Joost Inks Warner Bros. Deal

NEW YORK, May 7: Joost has reached an exclusive deal with Warner Bros. Television Group for the launch of two branded programming channels—WBTV: SCI-FI FIX and WBTV: Before They Were Mega Stars—on the new Internet TV platform this month.

WBTV: SCI-FI FIX will feature shows like Adventures of Briscoe County, Aquaman, Babylon 5, Crusade, Human Target, Invasion, Max Headroom, My Favorite Martian, Prey, Time Trax and V. The WBTV: Before They Were Mega Stars channel will include shows from the past that featured guest appearances from celebrities before they became famous. Brad Pitt, Kirsten Dunst, Samuel L. Jackson, Diane Keaton and Jack Nicholson made guest appearances on shows like Growing Pains, Kung Fu, Sisters and Spenser: For Hire. Viewers will be able to find these guest appearances and more exclusively on Joost. In addition, WBTV: Before They Were Mega Stars includes TV programs that launched some stars’ careers, ranging from John Travolta in Welcome Back, Kotter and Marlon and Shawn Wayans in The Wayans Bros., to Jamie Foxx, Martin Lawrence and Ben Stiller in their eponymous shows.

"We believe the advertiser-supported model for classic, current and original programming is a significant and critical segment of the long-term future of digital distribution," said Bruce Rosenblum, the president of Warner Bros. Television Group. "We are thrilled to be a part of Joost’s initial program offerings and to have the opportunity to create Warner Bros.-branded digital program services, such as WBTV: SCI-FI FIX and WBTV: Before They Were Mega Stars. The community, flexibility and wide array of programming offered by Joost are sure to make it a must destination for any TV enthusiast."

Yvette Alberdingk Thijm, the executive VP of content strategy and acquisition at Joost, commented: "As one of the premier television production studios, the fact that Warner Bros. has chosen to create its first online channels on the Joost platform shows that we are creating a unique, communal television experience for viewers where content owners can distribute professionally-produced programming with the quality and security they need.”