What United Online does

United Online was a consumer Internet company headquartered in Woodland Hills, California, formed in 2001 through the merger of NetZero and Juno Online Services and listed on NASDAQ under the ticker UNTD from September 2001 until it was taken private by B. Riley Financial in July 2016. The company operated two primary segments: Communications, anchored by the NetZero and Juno dial-up and early broadband Internet access brands, and Content & Media, which included the Classmates.com social reunion platform, the German StayFriends site, and the MyPoints online loyalty and rewards advertising business. At its 2007 peak the company reported revenue of $513.5 million, adjusted OIBDA of $148.2 million, more than 5 million paying subscriber accounts, and over 50 million registered accounts across its portfolio.

The business model was multi-pronged: subscription fees from dial-up and broadband subscribers (later extended into NetZero Mobile Broadband and NetZero Home Wireless Broadband), advertising and e-commerce affiliate revenue through MyPoints, and reunion-vertical monetization through Classmates and StayFriends. The Connectivity segment carried the bulk of revenue and depended on a national infrastructure of dial-up Points of Presence; the Content & Media segment monetized registered users principally through targeted advertising and commerce partnerships. The company pursued geographic and product extensions — including international offices in India and Germany, DSL expansion via Covad, and adjacent products such as NetZero DataShield Wi-Fi security — but the enterprise was largely a defensive descender of the consumer dial-up era.

Following the 2013 spin-off of FTD Companies (the floral and gifts business), United Online refocused on its remaining consumer internet assets, and in 2016 was acquired by B. Riley Financial, which concluded the company's run as a public entity. The input contains no post-acquisition financial detail, and the company's current scale, product roadmap, and capital structure as a private subsidiary are not disclosed.

Name

United Online

Legal name

United Online, Inc.

Website

https://untd.com

Company type

Public

Founded year

2001

Operating status

Acquired

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

United Online was a consumer internet company providing dial-up and broadband access (NetZero, Juno) and online content and loyalty services (Classmates, StayFriends, MyPoints) to mass-market U.S. and German subscribers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Consumer Internet Services

NAICS

Telecommunications (517), Media Streaming Distribution Services, Social Networks, and Other Media Networks and Content Providers (51621), Computing Infrastructure Providers, Data Processing, Web Hosting, and Related Services (5182)

SIC

Communications Services, Nec (4899), Telephone Communications (No Radiotelephone) (4813)

akta.pro primary industry

Digital Content & Media Subscriptions (CRAFAIAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Interest-Based Communities & Forums (BPAMABAC), Messaging-Led Community Platforms (Chat/Group Communities) (MPACAJAE)

Keywords

• Dial-up internet
• Consumer broadband
• Online social networking
• Loyalty marketing platform
• Web hosting services

Headquarters

HQ city

Woodland Hills

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices12 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Internet Access Subscriptions: Monthly and annual subscription fees from dial-up Internet access services (NetZero and Juno), including Free service (10 hours/month), Basic service (unlimited), Accelerated Dial-Up (Turbo), and Toll-free services. Also includes DSL service in select cities.
2. Billable Services: Revenue from paid social networking accounts, web hosting, and premium email services. In Q1 2007, billable services were $23.4 million for Content & Media and $73.0 million for Communications segments.
3. Advertising Revenue: Display, search, email, and text-link advertising across United Online's Internet properties. In Q1 2007, advertising revenues were $33.5 million, a 107% increase versus year-ago quarter.
4. Email and Web Hosting Services: Email services including NetZero email with spam protection, and web hosting services through MySite brand

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

United Online provides consumer internet products and services over the web through two segments. The Communications segment offers dial-up, DSL, mobile broadband, WiFi security, web hosting, and email services primarily under the NetZero and Juno brands. The Content & Media segment operates social networking (Classmates, StayFriends) and loyalty marketing (MyPoints) platforms, reaching more than 50 million registered accounts globally.

