YouTube Competitor Veoh Launches Peer-to-Peer Internet TV Service
Michael Eisner-backed Veoh Networks announced the commercial launch of a file-sharing Internet television service to compete with YouTube. The site opens with over 100,000 videos by amateurs and professionals after a year and a half of public testing.
Veoh promises to compensate publishers based on the audience their videos attract, like Break.com, Revver and online video sites — serveing “YouTube graduates” with next-generation video distribution tools. Veoh plans to differentiate itself from YouTube, Break.com, Revver and others with a focus on longer videos, high-quality pictures and sophisticated online publishing tools.
Veoh has secured deals with content partners such as the United Talent Agency, which plans a Veoh channel dedicated to showcasing new talent and content. Celebrity magazine Us Weekly is developing an entertainment channel on Veoh.
Analysts expect Veoh to face challenges attracting content partners as video publisher services proliferate.
Veoh also competes with BrighCove, offering Web syndication and billing services — allowing video producers to charge for their videos, and automatically distributing videos to multiple sites such as YouTube, Google Video, MySpace and Facebook.
Veoh boasts DVD-quality video that can be viewed full screen. The company charges content producers a transaction fee per video rental or purchase and by selling ads on free videos.
Veoh attracted 657,000 US visitors in January; ranking behind Break.com, Metacafe.com, and vMix.com. YouTube attracted 30 million US visitors in January.
