Top > Webmaster > 2007 > February > 2007-02-28

YouTube Rival Signs with Viacom

Web 2.0 services and video sharing websites have been a tremendous revolution on the Internet in the past couple of years. YouTube epitomizes this trend, culminating with the multi billion dollar deal that had Google purchase the young company. But as the business grew in popularity and value, so have the problems arrived. Copyright issues have had giant media companies, such as Viacom, parent company of MTV, and YouTube engage in legal battles.

Viacom has reached a deal with video sharing company Joost to post videos from MTV and Comedy Central, ideal for watching on the Web, on its terms. You Tube previously screened some 100,000 videos of Viacom channels until it was forced to remove them. What Joost will give Viacom which YouTube did not is a share of the advertising revenue. Although details were not reported, it is believed that 65% of revenue will go to Viacom, the content provider, and the rest Joost will keep. The content will be uploaded and controlled not by users, as is the case with YouTube, but rather by Viacom. Programs will have commercial breaks, though they will be shorter and fewer than they are on television.

Joost is planned to go online in full scale in the summer. Only 20,000 users are currently testing the program. To watch the videos, special software must be downloaded onto the computer. Content will then be screened in near television quality, on a full screen. Even full length videos are expected to be available on the website. Viacom did not, however, shut the door on optionally offering its videos to other companies, YouTube included, under comfortable agreement if such a deal is reached in the future.