BlogHer, the online community (and conference) for women bloggers, has entered a strategic partnership with iVillage, a subsidiary of NBC Universal and a popular website toward female viewers/readers. The agreement provides iVillage access to BlogHer’s network of 2200 member blogs, and shared promotional and advertising opportunities across BlogHer’s audience. As part of the arrangement, NBCU websites iVillage, Oxygen.com and BravoTV.com will feature select BlogHer content.

The announcement was made today by Lauren Zalaznick, President of Women and Lifestyle Entertainment networks for NBC Universal, and creator of popular television programs Top Chef and Project Runway.

“This strategic partnership underscores NBC Universal’s serious commitment to invest in the future growth of iVillage and the newly formed Women@NBCU sales initiative,” said Zalaznick. “I am incredibly excited to tap into this new online community and superserve both clients and consumers in today’s robust women’s marketplace.”

The deal includes a $5 million series B investment, financed by Peacock Equity, the joint venture between NBC Universal and GE Commercial Finance’s Media, Communications & Entertainment business, and returning investor Venrock, a venture capital firm.

“We’re excited to work with NBC Universal to raise the profile, voices and earning potential of the extraordinary bloggers in our network, and we cannot imagine better partners than iVillage, Bravo and Oxygen,” said BlogHer co-founders Elisa Camahort Page, Jory Des Jardins and Lisa Stone in a joint statement.

Zalaznick also announced the formation of a female-targeted digital ad sales network, as part of the overall strategy for Women@NBCU, the company’s new content and marketing initiative geared to women. The sales network, comprised of BravoTV.com, Oxygen.com, iVillage and Sugar Inc, purports to create “the largest online aggregation of top-tier women’s media brands.”

The announcement comes just days before the next edition of the BlogHer conference, July 18 – 20, in San Francisco.