Best Buy to Market Napster
Best Buy Co. cut a deal with Napster parent Roxio to market Napster’s digital music service in exchange for up to $10 million in Roxio stock.
Under the multi-year deal, Minneapolis-based Best Buy will promote Napster with in-store displays and demo kiosks as well as broadcast, print and online ads. A co-branded version of Napster will launch on Bestbuy.com. Los Angeles-based Napster will kick in some funding for marketing and give Best Buy access to its extensive online audience.
This summer, Best Buy begins to leverage its exclusive artist promos to tout Napster’s subscription service, which Best Buy sales staff will demonstrate in the chain’s 600-plus stores. The two will offer exclusive content to Napster subscribers.
“Best Buy believes that the strength of the Napster brand . . . makes this an ideal digital music solution for our customers,” said Scott Young, Best Buy VP-digital entertainment, in a statement. He cited Napster’s compatibility across digital music hardware and software sold at Best Buy.
