Media companies around the world are embracing internet-based video portals as a key path to distribute their premium video, but building a world-class video portal is increasingly difficult and expensive. Joost will focus on this issue and provide the market with a cost-effective, end-to-end solution for media companies to publish video under their own brands.
As a part of this new direction, Joost will reorganize and restructure its business. A core team in New York and London will work on providing these solutions, as well as operating and supporting Joost.com and its associated video applications. Joost also will wind down operations in its Leiden development center.
Matt Zelesko, currently SVP of Engineering at Joost, will take over as CEO while continuing to lead the engineering organization. Stacey Seltzer, currently SVP of international business development and content acquisition at Joost, will run the business operations. Mike Volpi has stepped down as CEO of Joost but will remain actively involved as Chairman of the Board.
Joost plans to make its white label video platform commercially available to media companies around the world. This offering will provide a solution for companies looking to build a branded experience for their content on their own site as well as other sites and platforms in their distribution networks.
]]>NEW YORK AND LONDON – June 10, 2009 – Joost, the global web video service, today announced that 12 new content partners have joined Joost and will bring their programming to Joost's extensive library.
“We have data that shows us what our audience loves to watch, and feedback that tells us which kind of programming they want more of – great comedy, movies, TV shows, anime and celebrity news,” said Danny Passman, global head of programming, Joost. “Joost provides people with a site where they can watch the shows and movies that have popular mass appeal, but also find niche content that caters to their individual interests.”
The new content owners who have joined Joost include:
Atlas Media Corp.: Founded in 1989, Atlas Media Corp. has become a leading independent creating, producing and distributing a wide variety of non-fiction network television programming for the global marketplace in addition to the production of theatrical documentaries. Atlas Digital + Emerging Media, a division of Atlas Media Corp., is dedicated to developing and producing original content for mobile and online platforms. Atlas Digital will launch with the travel series “Mysterious Places” on Joost. Other offerings will follow, including specials like “Alien Abduction” and additional series such as “Exotic Islands” and “Skeleton Stories.”
Blastro Networks: Born in the music and technology capital of Texas, Austin-based Blastro Networks runs the Internet’s leading music video network for today's hottest unsigned, independent and major-label artists through three genre-specific sites. Blastro Networks will provide Joost with artist interviews, live performances, studio sessions and festival coverage from two properties: Blastro, an urban-centric site for hip-hop, R&B, pop, Latin and dance fans; and Roxwel, which caters to a rock, metal and indie music fan base.
Davis-Panzer Productions, Inc.: Davis-Panzer will distribute “Highlander: The Series” and “Highlander: Raven” on Joost. The Highlander television franchise follows the continuing saga of the Immortals, based on the original cult classic Highlander film. “Highlander: The Series” follows Immortal Duncan MacLeod of the Clan MacLeod and his friends, both Immortal and mortal, on adventures. “Highlander: Raven,” a spin-off of “Highlander: The Series,” follows the character of Amanda, an Immortal who had a recurring role in Highlander. All six seasons of “Highlander: The Series” and the complete season of “Highlander: Raven” will be available on Joost, as well as behind-the-scenes footage and interviews.
Marvel Entertainment: One of the world’s most prominent character-based entertainment companies, Marvel Entertainment, Inc. brings its renowned stable of Super Heroes to life in animated and feature films and television series. The Marvel Entertainment offering on Joost includes Marvel movie and game trailers featuring popular properties such as X-Men, Iron Man and Hulk, as well as red carpet, behind-the-scenes and interviews with Marvel product creators; watch them today at http://www.joost.com/3aiv8hc/t/MARVEL. Also, 52 episodes of the classic animated television series X-Men: Evolution are coming soon for Joost’s audience in the United States.
MWG Entertainment: MWG Entertainment collaborates with top creative talent to produce original scripted series for broadband and mobile, aimed at the underserved, adult, female audience. The MWG offering on Joost includes the popular web series “My Two Fans,” starring Barret Swatek (“Quarterlife”), which follows the life of an average single woman as she rebounds from a broken heart with the help of her two biggest fans, and “Road to the Altar,” a mockumentary series that follows one couple's comical journey through the wedding process. “My Two Fans” is available at http://www.joost.com/3a2t25a/t/My-Two-Fans; “Road to the Altar,” starring Jaleel White (“Family Matters”) and Leyna Juliet Weber (“As the World Turns”), will launch this month.
RDF Digital USA: RDF Digital USA is the online and interactive division of RDF Media USA, one of the world’s largest and fastest-growing production and distribution companies. RDF Digital USA is distributing "Banzai," a comedic faux-Japanese game show that involves betting on bizarre contests, on Joost. “Banzai” is available at http://www.joost.com/39uscp0/t/Banzai.
