Joost – Skype founders officially name online TV service

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Niklas Zennstrom and Janus Friis, then men behind the Skype telephony service, have officially unveiled their new internet TV service – Joost – designed to give broadcasters a worldwide online outlet for their programming.

Speaking to the BBC, chief executive Frederik de Wahl claimed Joost offered something different from other online broadcasting: “We are trying to replicate the complete television experience. It’s full-screen, broadcast quality, you’ve got instant channel flipping, and interactivity – a viewer can come to us and get all their TV needs.”

Joost will be a free peer-to-peer service, supported by advertising revenues. The programming currently being broadcast to beta testers mixes sports, documentaries and music programming. Mr De Wahl promises a more extensive and impressive line-up for the official launch later this year.

Will it be worth tuning into Joost ahead of online services from the likes of ITV and Channel 4? We’ll tell you after the full service launches.

Joost website

Dave Walker
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