Viacom to challenge YouTube with video venture

Adam Turner
Friday, 16 February 2007 20:28

Your IT - Home IT

After demanding the removal of thousands of clips from YouTube, Viacom plans to let people post almost any video from MTV-owned websites on their own blogs and sites.

Viacom already allows visitors to several MTV websites, including Comedy Central, to add video clips to their own sites in a similar fashion to YouTube. The new deal will enable Viacom to recapture viewers who had been going to YouTube to watch Viacom content such as Jon Stewart's "Daily Show" and MTV's "Pimp My Ride".

Viacom, owner of MTV Networks and Paramount movie studio, recently demanded Google-owned YouTube remove more than 100,000 video clips after the two firms failed to reach a distribution deal. Meanwhile YouTube is set to host classic television shows such as "I Spy" and "Gumby" under a deal with Digital Music Group. 

The move by Viacom comes as MTV Networks plans to slash around 250 jobs in the US to cut costs and invest in its "television and digital future," according to an internal memo.