Social Networking Watch: News on the Social Networking and Social Media Industry

Joost Shopping Itself To Satellite And Cable Providers

CNET NEWS -- Apr 23 -- Joost is actively seeking a buyer and the video service has told cable and satellite providers that it could be their online video solution, according to a source close to the companies. Launched in 2007, the company was created by the same pair that created Skype and Kazaa and was sure to be more efficient and provide higher quality video. With technology setbacks and failure to land top TV shows and films, Joost’s content library is mediocre at best, and they have also fallen behind YouTube and Hulu in the Web video sector. Earlier this month, Sony Pictures didn't renew their licensing agreement with Joost in favor of striking up a deal with YouTube. FULL ARTICLE @ CNET NEWS

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Joost Teams Up With Netlog

TECH CRUNCH -- Mar 5 -- Joost is forming an alliance with Europe’s leading social network, Belgium-based Netlog, theoretically expanding its reach to 40m people. The deal will allow Netlog’s audience to access Joost’s video library straight from its starting page, where they’ll be able to view, share and comment on 57,000+ music videos, TV shows, etc. Activity will be pushed to users’ news feed. Netlog is growing fast, especially in Eastern Europe and the Middle-East. Netlog raised €5m from Index Ventures in April 2007. Joost raised $45m. FULL ARTICLE @ TECH CRUNCH

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Skype Folks Raising New Fund

MASHABLE -- Apr 25 -- Skype co-founders are raising a big new fund which will invest in European startups through their investment group, Atomico. Atomico is known for investing in several big European startups: FON, Seesmic, Joost, and Last.FM, the last of which was sold to CBS for 280 million dollars. They are planning to raise 300m euros. FULL ARTICLE @ MASHABLE

Joost: Downgrade From Next Big Thing?

JUST AN ONLINE MINUTE -- Apr 7 -- The Times reported that Joost has been "overshadowed" by the BBC's iPlayer and Hulu, a joint venture of the newspaper's parent company News Corp. and NBC. Joost CEO, Mike Volpi, meanwhile, denies the company is in trouble. He said that Joost plans to announce a Web-based service soon. Joost offers high-quality TV shows via the Web. Hulu.com is undoubtedly one major rival. Hulu launched last month and offers hundreds of free TV shows and movies. Hulu, unlike Joost, is Web-based, requiring no additional downloads. FULL ARTICLE @ MEDIA POST

Joost Tries To Be The Anti-YouTube

MATHEWINGRAM.COM -- July 15 -- Janus Friis and Niklas Zennstrom, who revolutionized online-music with Kazaa and voice-over-Internet business with Skype, may take television with an Internet-based "network" called Joost – formerly The Venice Project. It streams TV-style content over the Web making each viewer's computer a hub streaming content to others.  Joost has agreements with Viacom, CBS and CNN, and a three-month trial with major advertisers such as Coca-Cola, Nike and General Motors. Joost is signing new content deals with Turner Broadcasting, National Hockey League, CNN and Sports Illustrated, and popular 1970s TV shows such as Charlie's Angels and Starsky & Hutch. The service is expected to launch later this summer. FULL ARTICLE @ MATHEWINGRAM.COM

British Dotcomers

THE BUSINESS - June 6 -- Niklas Zennström and Janus Friis, the founders of Skype and Kazaa, chose London as the base for Joost, their revolutionary new internet television channel. Last.fm was sold last week to America's CBS for $280m (£141m, e207m), netting its three founders $38m each. Among London's most exciting dotcoms are PPLparty.com, a clubbing site with 320,000 users; Faceparty.com, a social networking website that boasts 5.9m users and 20 staff; Zopa, which matches people looking for loans with people seeking to lend money; TrustedPlaces, a restaurant review site; and isporty, a sports club networking site. Steve and Julie Pankhurst, the founders of Friends Reunited, sold their business for only £120m to the independent broadcaster ITV in 2005; at the time, this seemed like a king's ransom but the site now counts 12m users and is undoubtedly worth a lot more. FULL ARTICLE @ THE BUSINESS