Saying that the Internet is moving toward more market fragmentation, Philippe Dauman, CEO of Viacom (VIA-B) said that the strategy of the company will reflect those realities.
While the last I heard they already had 230 microsites up and running, they are building them fast, so I'm sure they've surpassed that number. Originally the company mentioned creating 300 sites, but it looks like they're going to go far beyond that number.
All the new sites will be centered around interactive communities built around the various brands with the MTV Networks portfolio. They'll include blogs, message boards and discussion groups, among other things.
Viacom has also decided to go it alone in reference to the new online video site that will compete with YouTube (GOOG), being built by News Corp. (NWS-A) and NBC Universal (GE).
Dauman says that the company wants to retain control of its content while keeping expenses down. "We can adapt the terms of distribution to our advantage," he said. Instead they have partnered with Joost to offer its programming online, focusing on professionally produced content.
Comment Preview