Tuesday, February 20, 2007

WhoTube? Joost to Rule Video

Video sharing platform Joost scored its first in what will be a series of content deals by signing up Viacom. The peer-to-peer video service will get access to TV and film content from Viacom's MTV Networks, BET Networks and Paramount Pictures.

Viacom danced with YouTube before asking the Google property to pull more than 100,000 videos from its site and turning to Joost.

While YouTube may have more users for some time, Joost will make more money and is a better long term bet because of its video distribution technology and emphasis on making the online video experience interactive. Joost enables linking from within videos to more information or related websites based on the content and will offer plug-in applications, such as instant messaging, message boards, and news tickers that adds community.

Joost is ready to play the role of iTunes to YouTube's Napster. User-generated video is a tough sell to advertisers, while offering licensed and protected content from major media companies will boost Joost. The peer-to-peer enthusiasts will likely embrace a legitimate service and offer their bandwidth in exchange for access to quality programming.

I bet if Joost was around a year ago Google might have thought twice about buying YouTube.

Posted By John Gartner at 10:01 AM
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