Media conglomerate NBC Universal aims to more than double revenue from its digital businesses to about $1 billion by 2009 from an estimated $400 million this year, a source, quoted by a Reuters report, said.
The Reuters report said NBC has been on a tear to boost its presence on the Internet, after buying women's lifestyle Web network iVillage this year for about $600 million.
Shortly after demanding pirated clips of its Saturday Night Live show be pulled off popular online video network YouTube, NBC signed a deal to promote upcoming shows on YouTube, which lets its viewers upload their own homemade videos, the report said.
The owner of the NBC television network and Universal film studios plans to make iVillage the centerpiece of its Internet strategy, according to reports.
That strategy would be similar to how MySpace.com is now the cornerstone of News Corp.'s digital plans, the report said.
It also reported NBC is readying an online video subscription service for its CNBC financial news cable TV network, the Reuters report said.
NBC declined to comment on its digital revenue goal, but sent an invitation to reporters for to unveil a new digital video distribution plan, the report further said.