News Corp. and NBC: YouTube competitor coming - [internet] 02:46 PM EDT - Mar,22 2007 - post a comment News
Corporation and NBC have announced a deal to create a new video distribution
site, with the content and distribution channels coming from Yahoo!, Microsoft
and Time Warner/AOL. The service will launch this summer with "free"
ad-supported TV shows and movies. Big brand advertisers that have already signed
deals include Intel, Cisco and General Motors. The content will also probably be
available via embedded videos at MySpace, MSN, and Yahoo! web channels and users
may be able to upload their own creations.
The full list of TV shows that will be available at launch, according to News Corp., will include Heroes, 24, House, My Name Is Earl, Saturday Night Live, Friday Night Lights, The Riches, 30 Rock, The Simpsons, The Tonight Show, Prison Break, Are You Smarter than a 5th Grader, and Top Chef-"plus hits from the studios' vast television libraries." The service will also feature movies, including Borat, Little Miss Sunshine, Devil Wears Prada, The Bourne Identity, and Bourne Supremacy at launch.
Video available via the new service will be ad-supported and "free" to consumers via the web. Big brand advertisers that have already signed deals with News Corp. and NBC include Intel, Cisco, Cadbury Schweppes, Esurance, and General Motors. News Corp. and NBC plan to syndicate the content via other web channels such as MySpace, MSN, and Yahoo! News Corp. indicated in its announcement users will be allowed to embed videos from the service on their own MySpace profiles and other web pages, mirroring YouTube's popular sharing format.
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