The Deal LLC Partners with CNET News.Com Launching Tech Confidential M

    Business Editors/Technology Editors/Media Writers

    NEW YORK & SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb. 23, 2005--The Deal LLC (www.thedeal.com), the authoritative voice for news, analysis and information on the global deal economy, and CNET News.com, an award-winning provider of technology business news and a property of CNET Networks, Inc. (Nasdaq: CNET), today announced a strategic partnership that involves an editorial exchange between CNET News.com and The Deal's newest brand, Tech Confidential. The announcement was made today at a forum discussing technology branding issues, hosted by Tech Confidential and Crain's BtoB at the Mandarin Oriental in San Francisco.
    In May 2005, The Deal LLC will expand its coverage of technology with the launch of Tech Confidential, a bi-monthly magazine focusing on the business of technology and innovation. Having covered the business of technology and innovation for more than five years with cover stories on semi-conductors, enterprise software and nanotechnology, The Deal LLC has developed Tech Confidential at a time of new and evolving challenges in the tech industry.
    Written for an audience of C-level executives and the community that fuels emerging technologies, Tech Confidential's unique voice will present insights on the strategies that companies use to innovate on a global basis. Complimenting this coverage will be articles from CNET News.com, which is known for its quality journalism and has won dozens of prestigious journalism awards, including the coveted National Magazine Award and awards from the Society of Professional Journalists. In return, articles from Tech Confidential will also be featured on CNET News.com.
    "Technology is a pervasive factor in setting business strategy in corporate America today," said Kevin Worth, CEO and president of The Deal LLC. "CNET News.com, an award-winning provider of tech news and analysis, is great fit for Tech Confidential's editorial that focuses on the business and finance of innovation."
    "We at CNET News.com are very proud of the credible, award-winning journalism we produce and the content innovations we have made so we can better serve our users," said Jai Singh, editor-in-chief and senior vice president, CNET News.com. "The content partnership with Tech Confidential and The Deal is another step in bringing valuable information about the business and finance of technology to our readers."

    About The Deal LLC

    The Deal LLC is a diversified media company that aims to be the authoritative voice of the deal economy. We serve the global deal community - corporate and financial dealmakers, advisers and institutional investors - by providing business and financial news and information that offers fresh insights on the deal economy, a set of interrelated activities, focused on dealmaking of all kinds, whose purpose is to generate corporate growth in a continually changing global market. We offer a comprehensive line of print and electronic product and services for both readers and advertisers, including The Deal, The Daily Deal, TheDeal.com, Corporate Dealmaker, Tech Confidential, Corporate Control Alert, Deal Focus and Bankruptcy Insider. Investors in The Deal, a privately held company, include majority owner U.S. Equity Partners, a private investment fund sponsored by Wasserstein & Co. LP, and Rustic Canyon Ventures, one of the largest venture capital funds in Southern California.

    About CNET Networks, Inc.

    CNET Networks, Inc. (www.cnetnetworks.com) is a premier global interactive content company that informs, entertains, and connects large, engaged audiences around topics of high information need or personal passion. The company focuses on three categories--personal technology, games and entertainment, and business technology--and includes such leading brands as CNET, ZDNet, TechRepublic, MP3.com, GameSpot, CNET Download.com, CNET News.com, Webshots, Computer Shopper magazine, and CNET Channel. With a strong presence in the US, Asia and Europe, CNET Networks has operations in 12 countries.

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CONTACT: The Deal Martha Brown, 212-313-9218 mbrown@thedeal.com or CNET Networks, Inc. Sarah Cain, 415-344-2218 sarah.cain@cnet.com

KEYWORD: CALIFORNIA NEW YORK INDUSTRY KEYWORD: HARDWARE PUBLISHING SOFTWARE NETWORKING PRODUCT MARKETING AGREEMENTS SOURCE: CNET Networks, Inc.

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