GlobeNewswire Inc | Sep 1, 2021 10:15AM EDT

September 01, 2021

Orlando, Florida, Sept. 01, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- IZEA Worldwide, Inc. (NASDAQ: IZEA), the premier provider of influencer marketing technology, data, and services for the worlds leading brands, announced today that it has been awarded a mid-six-figure influencer marketing contract expansion with an existing Fortune 100 media company. IZEA will leverage its network of influencers to promote an upcoming live streaming event featuring celebrities as well as content from many of the entertainment industrys most popular franchises.

Since the onset of COVID-19 we have seen a fundamental shift in the entertainment industry, said Ted Murphy, Founder and CEO of IZEA. Companies have moved swiftly to create streaming experiences that take advantage of a captive online audience with limited access or desire to visit traditional entertainment venues. Influencers are a natural fit to promote online entertainment, and as a result we have seen a material increase in campaigns promoting streaming services and online events over the past year.

Media consumption habits have substantively changed over the course of the pandemic, as have the business models of companies in the entertainment industry, continued Murphy. We believe that many of these changes are unlikely to revert to pre-pandemic patterns near term. The macro trends of event virtualization and Premium Video On Demand (PVOD) are here to stay, and that means that influencers will play an increasingly important role in the marketing strategies of entertainment companies.

To work with IZEA as either an influencer or a marketer visit IZEA.com.

About IZEA Worldwide, Inc.IZEA Worldwide, Inc. (IZEA) is a marketing technology company providing software and professional services that enable brands to collaborate and transact with the full spectrum of todays top social influencers and content creators. The company serves as a champion for the growing Creator Economy, enabling individuals to monetize their content, creativity, and influence. IZEA launched the industrys first-ever influencer marketing platform in 2006 and has since facilitated nearly 4 million transactions between online buyers and sellers. Leading brands and agencies partner with IZEA to increase digital engagement, diversify brand voice, scale content production, and drive measurable return on investment.

Safe Harbor StatementAll statements in this release that are not based on historical fact are forward-looking statements intended to qualify for the safe harbor from liability established by the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements, which are based on certain assumptions and describe our future plans, strategies and expectations, can generally be identified by the use of forward-looking terms such as may, will, would, could, should, expect, anticipate, hope, estimate, believe, intend, "likely," "projects," plans, "pursue," "strategy" or "future," or the negative of these words or other words or expressions of similar meaning. Examples of forward-looking statements include, among others, statements we make regarding expectations concerning IZEAs ability to increase revenue and bookings, growth or maintenance of customer relationships, and expectations concerning IZEAs business strategy. Forward-looking statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties which could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements, as a result of various factors including, among others, the following: competitive conditions in the content and social sponsorship segment in which IZEA operates; failure to popularize one or more of the marketplace platforms of IZEA; our ability to establish effective disclosure controls and procedures and internal control over financial reporting; our ability to satisfy the requirements for continued listing of our common stock on the Nasdaq Capital Market; changing economic conditions that are less favorable than expected; and other risks and uncertainties described in IZEAs periodic reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The forward-looking statements made in this release speak only as of the date of this release, and IZEA assumes no obligation to update any such forward-looking statements to reflect actual results or changes in expectations, except as otherwise required by law.

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-- Stream A Little Dream

Martin SmithIZEA Worldwide, Inc.Phone: 407-674-6911Email: ir@izea.com