Fergie's Tech Blog

Multi-Network Video Sharing Site Deal Probably Dead

Scott M. Fulton, III writes on BetaNews:

Broadcasting & Cable this morning cited a source close to negotiations between NBC Universal, MySpace parent Fox Interactive, and former siblings CBS Corp. and Viacom to produce a rival video sharing service to Google's YouTube, as having broken down after MTV parent Viacom walked away from the table.

At first, the concept of producing a television-centric mega-site where users would apparently happily upload clips of the network owners' own content on their behalf, for free, without fear of copyright reprisal, may have seemed tempting to negotiators even from a cost-savings standpoint.

But observers today believe the deal may have been doomed from the start, especially with the notable absence of ABC's parent company Disney, and the CW's co-owner Time Warner, whose own AOL trademark is busy trying to remake itself into some sort of YouTube/MySpace/IM amalgam.

Other analysts today said negotiators may have come to a startling realization: They're each other's direct competitors.

posted by Fergie @ 12/20/2006 04:23:00 PM