high-quality programming and credibility is synergistic with our unique focus on delivering entertainment to the masses inside a virtual world. As a result of this partnership, we will provide
entirely new ways for audiences to watch, participate and interact around their favorite TV programming."
Kaneva, which is Latin for "canvas," is a virtual entertainment world that unifies the 2D
Web with a 3D experience. It integrates social networking, shared media and collaborative online communities into a modern-day, immersive 3D virtual world. Kaneva enables its members to hang out with
their friends online and in 3D, share entertainment, express creativity and passions, and establish meaningful connections with others.