NBCi and Headhunter Ink Strategic Agreement

NBCi (Nasdaq: NBCI), the newly-created Internet division of the NBC network, put its media synergy to work today by announcing a multi-year, multi-million dollar (US$) agreement with job search site Headhunter.net (Nasdaq: HHNT).

Headhunter.net’s job searching capabilities will be integrated into Snap.com, the flagship portal of NBCi. Headhunter.net’s affiliation with Snap will be highlighted in television and radio commercials that run across the NBC network.

In addition, the deal calls for Headhunter and Snap to create a personalized job-searching application to be featured on the MySnap service by early next year.

“This agreement with NBCi and the popular Snap portal will showcase Headhunter.net’s search services to a wider audience than ever before, with this deal being supported by NBCi’s TV, radio and Internet promotions,” said Headhunter.net CEO Bob Montgomery. “In doing so, we will simultaneously build our brand and bring millions of Snap users our high-quality job search services.”

Across The Board Promotion

Montgomery’s enthusiasm for the extensive promotion that NBCi can offer a partner is precisely the kind of sound bite sentiment that the network hoped for when it put NBCi together.

NBCi was formed last month by combining Snap, Xoom, NBC.com, AccessHollywood, Videoseeker, NBC Interactive neighborhood and a 10 percent stake in CNBC.com. NBC — which itself is owned by General Electric — owns 47.3 percent of the venture, Xoom shareholders own 38.8 percent, and CNET, the former parent of Snap, owns 13.8 percent.

Earlier this month, the company announced the launch of an Internet boutique to sell items worn by the stars of its daytime drama “Passions.” The arrangement between its television properties and Internet properties is one that company executives hope will serve as a model for future cooperation.

One tangible sign of that cooperation is NBCi’s commitment to buy $405 million in advertising from the network over the next four years.

On the Job

Headhunter.net is also expecting to be a beneficiary of that arrangement. The Norcross, Georgia-based company was founded in 1996 and went public last August, raising $30 million. It reported third quarter revenue of $2.9 million and a net loss of $1.8 million.

The site contains a database of 200,000 resumes and 150,000 current job postings. The company has sales offices in New York, Chicago, Dallas and San Francisco and plans to open offices in Boston, Los Angeles and Washington D.C. by next year.