ReelzChannel: The ReelzChannel offering on Joost will include a selection of clips and segments from some of the most popular shows on ReelzChannel TV, the cable and satellite network all about movies. This includes segments from ReelzChannel Spotlight, ReelzChannel Movie News and First Fans. ReelzChannel’s programming will provide movie fans with movie news and reviews; detailed information about their favorite movies; in-depth interviews with Hollywood’s brightest stars; behind-the-scenes clips; trailers that connect movie fans to the movies they love; and fun, entertaining pop-culture stories about all things movies.
Salient Media: Salient Media is a full-service production and distribution studio at Vivendi/Universal producing and licensing content for both traditional and non-traditional outlets. Salient Media will provide a variety of long and short-form stand-up comedy to Joost that features many of today’s hottest comedians, like Katt Williams, Eddie Izzard, Kevin Nealon and Mo'Nique, as well as feature content such as “National Lampoon’s Spring Break” and “Totally Baked The Movie.”
Scott Entertainment: Scott Entertainment will provide programming from its AmPopFilms brand, which includes content from classic movies to cult hits. Drive-in flicks, classic movies, martial arts cinema, ‘50s and ‘60s television hits and off beat documentaries will all be a part of the Scott Entertainment lineup on Joost.
Speed Racer Enterprises: Speed Racer Enterprises will provide the remastered edition of the “Classic Speed Racer Animated TV series” from the 1960s and episodes of "Speed Racer: The Next Generation Animated TV series," to Joost.
TOEI Animation: The Japanese anime studio is providing seven anime series to Joost. Viewers can already watch “Fist of the North Star,” “Slam Dunk,” “Digimon Adventure 02,” “Pretty Cure,”“Galaxy Express 999,” and “Captain Harlock.” “Air Master” is coming soon.
Vogue.TV: Vogue.TV is an award-winning online entertainment network providing original programming. Its numerous channels explore fashion, beauty, and culture. Behind the Lens examines the stories of brands told through the creative visionaries who define the fashion industry, directed by filmmaker Douglas Keeve. Trend Watch is the fast-paced news magazine show for everyone who wants to be in the know. Beauty First examines beauty on the runway, top new products, scientific beauty breakthroughs and beauty exclusives reported in a journalistic voice and fast moving format. 60 Seconds to Chic offers the definitive point of view on what to buy and how to wear it, and Model.Live follows aspiring models Cato, Madeline and Austria as they work to achieve their dreams of becoming international superstars. Vogue.TV combined has garnered over 7.8 million video views since launching in fall of 2008. In total, the Vogue.TV audience has spent over 335,000 hours interacting with the original content produced by Vogue.
All of these content partners, with the exception of Marvel Entertainment, ReelzChannel, RDF Digital USA and TOEI Animation, are making their content available to a global audience; Speed Racer Enterprises will be available globally outside of Japan. Programming is available on Joost.com and on the Joost application for the iPhone/iPod touch. Joost is an ad-supported platform that is free to consumers.
]]>New York and London – January 28, 2009 – Joost™, the global web video service, today announced that more than one million iPhone and iPod Touch users have downloaded the free Joost application from Apple’s App Store. Introduced last November, the Joost app enables iPhone and iPod Touch users to enjoy thousands of hours of anime, comedy, drama, movies, music, documentaries, sci-fi and sports over their Wi-Fi connections.
Earlier this month, a new version of the Joost application became available. This new version features improved usability and stability for a cleaner, smoother interface and better overall performance.
“The Joost iPhone App has taken off because people want to be entertained, and there are many situations – like standing in line, waiting at an airport or doctor’s office, or commuting on a train – when TVs and computers can’t be found,” said Mike Volpi, CEO of Joost. “We’re continuing to innovate with this application and other devices in order to provide a complete premium entertainment experiment for users, content partners and advertisers.”
Similar to the web-based version of Joost, the Joost iPhone App is ad-supported and free to all users. Current advertisers on Joost’s iPhone App include the Canadian Tourism Commission through OMD Vancouver and Pangea Software.
"We're constantly looking for ways to inform iPhone customers of our video games, and to get them to download the games," said Brian Greenstone of Pangea Software. "Joost provides us with a unique proposition: we can show active iPhone users what our games are like, and after watching our video ad, they can download and start playing our games right away or return to viewing the video they have selected."
]]>NEW YORK AND LONDON – DECEMBER 16, 2008 – Joost today announced it has added nine independent music labels and aggregators to its ever increasing content library. There are now more than 18,000 music assets – including music videos, interviews and live performances – available in the Music section of Joost.com.
