NBC Universal has announced plans to buy iVillage Inc. for approximately $600 million.

iVillage runs several websites geared for women. The deal is expected to close in the second quarter of 2006 pending shareholder and regulatory approvals.

"As this transaction demonstrates, we are committed to delivering content to consumers through distribution systems both traditional and new," says Bob Wright, vice chairman and executive officer, General Electric, which own NBC. "Acquiring iVillage will enable us to bring our programming to a large and passionate online community. We look forward to building on the considerable brand strength iVillage has developed over the past 10 years and to giving our advertising clients new and exciting ways to reach a valuable demographic."

With the addition of iVillage, NBC Universal expects to grow the company's digital revenues to approximately $200MM in 2006, and projects a 20 percent growth rate going forward.