LPWire: Disney Online Teams with AT&T for PrePaid Entertainment Subscription Services

Disney Online Teams with AT&T for PrePaid Entertainment Subscription Services
New AT&T Web Cents Service Creates Unique Retail Distribution Model for Disney's Toontown Online and Disney's Blast

Disney Online, part of the Walt Disney Internet Group, announced today that it has teamed with AT&T for its new AT&T PrePaid Web Cents(SM) Service, a new secure payment alternative for consumer purchases of online digital content. A Disney specialty card, soon to be available in retail stores nationwide, will enable consumers to easily pre-purchase a subscription to Disney's Toontown Online (www.toontown.com), the first massively multiplayer 3D online game for kids and families.

"We are delighted to have AT&T as the first retail distribution alliance for Toontown," stated Ken Goldstein, executive vice president and managing director of Disney Online. "The AT&T PrePaid Web Cents Service gives us a fabulous opportunity to reach a huge, non-traditional gaming audience. We believe this will prove to be an important component of our strategy to succeed in creating a persistent online world with mass market appeal."

Through its AT&T PrePaid Web Cents service, AT&T will manage card production, transaction processing and the retail supply chain for the Disney prepaid specialty cards.

"AT&T is extremely pleased to work with Disney Online to bring its digital content to traditional bricks and mortar retail stores," said Mark Evans, vice president of AT&T PrePaid Services. "I am confident that our enthusiasm for Disney-branded specialty cards will quickly spread to retailers who've shared our tremendous success with other prepaid products."

Another Disney specialty card will provide a prepaid subscription for Disney's Blast (www.disneyblast.com), an advertising-free online service that offers more than 100 games and activities in a secure, parent-trusted environment.

Both cards will be supported by AT&T PrePaid Web Cents technology, sold at traditional retail outlets and will carry the Disney Online brand.

The retailer activates the card at the point of sale, and it's ready for use. To use the card, a consumer will log on to Disney Online directly, or through the AT&T PrePaid Web Cents site (www.webcents.att.com). The consumer will be prompted to enter the serial number and PIN printed on the back of the card to begin purchasing digital content. AT&T will process the payment using AT&T PrePaid Web Cents technology.

Disney Online expects to announce launch dates for Toontown, as well as initial retail partners in the coming weeks. A sneak peek of Toontown is available today for downloading at www.toontown.com, with an initial and monthly fee. Toontown was developed by Disney's Virtual Reality Studio, now part of Walt Disney Internet Group (WDIG).

Disney Online

Disney Online (www.disney.com) produces the number one kids' entertainment and family community destinations on the Internet that consistently reflects the magic that has come to be expected of Disney. Its "neighborhoods," specifically designed for each member of the family, include Disney's Blast, a premium subscription service, as well as Disney Store, Destinations, Playhouse Disney, Kids Island, Entertainment and Main Street Merchants.

Disney Online also produces FamilyFun.com (www.familyfun.com), the premier online family resource for great ideas, practical advice and fun stuff to do, and Movies.com (www.movies.com ), a leading site that provides a broad array of reviews and information to help movie fans make the right choice on movie night. Disney Online is a part of The Walt Disney Internet Group, which provides integrated strategic and operational Internet services for The Walt Disney Company's Internet initiatives.

--Posted April 3, 2003
Source: Disney Online