“The internet has redefined music and made it possible for a more diverse range of artists – discovered and fostered by independent labels – to find commercial success and make it big,” said Danny Passman, global head of programming, Joost. “Our goal is to reflect this new musical landscape by bringing the best independent music out there today to our great music offering on Joost.”
Aggregators that have joined Joost include:
KOCH Entertainment Distribution: Koch Entertainment Distribution is a leading independent aggregator of digital audio and video content. The company operates its own labels and hosts the largest distribution roster of any independent which includes Koch Records, Suburban Noize, Fat Beats Records, Taang!, Fat Boy Records, and many more.
[PIAS] DIGITAL: Established in January 2004, [PIAS] Digital provides over 200 leading independent labels with a professionally managed route into the ever-growing number of opportunities for digital distribution. [PIAS] Digital specializes in the supply and sales of audio and audio-visual entertainment content across multiple global services with particular emphasis on Online and Mobile and in-home entertainment platforms. [PIAS] Digital distributed labels include Big Brother, Dirtee Stank, Fabric, Independiente, Ninja Tune, Southern Fried, Union Square and Wall of Sound; artists include Funeral For A Friend, Grace Jones, Mogwai, Neon Neon, Oasis, Soulwax and Travis.
The new independent music labels that have joined Joost include:
Defected: For the past 10 years, Defected has been leading the international dance music scene, attracting some of the greatest talents working in the industry, including Banda Sonorra , DJ Chus, Bob Sinclar, DJ Gregory, Junior Jack, Martin Solveig, Dubtribe Sound System and Sandy Rivera. Watch at http://www.joost.com/365lk0x/t/Defected-TV.
Domino: Fifteen years since its inception, Domino Recording Company is now established as one of the UK's leading independents. Domino has long championed and nurtured the outsider whilst enjoying both critical and commercial success with artists such as Franz Ferdinand, Arctic Monkeys, The Kills, The Last Shadow Puppets, Animal Collective, Lightspeed Champion, and The Count & Sinden. Watch at http://www.joost.com/35wa879/t/Video-Domino.
Epitaph: Epitaph Records is one of the most respected independent labels of all time, featuring a diverse roster from punk to post-hardcore, powerpop to hip hop. Started by Bad Religion guitarist Brett Gurewitz, the Epitaph Records Channel on Joost features music videos from Bad Religion, The Offspring, Story of the Year, Atmosphere and Sage Francis. Watch at http://www.joost.com/082jnao/t/Epitaph-Records-Channel.
ESL Music: ESL Music is a record label founded by Rob Garza and Eric Hilton, the international DJ and Production duo Thievery Corporation. Originally established to deliver the sounds of Thievery Corporation to the world, ESL Music quickly expanded its artist roster to encompass the duo's globally oriented tastes, with artists such as Ursula 1000, Chris Joss, Thunderball, The Karminsky Experience, Blue States, Sofa Surfers, Federico Aubele, Joe Bataan and Ocote Soul Sounds. ESL Music comes to Joost through a partnership with INgrooves, and can be found at http://www.joost.com/373ehq0/t/ESL-Music.
Fearless: Fearless Records is an alternative rock-oriented record label best known for their punk, punkpop, ska and post-hardcore acts, including Plain White Ts, The Maine, Funeral Party, Artist Vs. Poet, A Static Lullabuy and The Morning Light. Watch at http://www.joost.com/082l71v/t/Fearless-Records-Channel.
Hopeless: Hopeless Records’ punk rock label features pop punk, emo, alternative rock, and metal performers including All Time Low, There For Tomorrow, Anarbor, Avenged Sevenfold and The Human Abstract. Watch at http://www.joost.com/082kqib/t/Hopeless-&-Sub-City-Records-Channel.
Sarathan Records: Sarathan is an eclectic label with a roster that demonstrates not only an emphasis on quality regardless of genre, but also a breadth of backgrounds ranging from music industry legends to budding DIY talent. The Sarathan Channel on Joost includes videos from GRAMMY™ nominee Abra Moore; the soon-to-explode LA post-punk doom-pop band War Tapes; and the Airpushers, a genre-bending project from GRAMMY-winning Printz Board and Tim Izo Orindgreff of the Black Eyed Peas band; and others! All can be viewed at http://www.joost.com/38ejcii/t/Sarathan-Records.
