MUMBAI: Thinkbox has announced that European entertainment network RTL Group and e UK entertainment and communications company Virgin Media have joined the organisation as Associate Members.

RTL Group and Virgin Media are Thinkbox?s first Associate Members, which entails consultation and involvement across Thinkbox activities and with Thinkbox?s working groups. Full shareholder status is currently reserved for TV broadcasters and their sales representatives.

Thinkbox CEO Tess Alps said, ?We?re delighted that both RTL and Virgin Media have decided to support Thinkbox?s mission by becoming our first Associate Members. We?re also grateful for the acknowledgement of the work we are doing and their desire to help us do more to explain the commercial opportunities in TV?s rapidly developing future, be that TV on-demand, addressable advertising or product placement. We look forward to working with them and our shareholders to continue helping advertisers enjoy the unparalleled success that TV advertising, in all its forms, brings.?

VMDS for Virgin Media commercial director Mark Brandon said, ?Virgin Media is pleased to become an Associate Member of Thinkbox. The TV advertising value chain is evolving fast, with next generation TV platforms such as Virgin Media playing an increasingly prominent role in this evolution. We look forward to bringing our content knowledge, on demand expertise and business perspective to Thinkbox.?

Thinkbox?s shareholders are Channel 4, ITV, Sky Media, Turner Media Innovations and UKTV. Thinkbox represents over 90 per cent of the commercial TV market in the UK through its shareholders? owned and partner channels.