Auction Network Delivers Sport, Spirit of Live Auction in Hi-Def via Internet
Broadcast
Showcases platform during Feb. 8 live webcast of Grammy(R) charity auction
presented by Julien's Auctions to benefit MusiCares
TULSA, Okla., Feb. 6 /PRNewswire/ -- A front row seat at a live televised
competition with the power to win at your fingertips. That's Auction Network,
recently launched as the first 24/7 multi-media network devoted to the $270
billion global auction industry.
(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20080206/CLW119 )
Everyone from the enthusiast to the causal bidder can participate
real-time in more than 20 categories of auctions taking place worldwide,
including the live webcast of the Grammy(R) charity auction to benefit
MusiCares on Friday, February 8. This invitation-only event presented by
Julien's Auctions features an auction of personal items from the lives and
performing careers of some of the world's most accomplished musicians. For
the first time in the event's history, music fans anywhere will be able to go
to http://www.auctionnetwork.com and bid in real-time on items ranging from
Frank Sinatra's personal letters and Slash's guitar to a pink Cadillac in
honor of Aretha Franklin, the 2008 MusiCares "Person of the Year."
"Auction Network saw a tremendous opportunity in the multi-billion dollar
global auction market to make the fast-paced excitement of live auctions
available to more people through a variety of media platforms," says Auction
Network CEO and founder Pam McKissick, who is a television industry veteran
and former President and COO of TV Guide Television Group and TV Guide
Networks. "This launch demonstrates our ability to deliver high-definition
entertainment with secure, instant bidding features that will successfully
cross over into our broadcast and mobile strategy."
According to Auction Network General Manager Fontana Fitzwilson, the
company made a significant investment in its proprietary interactive platform
to ensure bidders the pace and immediacy equivalent to being in person at an
auction event. "We have an unmatched ability to provide high-definition live
streaming video in tandem with enterprise-level security for transactions,
management of multiple currencies, and real time tallying of bids from around
the world," says Fitzwilson. "We believe this model not only provides a
secure, exciting entertainment venue for online viewers, but advertisers have
the chance to effectively target niche consumer audiences in a quality,
interactive setting."
Programming on Auction Network includes "behind-the-scenes" features and
profiles of auctioneers, collectors, artists, and buyers and sellers of all
kinds. "Auction Network takes viewers on auction road trips to locales and
auction venues they have never seen before," says McKissick. "It's a great way
to discover many of the unique places, stories, and personalities in America
and around the world." The network also highlights youth auctions and
auctioneer contests in which voting -- just like everything else on Auction
Network -- is live and interactive.
Live auctions are currently an entertainment destination for more than 70
million Americans every year. To truly capture the excitement and appeal of
competitive bidding, Auction Network has brought together a team of executives
with strong television and production backgrounds who have a deep
understanding and appreciation for the auction industry. A key component of
Auction Network's programming is an exclusive partnership with the National
Auctioneer's Association (NAA) and its approximately 6,000 members.
McKissick says the NAA member auctioneers bring an unmistakable energy and
personality to Auction Network live programming and Auction Network is proud
to be the official network of the NAA. "I believe this partnership will not
only reshape the industry, the profession, and NAA, but will lead to a greater
awareness and branding of the organization," says NAA CEO Robert A. Shively.
SOURCE Auction Network
Matthew Seaman of Ackermann PR, for Auction Network, +1-865-584-0550