Stones Throw: Stones Throw Records is an independent hip hop record label based in California. Stones Throw is home to Madlib and many of his projects: Madvillain, Jaylib, Yesterdays New Quintet, Quasimoto, Sound Directions and Lootpack. Other notable artists on the Stones Throw's past and present roster include James Pants, Gary Wilson, The Turntablist (aka DJ Babu), Rob Swift, Rasco, Breakestra, Oh No, Dudley Perkins, J Dilla (aka Jay Dee), and Koushik. Stones Throw comes to Joost through a partnership with INgrooves, and can be found at http://www.joost.com/373mcq2/t/Stones-Throw-Records.
Victory Records: Victory Records focuses on the world of independent alternative, metal, hardcore, emo and punk music. The Victory Records channel on Joost features videos from the label’s current and former artists, including Aiden, Taking Back Sunday, Hawthorne Heights, Silverstein and Thursday, and can be found at http://www.joost.com/08202ji/t/VictoryV-Channel.
In addition, Joost features behind-the-scenes interviews, insider access and live concert footage of indie artists courtesy of partnerships with Last.fm, 88HIPHOP and Uncensored Interview.
Music entertainment from 88HIPHOP, Defected, Domino, ESL, Koch, [PIAS], Sarathan and Uncensored Interview will be available on Joost globally. Epitaph, Fearless, Hopeless, LAST.fm and Victory have music entertainment available on Joost in the U.S.
Joost launched its Flash-based web video service in October and features a number of social tools that are designed to help people communicate with each other, to navigate through more than 57,000 video assets and to integrate user expression directly into the service. A Joost application is also available for the iPhone and iPod touch.
]]>NEW YORK - December 3, 2008 - Joost, the global web video service, today announced that 11 new content partners have joined Joost and will bring their programming to Joost's extensive library.
"We love TV shows – but there's a ton of great content beyond TV shows that deserves attention, and Joost provides that content with a place to shine – where it's highlighted and showcased among professional programming," said Danny Passman, global head of programming, Joost. "We want to give our audience all the shows they want to watch."
The new content partners who have joined Joost include:
Animal Fair: Love celebrities? Love dogs? Love Cats? Then you'll love Animal Fair Magazine's Wendy and Lucky Diamond. America's pet lifestyle duo and animal rescue ambassadors, present pet content that travels around the world and into the homes of the biggest celebrities and their pets. In addition to getting the canine doggy dish, Wendy and Lucky will also highlight magnificent individuals and their organizations dedicated to animal rescue. Also, as two certified relationship experts, Wendy and Lucky are available to help rescue any doggie with dilemma or confused cat. Watch now at http://www.joost.com/391lten/t/Animal-Fair.
Cheaters: The international hit TV series, Cheaters exposes infidelity all over the U.S. Each week, host Joey Greco helps expose cheating spouses or significant others, and helps the victims progress through their heartbreak to find closure. Find out who's been caught under the covers at http://www.joost.com/38hk7yy/t/Cheaters.
Cool Hunting: A daily curated update covering the forefronts of design, culture and technology, Cool Hunting is an award-winning online publication and video series. A destination for creative professionals and those looking for the newest original content spanning everything from molecular gastronomy to conceptual design, their video series gets an inside look at the people who create. Check it out at http://www.joost.com/36gj0wb/t/Cool-Hunting.
Dark Moon Entertainment: A management firm for high-profile, celebrity entertainment and art clientele, Dark Moon Entertainment includes among its roster of clients Robert John Photography, one of the most sought-after photographers in the music industry. Check out Robert John's documentation of the lives of rock band Guns N' Roses at http://www.joost.com/395kyw3/t/My-GNR-Home-Movies.
Farmers' Almanac TV: With a focus on sustainability and conservation, Farmers' Almanac TV brings a compelling mix of stories covers fascinating personalities, unique events, and admirable endeavors from both familiar and unseen corners of the North American landscape. Peppered throughout are hints and tips spanning a dozen varied lifestyle categories - gardening, cooking, natural cures, weather, and others. Coming soon to Joost!
Film Chest: Film Chest offers high-quality movie content for use in broadcast television, film projects, video streaming, distribution, public television, cable or other professional needs, and has one of the largest libraries of classic movies and series in the world.
Film@11: Film@11 is a media company that produces non-ideological news with an international perspective on the big issues of the day. The aim: to keep the audience well ahead of the curve. Set up by media veterans Michele Mitchell, an award-winning political correspondent, and George Suarez, an Emmy Award-winning producer, the first project from Film@11 is series 1 of Common Sense. This series asks a simple question; what happens when a journalist does not care about retaining future access to a presidential candidate-and gets one chance to ask one question? Common Sense takes a look at key issues of the moment - like health care, Afghanistan and the current deficit of the United States. It is an insightful look at the campaign—not just the candidates, but what can realistically be expected when President Elect Obama becomes president. Watch now at http://www.joost.com/393kxvy/t/Film-11.