Product overview

United Online is a provider of consumer products and services over the Internet operating two primary segments: Communications and Content & Media. The Communications segment features the NetZero and Juno brands offering value-priced Internet access including dial-up (Free, Basic, Accelerated Dial-Up, Toll-free), DSL, and NetZero Mobile Broadband and Home Wireless Broadband services, along with email, web hosting (MySite), and WiFi security (NetZero DataShield). The Content & Media segment includes social networking brands Classmates and StayFriends, and online loyalty marketing via MyPoints. The company also provides advertising services across its internet properties. The portfolio collectively serves more than 50 million registered accounts across its brands.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• NetZero: Value-priced Internet access brand offering dial-up and DSL services
• Juno
• Classmates
• StayFriends
• MyPoints
• MySite

Products and services

• NetZero Dial-Up Internet Low-cost dial-up internet access service offered to U.S. consumers under the NetZero brand as an affordable alternative to higher-priced broadband.
• NetZero DSL High-Speed Internet Value-priced DSL broadband internet service sold under the NetZero brand to consumers and small businesses, including a dedicated SMB sales channel.
• Juno Dial-Up Internet Dial-up internet access service offered to U.S. consumers under the Juno brand as a low-cost alternative to mainstream broadband.
• Juno DSL High-Speed Internet Value-priced DSL broadband internet service offered under the Juno brand to consumers seeking affordable broadband.
• NetZero Mobile Broadband Prepaid mobile broadband connectivity delivered on the networks of leading U.S. wireless carriers, distributed through mass-market retail outlets as prepaid cards.
• NetZero Home Wireless Broadband Wireless home broadband service offered under the NetZero brand, including a resolution-based reimbursement model if advertised performance is not delivered.
• NetZero DataShield WiFi Security WiFi security service that protects users from identity theft and other risks when connecting to the internet via public hotspots.
• NetZero Email and Juno Email Free consumer email services offered under the NetZero and Juno brands, with paid premium upgrades for enhanced storage and features.
• MySite Web Hosting Web hosting and domain product platform sold to consumers, small and medium businesses, telcos, and ISPs to host websites and online presence.
• Classmates (Classmates.com) Social networking service that helps U.S. users find and reconnect with former schoolmates, organized by school and graduation year.
• StayFriends Social networking service operated primarily in Germany and other countries that helps users reconnect with former schoolmates.
• MyPoints Loyalty marketing platform that rewards registered members with cash-back for shopping at participating retailers and provides pay-per-click and pay-per-sale advertising solutions to advertisers.
• United Online Advertising Services Advertising services that monetize United Online's owned-and-operated web properties (NetZero, Juno, Classmates, StayFriends, MyPoints) via display and direct-response ad placements.

Quantifiable outcome

• 100 million registered accounts worldwide
• +2 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Scale indicators14 records

Recent moves11 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Broad incumbents

• AOL: AOL is a broad consumer internet incumbent providing dial-up, broadband, email, and content services. Comparable to United Online's combination of ISP (NetZero/Juno) plus email and content verticals, though at larger scale and broader scope.
• Yahoo Mail: Yahoo Mail is a broad incumbent free email service, comparable to NetZero Email as a consumer-facing email offering bundled with Internet access, though at much larger scale and as part of a broader portal strategy.
• Verizon: Verizon is a broad incumbent telecom offering broadband, wireless, and bundled Internet services. Comparable as a vertically integrated ISP competitor that pressured United Online's DSL and mobile broadband offerings on speed and pricing.
• Comcast: Comcast is a broad incumbent cable broadband provider. Comparable as the dominant broadband ISP that accelerated the secular decline of dial-up providers like NetZero/Juno through widely available and aggressively priced cable Internet.
• AT&T: AT&T is a broad incumbent telecom and broadband provider. Comparable as a vertically integrated ISP that bundled DSL/broadband with voice and later wireless, directly competing with United Online's NetZero/Juno DSL offerings.

Direct peers

• EarthLink: EarthLink is a value-priced consumer ISP offering dial-up and broadband services, directly comparable to NetZero and Juno in target market (budget-conscious consumers), product category (dial-up/DSL), and business model (subscription ISP).
• Mindspring: Mindspring was an early ISP offering dial-up and later DSL access to consumers and small businesses, directly comparable as a subscription ISP competitor in the same era as NetZero and Juno.
• PeoplePC: PeoplePC offered value-priced dial-up Internet access targeted at budget-conscious consumers, directly comparable to NetZero/Juno's freemium dial-up positioning and subscriber acquisition model.
• eMiles: eMiles operates an online loyalty marketing platform offering rewards and incentive programs, directly comparable to United Online's MyPoints subsidiary in target customers (loyalty participants), business model (points-based rewards), and advertiser monetization.
• MySpace: MySpace is a direct peer in social networking during the same era as Classmates, competing for the same consumer time and advertising dollars in online community engagement.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/UnitedOnline1
• Facebookfacebook.com/UnitedOnline1
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/united-online

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A6 records

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about United Online