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NEW YORK, Feb 20 (Reuters) - Media conglomerate Viacom Inc. (VIA.N: Quote, Profile , Research) is expected to announce a licensing deal with Joost, a new Internet service that specialises in commercial video content, the Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday.
The anticipated deal, which follows the recent collapse of similar talks between Viacom and YouTube parent Google (GOOG.O: Quote, Profile , Research) Inc., involves licensing hundreds of hours of programming from Viacom cable networks such as MTV, Comedy Central and Spike as well as movies made by its Paramount studios, the paper said.
Earlier this month, Viacom demanded YouTube remove more than 100,000 Viacom video clips from the site after the two sides failed to reach a distribution agreement.
Joost, previously known as The Venice Project, was started by Niklas Zennstrm and Janus Friis, the men behind file-sharing network Kazaa and Internet phone service Skype.
It has already signed content providers such as Warner Music Corp. (WMG.N: Quote, Profile , Research) and TV production company Endemol.
Viacom and Joost could not be immediately reached for comment.
The anticipated deal, which follows the recent collapse of similar talks between Viacom and YouTube parent Google (GOOG.O: Quote, Profile , Research) Inc., involves licensing hundreds of hours of programming from Viacom cable networks such as MTV, Comedy Central and Spike as well as movies made by its Paramount studios, the paper said.
Earlier this month, Viacom demanded YouTube remove more than 100,000 Viacom video clips from the site after the two sides failed to reach a distribution agreement.
Joost, previously known as The Venice Project, was started by Niklas Zennstrm and Janus Friis, the men behind file-sharing network Kazaa and Internet phone service Skype.
It has already signed content providers such as Warner Music Corp. (WMG.N: Quote, Profile , Research) and TV production company Endemol.
Viacom and Joost could not be immediately reached for comment.
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