American Idol Contestant Antonella Barba Tops Lycos Search List  3/6/07

'American Idol' Contestant Antonella Barba Bumps MySpace as New Number One Search Term With Web Users

Online Interest in Barba Continues to Soar for Second Consecutive Week, 13% More Popular Than MySpace 'Lost Tomb of Jesus,' Helen Mirren, James Cameron, Big Search Gainers

The LYCOS 50 for Week Ending March 3, 2007

WALTHAM, Mass., March 6 /PRNewswire/ -- LYCOS, Inc. (www.lycos.com), a leading community destination for broadband entertainment content, today announced the following information from The LYCOS 50(TM), the 50 most popular Internet search results for the week ending March 3, 2007. For a complete list of The LYCOS 50(TM) and for in-depth text of The LYCOS 50 Daily Report, go to http://50.lycos.com. Readers of The LYCOS 50 can also share their thoughts on Internet trends and pop culture on The LYCOS 50 Blog located at http://lycos50.tripod.com/blog/.

Biggest Movers and Shakers for Week Ending March 3, 2007:

1. Antonella Barba 1001 %

2. Lost Tomb of Jesus 900 %

3. Helen Mirren 592 %

4. James Cameron 400 %

5. American Idol 329 %

6. Hockey 118 %

7. Diets 109 %

8. Easter 106 %

9. Spyware 101 %

10. Facebook 60 %

Notes of Interest:

The nude photo scandal involving "American Idol" contestant Antonella Barba continues to dominate search traffic, as Barba takes over the number one spot with web users, knocking MySpace to number two on this week's Lycos 50. Barba generates 13% more search activity than MySpace, with nearly half of Antonella Barba-related search queries specifying "Antonella photos." Lycos users continue to show their support for the 16 "American Idol" contestants who remain standing with their favorite "Idol" video moments located on Lycos MIX at http://mix.lycos.com/mix/american-idol-hopefuls. Interest in Barba has also caused a surge in traffic for "American Idol" (#15), which jumps 329% this week, jumping from number 38 last week.

Search Gainers:

James Cameron's controversial documentary "The Lost Tomb of Jesus" also sees a dramatic spike in search interest, up 900% over the past 48 hours since the film aired on The Discovery Channel on March 4. As described on the Discovery Channel website, "The film makes a case that the 2,000-year-old 'Tomb of the Ten Ossuaries' belonged to the family of Jesus of Nazareth and examines DNA extraction from human residue found in two of the ossuaries, revealing new evidence that throws light on Jesus' relationship with Mary Magdalene. The documentary includes dramatic recreations, based on the latest historical evidence, illustrating accurate images of Jesus of Nazareth, his family, his followers, his ministry, his crucifixion and his entombment." The film has also sparked interest for Cameron, who jumps 400% in search activity. The "Lost Tomb of Jesus" debate has continued online with Lycos users posting numerous clips from the film, as well as news coverage reports, and offering comments both pro and con located at: http://mix.lycos.com/mix/the-lost-tomb- of-jesus.

The LYCOS 50(TM) Top 10 Search Terms for the Week Ending March 3, 2007:

1) Antonella Barba

2) MySpace

3) Poker 

4) Paris Hilton 

5) Spyware

 6) Britney Spears

 7) Anna Nicole Smith

8) Naruto

9) RuneScape

10) Disney

Lycos(R) is a registered trademark of Lycos, Inc. All other product or service marks mentioned herein are those of Daum Communications Corp., Lycos, Inc. or their respective owners. All rights reserved. 

SOURCE LYCOS, Inc.

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