Cox Expands ‘FreeZone’

Cox Communications Inc. announced that it will expand its “FreeZone” video-on-demand advertising platform to eight additional markets: Orange County, Calif.; Las Vegas; New Orleans; Oklahoma City; Omaha, Neb.; Hampton Roads, Va.; Rhode Island; and Connecticut.

Everstream Inc. and N2 Broadband Inc. are supplying software for the rollouts, the two vendors said.

The rollout will bring FreeZone’s total to 1 million subscribers in nine markets -- the eight new ones and San Diego, where the service launched in July 2002 -- Cox Media senior vice president of advertising Billy Farina said. Cox Media is the MSO’s advertising unit.

N2 said it is providing its technology platform and systems integration for the rollout, including its “Xport Digital Media Producer,” “MediaPath Content Delivery System” and “AdPoint” software.

Everstream said Cox is deploying a version of its data-warehousing “S4 Data Suite” and reporting solutions to track viewership of FreeZone ads.