A system having a client, a host server, a sponsor server, and a video server,
which are all interconnected via the Internet and which operate seamlessly together
in order to provide video content to an end user at the client and allow the end
user at the client to purchase products and/or services from the sponsor that are
featured in the video content provided by the video server. As the user views video
content on his or her computer, images associated with segments of the content
are periodically provided in conjunction with the video content. Each image contains
an image map, which defines areas in the image. Each defined area is associated
with a product which is displayed in that area of the image. Each defined area
is also associated with an anchored hyperlink which links to web content from a
sponsor server. The web content includes product information for that particular
product featured in that area of the image. Accordingly, by selecting an item in
the image, product information is retrieved from a sponsor server and provided
to the user so he or she may purchase the product seen in the video content.
Additionally, various user activities and interactions, including which
videos are selected for viewing and which products are purchased, is tracked for
several purposes. This tracking can be used to determine which videos and products
are viewed and purchased more often, as well as for generating revenue sharing
reports for purposes of profit sharing.