Viacom partners with Joost for video

Just two weeks after pulling its content from YouTube, Viacom has agreed to license video to the video site Joost, formerly known as The Venice Project. The deal includes TV shows from Comedy Central and MTV, as well as movies from Paramount. “We’re interested in distribution of our content on as many platforms as possible, provided we can operate in a secure environment,” Viacom Chief Executive Philippe Dauman said. “This assures any potential partners that we’re open for business and that we’re able to enter into transactions with companies that respect our content and the considerations of our business.” Joost is the brainchild of Niklas Zennstrom and Janus Friis, the two guys behind Skype and KaZaa. The site’s goal is to provide high-resolution, full-length video in a TV-like environment. Joost is still in beta with a target launch date in June. (WSJ sub. req.)