Google to distribute MTV programming
SAN FRANCISCO (MarketWatch) -- Google Inc. and Viacom Inc. are expected Monday to announce that Google later this month begin distributing video clips from Viacom's MTV Networks to about 200 Web sites catering to young adults and teen-agers, in effect syndicating the programming to the Internet, according to a media report.
GOOG will begin the service with clips from MTV programs including "SpongeBob SquarePants" and "Laguna Beach" to select Web sites and blogs that belong to its advertising network, The Wall Street Journal reported in its online edition. See Wall Street Journal story (subscription required).
The clips will be embedded with video advertising and the resulting ad revenue will be shared among Viacom, Google and other Web sites that run the clips, The Journal said, adding that the move would give Viacom a much broader reach than traffic to its own Web Sites.
Google now uses the network to place paid-search ads for advertisers, The Journal said.
"Our technology takes MTV's video, marries it to an ad, and shows it on a third site. No one's ever done this before," The Journal quoted Google Chief Executive Eric Schmidt as saying. "If this works, it would be a very large business for all players."
Viacom said a major advantage in using Google's advertising network is that it can stipulate placement of its content, The Journal said. The partner destinations, which include Popsugar, a celebrity gossip forum and music site Rapgodfather, typically draw 100,000 to 150,000 unique visitors a month, The Journal said.
Google will also offer episodes of MTV Networks programs, such as "Jackass" and "Beavis & Butthead" for purchase on its site, The Journal reported.
