"Joost in Time" for Viacom?

Todd Chanko | February 20, 2007, 02:13 PM

Joost…it sounds so exotic, so foreign…so cutting edge. No wonder Viacom, in its current YouTube grumpiness, has decided to license a truckload of content to the Skype founders’ latest baby. Yet, as much I enjoyed test-driving Joost in its Venice Project iteration, it may not be the answer to Viacom’s bad case of digital envy.

Certainly every media company has an obligation to explore the frontiers of what are now quaintly called “alternative distribution platforms,” but unlike ABC’s dramatic initiative last spring to stream – at extremely high quality, no less – primetime programs, or News Corporation’s bold acquisition of MySpace, Viacom’s alliance with Joost is but a dalliance. As sleek as the application may be, Joost has a limited user base. Comscore data on Joost isn’t in yet, but let’s put the platform in context: YouTube garnered over 30 million unique visitors last month. MTV.com yielded about 7 million. The deal is certainly a great boost for Joost, but it is unclear what immediate benefits accrue to Viacom.

Recalling “I Want My MTV,” how about “Just give me my Joost” or “Juice Up with Joost!” Viacom is certainly hoping that this latest deal is “Joost in Time.”