For Your Imagination: This leading digital media studio develops, markets and distributes high-quality original web video networks and series, including the DadLabs parenting video network, The Green House green living network and the hit comic book comedy Kyle Piccolo. These shows and more will be available on Joost soon!
Generate: Generate is an independent production studio and management company that develops franchise entertainment properties for the transmedia generation. Generate creates professionally-produced, premium content that can migrate from broadband to television, film, publishing and beyond, and develops innovative concepts to integrate into the advertising, technology and entertainment communities. Among its initial offerings on Joost is Pink: The Series, a Webby-nominated dark comedy following the life of Natalie Cross, a reluctant government assassin who, between kills, yearns for a family of her own. The first and second seasons are now available at http://www.joost.com/37sj90j/t/PINK-The-Series. Season 3 debuts in early 2009.
Rajshri Media: Rajshri Media is India’s leading web and mobile studio and the digital entertainment arm of the 60-year-old Rajshri group, one of India’s oldest, largest and most successful Film and TV studios. Through the partnership with Joost, Rajshri Media will syndicate its large library of premium bollywood programming, including full-length feature films, music videos, TV shows and made-for-web programming, like the series Akbar Birbal Remixed. Check out these bollywood favorites at http://www.joost.com/34xj1s8/t/Rajshri-Music.
WebRidesTV: WebRidesTV is a niche social media staple in the automotive enthusiast community. Through a diverse online network and the latest in video and graphics technology, WebRidesTV develops and distributes high-quality auto and related interest videos to millions of gear heads worldwide. The original content is informative and entertaining, so start your engines, the car videos are coming soon!
All of these content partners, with the exception of Film Chest, are making their content available to a global audience. Joost launched its Flash-based web video service in October. Late last month, it introduced a redesigned user interface that, along with Joost's social features, make it even easier for people to find all their favorite shows, from hit TV shows to web-based series.
]]>New York and London – December 1, 2008 - Joost™, the Flash-based, global web video service, today announced the launch of a Joost application for the iPhone and iPod touch. The new free application is available through Apple’s App Store and enables iPhone and iPod touch users to enjoy thousands of hours of anime, comedy, drama, movies, music, documentaries, sci-fi and sports over their Wi-Fi connections.
Similar to www.joost.com, Joost on the iPhone is ad-supported and free for users.
“Offering Joost on the iPhone and iPod touch is an important step for Joost as we endeavor to offer users premium entertainment, where they want it and when they want it,” said Mike Volpi, CEO of Joost.
iPhone and iPod touch users can choose what to watch on Joost in a variety of ways:
Browsing by category
Selecting "Most Popular" videos
Watching “Our Picks”
Searching for a specific video
Joost offers more than 46,000 videos including 18,000 music videos, 400 TV series and 1,200 movies and short films. Joost is available globally, offering content from more than 300 partners worldwide. Content varies by geography due to individual agreements with copyright holders.
]]>New York and London - December 1, 2008 - Joost™, the Flash-based, global, web video service, today announced that Nippon Television Network (NTV), Yoshimoto Kogyo and Dentsu will offer Japanese anime and comedy programs on Joost.com via dedicated channels. Under the terms of the deal, NTV and Yoshimoto will provide content, and Dentsu will handle the advertising sales for this content.
This partnership marks the first time that a Japanese broadcaster has introduced Japanese comedy to a U.S. audience at this scale. It also significantly deepens Joost’s anime library, offering more than 100 hours of cult favorites including, Kaiji and Buzzer Beater to U.S. audiences on Joost.com.
Joost offers the largest legal anime library available on the web, with partners including VIZ Media, FUNimation and Anime News Network.
“This partnership is key to fulfilling our objective of being the leading online destination for premium, legal anime,” said Danny Passman, Director of U.S. Content Strategy & Acquisition and Global Head of Programming for Joost. “We plan to continue to expand our offering of authentic Japanese-language anime favorites simultaneously or immediately after airing in Japan.”
The first four episodes of Kaiji and Buzzer Beater became available today and an additional four episodes will be added every two weeks. Hit reality show Denpa Shonen also became available on Joost.com today, with additional comedy and reality titles to be added regularly.
In addition to these titles, Joost will also launch a Japanese Humor channel called “Owarai” which will offer Japanese variety shows such as Nasubi, R-Mania and Funako from the Denpa Shonen series, 24-Hour Tag and Yamasaki vs Moriman from the Gaki series, and HITOSI MATUMOTO VISUALBUM, and EP FILMS.
All of these offerings will be offered in Japanese with English language subtitles.
