GM Deal Could Be Worth $68 Million to NetZero

General Motors has signed a marketing agreement that could pay as much as $68 million to Westlake Village-based NetZero Inc., a provider of free Internet access.

NetZero could get that much revenue over four years if it meets undisclosed performance criteria, officials said. GM, which will be the exclusive auto maker on NetZero’s upcoming ClubZero personalized Web page, has an option to buy as much as $35 million more in NetZero services.

As part of the deal, the auto maker will get a warrant to buy up to 575,000 shares of NetZero at $28.71 a share.

GM and other auto makers have been signing agreements with Internet companies to expand their online reach. NetZero provides free Internet access to people who agree to view online advertising. Earlier this month, NetZero said it had 1.5 million active registered customers who used the service in the last 30 days.

The agreement came days after GM announced an alliance with America Online to link its car-sale Web site to AOL.