Viacom Against Google

FREE IFN Newsletter

Viacom Against Google

By: Andy Beal
2007-04-24

Does Viacom have a grudge against Google? Thats the topic I explore in my latest article for Business Week. Heres an extract

Viacoms Vendetta?
The media giant is forging partnerships with everyone but Google, a snub that could eventually take a toll on the search titan

What exactly did Google do to create such a fervent enemy-combatant in the media company Viacom? Ever since we learned of the collapse of discussions over carrying Viacom cable content on YouTube, Viacom has been on an apparent crusade to bring Google to its knees.

After months of negotiations to give Googles YouTube permission to display video programming from Viacoms Comedy Central, MTV, VH1, and Nickelodeon cable channels, the deal collapsed in February. Viacom executives claimed it has become clear that YouTube is unwilling to come to a fair market agreement. Following that statement, Viacom quickly inked a deal with Joost, effectively handing the up-and-coming rival video service hundreds of hours of licensed programming that Google (GOOG) had coveted for YouTube (see BusinessWeek.com, 2/21/07, Viacom Juices Joost).

Since then, Viacom (VIA) has slapped YouTube with a $1 billion lawsuit claiming the video-sharing site had built a lucrative business out of exploiting the devotion of fans to others creative works in order to enrich itself and its corporate parent Google. In addition, Viacom announced a partnership to bring its video programming to mobile handsets, via Sprint Nextel (S) and on Apr. 10 announced a multiyear search-engine-advertising deal with Googles archrival, Yahoo! (YHOO) (see BusinessWeek.com, 4/11/07, Viacom Spurns Google for Yahoo).

(read the remainder at Business Week)

Comments

Tag: Google, Viacom

Add to

Del.icio.us |

Digg |

Reddit |

Furl

View All Articles by Andy Beal

About the Author:
Andy Beal is an internet marketing consultant and considered one of the world's most respected and interactive search engine marketing experts. Andy has worked with many Fortune 1000 companies such as Motorola, CitiFinancial, Lowes, Alaska Air, DeWALT, NBC and Experian.

You can read his internet marketing blog at Marketing Pilgrim and reach him at [email protected].


Dow	13675.25	-0.98	(-0.01%)
Nasdaq	2774.76	-24.50	(-0.88%)
S&P 500	1515.88	0.00	(0.00%)


Titan Quest Forum	Nintendo Wii	Graphics Forum
Halo 3 Forum	Mac Software