Joost features a number of social tools which are designed to help people communicate with each other, navigate through the Joost’s more than 46,000 video assets and to integrate user expression directly into the service.
]]>NEW YORK AND LONDON – OCTOBER 14, 2008 –Joost today launched its new Flash-based, download-free global web video service at www.joost.com. In addition, Joost features a number of social tools which are designed to help people navigate through the largest online library of legal video programming and to integrate user expression directly into the service.
“People have always relied on their friends’ recommendations to figure out which movies they want to watch, or talked about their favorite TV shows and moments with friends and colleagues – and now Joost has combined those real-life experiences in one online destination,” said Mike Volpi, CEO, Joost. “Our integrated social tools make it easier than ever for people to find the shows, film and music they want to watch, and to form communities around that content, which ultimately enriches their overall experience.”
The new website features a number of ways that people can interact with video and with other people on Joost: they can voice their opinions about video through comments, “shouts” or tags; they can find out what their friends are watching by adding friends through most major online webmail services via the Friends section; or they may interact with others in the Joost community through groups around their favorite shows, characters or artists.
Also new is the JoostFeed, which aggregates all of the activities that are happening on Joost in order to help guide a person’s Joost experience. The JoostFeed is viewable on Joost or can be exported to any online social tool or website. Joost also is working with a number of third-party platforms, including Boxee, chumby, Delicious, Digg, FriendFeed, Lifestream, Meebo, Mister Wong, Netlog, Netvibes, reddit and VideoSurf, to make it easier for people to use and access Joost across the web. In addition, Joost will implement Facebook Connect, which allows people to enjoy Joost within the context of their real identity and friendships on Facebook.
Today, Joost has more than 46,000 professionally-produced videos for a total of more than 8,000 hours of video entertainment. Some of Joost’s partners include CBS (Entertainment, News and Sports, and classic library content), Showtime, Last.fm, Wallstrip, Moblogic; Viacom, including Atom, BET, CMT, Comedy Central, LOGO, MTV, The N, Nickelodeon, Spike and VH1 programming; television series and full-length feature films from Sony Pictures Television; and the Warner Bros. Television Group, which is partnering with Joost on three branded channels in the U.S.: The WB (featuring complete episodes of hit series, including “Friends,” and original digital productions from TheWB.com), Classic WB TV (boasting full-length episodes of classic favorites from the Warner Bros. collection of series) and WB Sci Fi Fix (featuring complete episodes of the Studio’s most popular science fiction titles).
Since January 1, 2008, the number of videos available on Joost has nearly doubled, while the total number of hours has increased by more than 50 percent. Significantly, Joost’s music catalog now includes more than 18,000 music videos from major record labels as well as a number of independent labels.
In addition to the new social tools, Joost has implemented a new programming guide which organizes content into three main categories: Shows, Music and Film. Shows are divided into nine main genres – action and sports; animation; comedy; culture and style; drama, docs and reality TV; news and gossip; science fiction and horror; sexy; and tech and gaming – and then further classified into subgenres, like anime in the case of animation, or retro TV in the case of comedy. Music and film titles are classified by genre, such as pop for music or drama for films.
]]>London, September 30, 2008 - Joost, the world's first broadcast-quality internet television service today announced that it has significantly expanded its relationship with ALL3MEDIA International, one of the UK’s leading independent distribution companies, by offering hundreds of hours of shows to viewers in the UK.
“ALL3MEDIA International has been a long-term partner of Joost, making shows such as Hollyoaks, Fifth Gear and The Gadget Show available in the United States and other parts of the world,” said Stacey Seltzer, global head of content strategy and acquisition for Joost. “We think it’s fantastic that we will now bring this great programming line-up to a UK audience, the home of its core fan base.”
With Joost, fans in the United Kingdom can view their favorite episodes streamed through their web-browser of the following hits, all for free:
Commenting for ALL3MEDIA International, Paul Corney, sales executive, said: “We are delighted to be continuing our relationship with Joost as their platform develops and expands in such exciting ways, and we are confident that the quality programming contained in this deal has found a great home with Joost in the UK.”
Beyond simply viewing these hit shows, Joost’s social features allow fans to interact with others in the Joost community. Whether they join or form fan groups around their favourite shows or characters or add their own comments to their favorite shows, Joost’s unique social elements will help a larger audience find and discover these hit shows.
]]>LONDON, NEW YORK, BEIJING AND HONG KONG – JULY 23, 2008 – Joost, the world’s first broadcast-quality Internet television service, and TOM Group Limited (HKEx:2383, “TOM Group”, “TOM”), one of the leading Chinese media conglomerates in Greater China, today launched a joint venture to bring a full Joost offering to the region of Greater China.
