(Back after an unanticipated blogging break) The Wall Street Journal’s Brooks Barnes reports today that broadcast network CBS is preparing to announce a slew of web video distribution deals, none of which involve Google-owned YouTube. (Reuters report on WSJ article here for those who can’t get behind the firewall.)
CBS is apparently planning to make its most popular content, including CSI, NCIS and The Evening News with Katie Couric, available in full-length form on a host of web portals including MSN and AOL. CBS is also gearing up to announce a deal with Joost. Finally, the broadcast network is also purportedly interested in joining the NBC-U, News Corp. venture aimed at putting video everywhere on the Internet — except for on YouTube, of course.
Although YouTube won’t be getting the 10% of ad revenues CBS is willing to share with all these new partners, CBS doesn’t seem to bear quite the grudge against the top video-sharing site that its sister company Viacom does. Not only has Viacom slapped YouTube with a big copyright infringement suit, but two days ago it all but punched parent company Google in the face by giving a fat web ad deal to Yahoo!.
Update: Joost just announced that it does indeed have a deal with CBS, marking the first “broadcast network” to strike a deal with the still-in-beta video site. The deal also extends to CBS-owned Showtime Networks.
Update: It’s official. CBS announced this morning the creation of its Interactive Audience Network, consisting of an impressive array of sites and affiliates, including AOL, Microsoft, CNET Networks, Comcast, Joost, Bebo, Brightcove, Netvibes, Sling Media and Veoh. If this venture doesn’t make dough for CBS, it won’t be for lack of coverage.
Cynthia Brumfield at 12:16 PM|Comments(0)
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