I find this synergy weird

The piece of embedded HTML code shown below comes courtesy of HULU.COM, which you may know as an NBC-powered source of online TV shows. They've also branched off into political theater, streaming copies of the presidential debates.

What I found interesting about this countdown timer is that it is sponsored on HULU by an upcoming movie, "The International" starring Clive Owen. It's a spy thriller about currency and shooting people and ... things like that. There's a tiny misfire in my brain when a movie publicity machine moves over to supporting coverage of a real-life political event.

This "state of the union" address brought to you by Pepsi?

Sure, it's only this particular coverage outlet that's being sponsored. Obama gets inaugurated whether or not anybody can see him on TV. But what's the advertising angle? Do watchers of political speeches go see particular kinds of movies? Or is Obama so darn popular that you can put any advertisements in front of him speaking and make a profit?

[As the inauguration is now over, the code widget is non-functional and has been removed]

EDIT: I know this banner partially overlaps the sideboard, but it will be gone in five more updates.

EDIT 2: Didn't even take five more updates: banner removed after Inauguration Day.

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