Joost and TOM Group’s internet arm, TOM Online, also launched a new Chinese version of Joost today, which is available at http://joost.tom.com.
“Joost has always been a global service, and our partnership with TOM is a perfect example of the regionalized offerings we are able to bring to the market,” said Mike Volpi, chief executive officer, Joost. “There’s a great market opportunity in China –content producers who are making high-quality content, advertisers eager to reach consumers online, and an active online community. Collaborating with TOM, which operates one of the most popular online portals in China, positions us strongly in the region.”
Ken Yeung, chief executive officer and executive director of TOM Group said, "TOM Group has a strong foothold in the Greater China media scene ranging from Internet and wireless to traditional TV broadcasting. We are the pioneer in widgetizing and modulizing our portal, www.tom.com, in the region to create a personalized and interactive user experience. The alliance with Joost will further enhance and increase our range of Internet service offerings. We are set to bring in a whole new high-quality video viewing experience with interactivity to our huge base of local Internet users and at the same time, provide targeted and innovative advertising solutions that add value to our clients. Riding on the established and diversified media platform covering Internet, TV, publishing and outdoor advertising, TOM is leading the way in the avenue where traditional and new media converge.”
As a result of the joint venture, Joost and TOM will bring Chinese-language programming to people throughout Greater China. Both Joost and TOM will primarily source programming from within China, and distribute this programming within and outside of China. To date, TOM has sourced about 16,000 hours of Chinese programming for Joost and has already lined up with several established content providers such as science and education studio of CCTV, China Record Corporation, BTV Media, Huayi Brothers Media Group, Taihe Rye Music, CAV Warner Home Entertainment. TOM will secure advertising for the localized version of Joost, and Joost will provide the underlying technology.
About Joost
Founded by Janus Friis and Niklas Zennström, Joost brings video and social interaction together online. All of video on Joost is professionally produced and streams on-demand to people around the world for free in a high-quality format. Today, Joost has more than 30,000 program elements, including more than 400 television series and 1,200 movie and short film titles. For more information, visit http://www.joost.com.
About TOM
TOM Group Limited (HKEx stock code: 2383) is listed on the Main Board of the Stock Exchange of Hong Kong. As one of the leading Chinese-language media conglomerates in Greater China, TOM Group has diverse business interests in Internet (TOM Online), Outdoor Media (TOM Outdoor Media Group), Publishing, Television and Entertainment across markets in Mainland China, Taiwan and Hong Kong. In each of the areas it operates, TOM Group has secured market leadership.
The Group was founded in October 1999 as a joint venture between Hutchison Whampoa, Cheung Kong (Holdings) Limited, and other strategic investors. Headquartered in Hong Kong, the Group has regional headquarters in Beijing, Shanghai and Taipei with about 4,000 employees in more than 20 cities.
TOM Online Inc. is the largest wireless Internet services provider in mainland China with the most comprehensive application platform serving nearly 200 million users per day. By integrating the world’s most advanced Internet technologies and aggregating all the premium products and services, the company has successfully developed a differentiated platform to introduce seamless online-to-mobile user experience. For more information, visit http://www.tom.com.
]]>LONDON AND TOKYO – JULY 9, 2008 – Nippon Hōsō Kyōkai (NHK), the sole Japanese public broadcaster, announced today that it will bring a selection of its program offerings to Joost™, the world’s first broadcast-quality Internet television service.
“NHK has been a powerhouse of Japanese broadcasting since its launch, and to have a public broadcaster at the forefront of digital distribution demonstrates their innovative outlook,” said Mike Volpi, chief executive officer, Joost. “This is a great opportunity and partnership for Joost; we’re able to expand our international footprint and give NHK the opportunity to introduce their brand of entertainment and news programming to people around the world.”
Through the deal, NHK will distribute a variety of news and entertainment programming on Joost. The first NHK show on Joost is the NHK world program “Newsline,” which Joost is distributing globally through the duration of this week’s G8 Summit in Japan. Beginning later this summer, other NHK shows on Joost will include “imagine-nation,” a weekly magazine program that focuses on Japanese culture, including the most popular comics, anime and games.
All of the NHK programs will be available free and on-demand via Joost’s P2P streaming technology. The NHK shows currently slated for distribution on Joost are available globally and in the English language.
About Joost
Founded by Janus Friis and Niklas Zennström, Joost brings video and social interaction together online. All of the video on Joost is professionally produced and streams on-demand to people around the world for free in a high-quality format. Today, Joost has more than 30,000 program elements, including more than 400 television series and 1,200 movie and short film titles. For more information, visit http://www.joost.com.
