Who Wants to be a Multi-Millionaire?

'Everyone' Says Publishers Clearing House's New pch.com

As Online Entries Pour in for Web's Biggest-Ever Prize: $21 Million.

PORT WASHINGTON, N.Y., Dec. 21 /PRNewswire/ -- Publishers Clearing House, famous for its direct mail multi-million dollar sweepstakes prizes for decades, has launched pch.com, a new company that brings to the web a $21,000,000 sweepstakes -- the largest on the Internet -- and a totally new e-commerce business model.

"This is not a case of simply taking our familiar offline brand and translating it to a website," said Andy Goldberg, Executive Vice President in charge of the Internet venture. "We are creating a distinct and separate company that will leverage the promotion, marketing and database strengths of Publishers Clearing House, but provide web users with a totally new experience."

Also different is pch.com's business model. "Everyone has learned sweepstakes can generate significant traffic, and the current contest sites are using that traffic for advertising-based revenue generation," said Goldberg. "The pch.com model will be focused on e-commerce. Visitors to the site will be provided with a superior sweepstakes and game-playing experience and at the same time be exposed to 'winning deals' on a variety of merchandise and magazine offers."

The launch of pch.com will be supported with over $20 million in advertising that includes a year-end blitz of direct mail and over $10 million of television advertising promoting the $21,000,000 prize.

"We are geared up for a level of traffic few sites have seen before," said Todd Sloane, Vice President of pch.com.

"As the TV networks have been reminded in recent months, everyone wants to be a millionaire, and we're ready to make that happen for someone with a $21,000,000 prize awarded this Super Bowl Sunday," said Sloane.

The Super Bowl award will be telecast on ABC-TV as soon as the game ends, where viewers will be able to see the famous Prize Patrol surprise someone with $21,000,000. But visitors to pch.com will be in for even more surprises: "The pch.com VanCam will webcast behind-the-scenes action all day Super Bowl Sunday as the Prize Patrol prepares to surprise the unknowing winner," said Sloane. "For the first-time, viewers will be able to see just how the entire process works, from the drawing to the actual moment someone finds out they are a $21,000,000 winner."