MTV and YouTube Form Partnership

Posted on March 7, 2006

MTV and YouTube have formed a partnership. TV.com reports that the partnership that will have YouTube running clips from some of the shows on MTV2.

The site has struck its first formal partnership to obtain copyrighted content with MTV2, a cable channel overseen by Viacom's MTV Networks, a spokesman confirmed. YouTube has drawn sharp criticism from broadcasters for allowing its users to upload pirated programming from the airwaves without permission. MTV2 is seeding YouTube.com with multiminute clips from a pair of series promoting new seasons and DVD releases this month: "The Andy Milonakis Show" and "Wonder Showzen."

MTV seems to get YouTube and its growing traffic better than some other media companies. YouTube videos are often inserted into blog posts by bloggers which helps some of them become viral videos that can be seen by millions of people. NBC was widely criticized for demanding that YouTube remove the Lazy Sunday: Chronicles of Narnia video from its website last month.