PRESS RELEASE

DIGITAL RIVER, INC., REPORTS
RECORD FIRST-QUARTER SALES

MINNEAPOLIS, Minn., April 22, 1999
-- Digital River, Inc., (Nasdaq:DRIV) today reported a 416-percent increase in first-quarter sales from the first quarter last year, and 24-percent increase from sales in the fourth quarter of 1998.

Digital River's sales were $11,707,000 in the quarter ended March 31, 1999, compared with $2,270,000 in the first quarter of 1998 and $9,407,000 in the fourth quarter. The company's first-quarter net loss this year was $5,344,000 or 27 cents per share, compared with a net loss of $1,555,000, or 16 cents per share, in the same period in 1998.

"We continue to be excited by the performance of our core business of providing electronic commerce outsourcing solutions for the sale of software and other digital products over the Internet," said Joel Ronning, chief executive officer. "This business is strong and the market for electronic software delivery continues to grow. Industry research from Jupiter Communications projects that online software sales will double in 1999 over 1998."

Perry Steiner, president of Digital River, said, "We processed sales transactions for 204,000 unique customers in the first quarter, up sharply from a strong fourth quarter that included the holiday selling season. Our database of unique customers purchasing through our network increased 57 percent in the first quarter of this year, giving us a cumulative total database of 566,000 unique consumer purchasers to date."

Ronning said that two acquisitions completed shortly after the close of the quarter have given Digital River two of the major e-commerce service providers to the shareware market. "This is a natural extension of our software business," Ronning said. "With these acquisitions we are making a strong entry into the shareware market, which is estimated by the Association of Shareware Professionals to be $400 million annually - and we intend to be a market leader."

At the same time, Ronning said, the company is moving ahead with its fee-based e-commerce service initiative aimed at leveraging the company's infrastructure by providing e-commerce solutions to non-software companies. "We have officially named this service Commerce Bridge and anticipate announcing our first major clients within the next few weeks," Ronning said. "We are in the early stages of this initiative but expect that it will be a promising market for Digital River."

Earlier today Digital River also disclosed its entry into providing outsourced solutions for downloadable music with the announcement of its first client to use this service, New Orleans-based WWOZ-FM Radio.
"Our technology is designed to manage transactions and the download of all digital products, and we believe the music business is another promising market," Ronning said. "As with the software industry, our goal is to become a leading outsourcing provider of e-commerce services to the music industry.

"Both this initiative and the broader Commerce Bridge initiative are logical extensions of our core software business. They draw on the power of the Commerce Network Server technology we have created to provide robust outsourcing capabilities for Internet-based commerce for the management of transactions, payments and flow of digital products or data."

Digital River, Inc. (Nasdaq: DRIV), based in Minneapolis, is the largest online source of software and a leading outsource provider of Web-based commerce solutions. The company provides more than 5,000 software publishers and online retailers with its proprietary technology for Internet delivery of more than 100,000 digital products, including 30,000 software products and applications. For more information, visit Digital River's Web site at http://www.digitalriver.com.

Except for the historical information contained herein, this press release contains forward-looking statements, including statements containing the words, "believes," "anticipates," "expects" and similar words. Such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company, or industry results, to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such factors include, among others: the Company's limited operating history and variability of operating results; market acceptance of electronic software delivery; the Company's ability to maintain relationships with software publishers and online retailers; competition in the electronic commerce market; and other risk factors referenced in the Company's public filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

   
Digital River, Inc.
Fourth Quarter Results
(in thousands, except per share amounts)

Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets
  March 31, 1999 December 31, 1998
Assets . .

Current assets

. .

Cash and investments

$70,394 $74,397

Other current assets

1,109 1,907

Total current assets

71,503 76,304
     

Property and equipment, net

4,411 3,914
     

Other Assets

125 110

Total Assets

$76,039 $80,328
     
Liabilities and shareholders' equity . .

Current liabilities

. .

Accounts payable

$4,835 $3,879

Accrued payroll and other liabilities

1,219 1,862

Total current liabilities

6,054 5,741
     

Shareholders' equity

69,985 74,587

Total liabilities and shareholders' equity

$76,039 $80,328

 

Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations

 
Three months ended
March 31,
.
Sales
Cost of sales

Gross profit

 
Operating expenses

Sales and marketing

Product development and operations

General and administrative

        Total operating expenses

        Loss from operations

 
Interest income, net
Net loss
 
Net loss per share
 
Weighted average shares outstanding
1999
1998
$11,707
$2,270
9,804 1,896
1,903 374
   
. .
3,622 1,060
3,564 703
955 208
8,141 1,971
(6,238) (1,597)
   
894 42
$(5,344) $(1,555)
   
$(.27) $(.16)
   
19,632 9,946


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