About NHK
NHK (Japan Broadcasting Corporation), Japan’s sole public broadcaster, introduced a radio service in 1925 and a television service in 1953. Within Japan, NHK operates five television channels and three radio services that provide a diverse range of programs, including news, education, and family entertainment. Internationally, NHK offers two TV channels and radio services under the NHK WORLD umbrella.
Other recent additions to the Joost team include:
Joost has more than 30,000 program elements, including more than 400 television series and 1,200 movie and short film titles that span a wide range of entertainment across a number of genres, including animation, comedy, drama, music and sports.
For a complete listing of programming available on Joost, visit www.joost.com. ]]>NEW YORK - January 16, 2008 - Joost™, the world’s first broadcast-quality Internet television service, today announced that Matt Zelesko, has joined the company as senior vice president of engineering, responsible for all engineering operations. Zelesko will be based in New York, where he will build a second engineering hub for the company, in addition to managing the worldwide engineering team. Zelesko will also join the company’s management team.
“Matt brings an unparalleled combination of technological vision, management expertise and strategic thinking that is critical as Joost embarks on our next phase of growth,” said Mike Volpi, chief executive officer of Joost. “I’ve known Matt for many years, having worked together at Cisco, and I’m confident that he is the ideal person to lead Joost’s engineering organization.”
Having worked for technology companies in different phases, from early-stage start-ups to large, established corporations, Zelesko has extensive engineering and management experience. Prior to joining Joost, he was vice president of engineering for Comcast Interactive Media, where he was responsible for creating a platform for online video and a set of online properties including Fancast.
Zelesko worked in similar capacities for Voyence, Inc., network compliance, control and configuration management provider acquired by EMC; Ipsum Networks, a leading provider of Route Analysis and IP-layer network management solutions; and Cisco, where he was director of engineering for the Gigabit Technology Group. Zelesko has a B.S. from Cornell University and an M.S. from Stanford University.
]]>ARLINGTON, VA – Dec. 18, 2007 – PBS announced today that it will begin featuring select full-length programming on Joost™, the world’s first broadcast-quality Internet television service. At launch, the PBS offering will include popular series, such as History Detectives and Scientific American Frontiers, as well as specials from PBS’ award-winning “Empires” collection.
“PBS is dedicated to making our content as easily accessible on as many platforms as possible,” said Andrew Russell, Senior Vice President, PBS Ventures. “Working with a premier company like Joost will engage new audiences and reinforce the value of supporting local PBS stations.”
Through its partnership with Joost, PBS has bolstered its recent efforts to satisfy the burgeoning demand for online video content. Establishing a multiplatform presence is a critical component to building the PBS viewing community. PBS programming will be available free of charge to Joost users. The PBS channel can be accessed at http://joost.com/237000d.
Yvette Alberdingk Thijm, executive vice president, content strategy and acquisition for Joost, said, “PBS’ high-quality, compelling documentaries and series complement the Joost offering and give our viewers an even greater variety of programming to choose from. Documentaries are performing well on Joost, proof that people are consuming long-form programming in addition to our shorter programming, like comedy, animation, sports and music.”
Founded by Janus Friis and Niklas Zennström, Joost combines the best of TV and the best of the Internet by offering viewers a full-screen audiovisual experience enhanced with the choice, control and flexibility of Web 2.0. Joost is the first online, global TV distribution platform, bringing together advertisers, content owners and viewers in an interactive, community-driven environment.
About PBS
PBS is a media enterprise that serves 355 public noncommercial television stations and reaches nearly 73 million people each week through on-air and online content. Bringing diverse viewpoints to television and the Internet, PBS provides high-quality documentary and dramatic entertainment, and consistently dominates the most prestigious award competitions. PBS is a leading provider of digital learning content for pre-K-12 educators and offers a broad array of other educational services. PBS’ premier kids’ TV programming and Web site, PBS KIDS Online (www.pbskids.org), continue to be parents’ and teachers’ most trusted learning environments for children. More information about PBS is available at www.pbs.org, one of the leading dot-org Web sites on the Internet.
About Joost™
Joost provides a new way of watching video that combines the best of full-screen TV entertainment with the interactive and community benefits of the Internet to bring broadcast-quality video to viewers anytime, anywhere. Based on a state-of-the-art, secure, peer-to-peer streaming technology, Joost can be accessed with a broadband Internet connection and offers video content to viewers for free. Joost features more than 250 channels with programming across all genres, including: cartoons and animation; entertainment and film; sports; comedy; lifestyle and documentaries; and sci-fi. Channels and programs available on Joost vary by geographic region, based on copyright ownership.
To learn more about Joost, visit www.joost.com.
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