Market News First has selected Akamai to power the delivery of its 24/7 financial news broadcast. The Akamai Media Delivery solution will provide streaming services for Market News First's live broadcasts, available via www.mn1.com.

Market News First chose Akamai as its exclusive streaming service provider due to the consistently superior performance of the Akamai global distribution platform. Akamai beat out four other streaming providers in a head-to-head performance test for the Market News First win. In comparative testing, Akamai's streaming services demonstrated less buffering and faster start-up times resulting in a heightened viewing experience.

"As an online network that airs LIVE original content, MN1 requires more from a stream provider than traditional websites," said Willie Thompson, COO, Market News First. "It is imperative that we partner with a company that understands the unique needs of our IPTV network."

By leveraging Akamai's globally-distributed platform of 20,000 servers deployed in 71 countries, Market News First will gain the scalability to support unparalleled numbers of concurrent streams to a worldwide audience, as well as the ability to deliver its content in a cost-effective manner. Using the Akamai Media Delivery solution, Market News First is able to reach its audience, regardless of its size or location, with live, relevant financial news content.

"Broadcasters are increasingly looking to the Internet to extend the reach of their content to a wider audience," said Bill Wheaton, vice president of digital media, Akamai Technologies. "Market News First is a valuable information source for the financial community. By choosing Akamai as their exclusive streaming provider they will benefit from the reach and reliability of our platform to deliver the best possible live video experience to their audience."