Joost(TM) (www.joost.com), the world's first broadcast-quality
Internet television service, today announced that it has commercially
launched. Campaigns from the 32 companies announced as advertising
partners last week will begin airing on the platform this month.
Additionally, as a part of this launch, all existing Joost beta
testers now have an unlimited number of invitations that they can send
to their friends, family and colleagues.
"Today marks the beginning of an exciting phase for Joost - we are
officially open for business," said David Clark, executive vice
president of global advertising for Joost. "We're enabling our viewers
to share Joost with their friends and family, and we're working
collaboratively with the world's leading advertisers and agencies to
design a new ad model for the next generation of television."
Last week, Joost announced that it had signed more than 30
blue-chip brands, including The Coca-Cola Company, HP, Intel and Nike,
as advertising launch partners. Beginning today, advertisements from
some of the ad launch partners will begin to play on the platform.
Advertisements from all ad launch partners will be on Joost later this
month.
Previously available in an expanded beta, Joost now is available
to an unlimited number of friends, family and colleagues of existing
beta testers. Starting today, when beta testers visit the "Invite
Friends" widget in the "My Joost" area of Joost, they will be able to
invite anyone they know to the Joost community. Both new and existing
users can download a new version of Joost today.
Founded by Janus Friis and Niklas Zennstrom, Joost combines the
best of TV and the best of the Internet by offering viewers a unique,
TV-like 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. Joost can be accessed
with a broadband Internet connection and offers broadcast-quality
content to viewers for free.
Previously known as The Venice Project, Joost features more than
150 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. While the
most programming currently is available to viewers in the U.S., Joost
is enhancing its worldwide offering with the addition of
international, regional and local partners on a continual basis.
About Joost(TM)
Joost(TM) provides a new way of watching TV that combines the best
of full-screen television entertainment with online interactive and
community benefits to bring an unprecedented selection of video
content to viewers anytime, anywhere. Joost is based on a
state-of-the-art, secure, peer-to-peer streaming technology.
To learn more about Joost, visit www.joost.com.
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