Updated: It won’t be for another few days before anyone can join Joost, but the company has officially announced that it is launching commercially. Starting today, existing beta testers can now invite anyone to join Joost. Beta testers visit the “Invite Friends” widget in the “My Joost” area, and will be able to invite anyone they know to the Joost community. Both new and existing users can download a new version of Joost today.
Joost is the latest start-up by Janus Friis and Niklas Zennström, who had previously started Kazaa and Skype. Joost, earlier known as The Venice Project, is based on the same core P2P technology. However, the big picture of Joost is that it will lead to the development of highly personal TV channels. (Joost:It’s the meta data stupid.)
In an interview this morning, Yvette Alberdingkthijm, Joost’s EVP, Content Strategy & Acquisition told us that by the end of May 2007, Joost will be available to everyone.
She also pointed out that most of the content on the network is currently in English — the US and UK are the top two sources of Joost traffic. Canada, Asia and Western Europe are next. Joost currently has over 100,000 beta testers. (Joost executives said, 100’s of thousands, which typically means 100,000. Chalk that to hearing same line from different companies for about a decade now.)
Alberdingkthijm expects the company to have millions of users, though I think it is easier said than done. There are some practical limitations - the number of people with really high speed connections and the latest laptops/computers is a finite one. In fact, most of the true broadband countries — Denmark, France, Germany, Sweden, South Korea and Japan — are non-English speaking nations, and Joost will have to boost its content offering for those nations before getting to the millions-of-users-mark.
The company is looking to add more content and plans to grow in these non-English speaking countries in Europe, Asia and Latin America. Though English-speaking viewers are also getting more content as well.
The latest to join the Joost party is Turner Broadcasting, so now you can watch Sports Illustrated Swimsuit videos anytime you want. Ice hockey fans can also watch NHL games, while there are plans to add CNN to the Joost mix.
Last week, Joost announced that it had signed more than 30 blue-chip brands, including The Coca-Cola Company, HP, Intel and Nike, as advertising launch partners. Of these 30, 20 are US only advertisers and 4 are international advertisers. These ads will start showing up on the platform starting today, though won’t be in full display till end of May 2007.
78 comments so far
9:14 AM PT
Om, how do you define a true broadband country? I think UK has more boradband subscribers than dialup now. So 50%? 60% 70%??
9:31 AM PT
Any country where 256 kbps or 384 kbps isn’t sold as broadband, and nearly 25% people are using connections that are faster than 6 megabits per second. That would be my definition.
I think true broadband leaders are the ones where 25-50 megabits per second is standard.
9:46 AM PT
Om - It would be read if you could send an invite, now that they’re unlimited? : )
9:46 AM PT
my fault … I meant to say RAD.
10:08 AM PT
Om,
one invite for me too please :)
10:16 AM PT
The invites are coming: at 11 am. stay tuned.
10:32 AM PT
Hello Om,
If it is possible, could you please send me an invite?
Thank you!
(P.S. Should I have included my email address in this comment or can you see the one that I used to post this comment?)
10:40 AM PT
Hi,
I am desperatly looking for an invite. Could someone please send an invite to godinperson@hotmail.com
Thank you very much!
10:49 AM PT
Hi OM,
Could I please get an invite also?
Thanks a bunch!
10:51 AM PT
Would also very much appreciate an invite. Thank you in advance.
dave [dot] winfield [at] gmail [dot] com
11:04 AM PT
Hello,
Could you please send me an invite ?
Thank you very much
ccc01 at hotmail.fr
11:04 AM PT
Hi, could you please send me an invite?
Thank you very much!
11:11 AM PT
Om,
Can you give us any idea of when they will open this up to indie filmmakers, as Joost would be a great transport for our show.
11:22 AM PT
Hello Om,
I wasn’t sure if I should’ve include my em-address in my previous comment or not, so here it is.:
p3cjbq08kf9r6v5@afrobacon.com
Thank you in advance for the invite!
11:57 AM PT
Hi
Read the article and it aroused my curiosity. I have never written an comment to a blogg before but now my desire for an joost invite has deflowered me. I am no longer a blogg comment virgin.
Om, if You could pleeeeease send me an invite I would be really happy.
Oh by the way, great article. I do want to raise a point concerning the content to non-english speaking contries. In sweden, most young people (younger than 40 and older than 10) speak good english. Swedes tend to be very confortable with english only content. The only obstacle is what the content is about. It does not appeal to us to see commercials about products and services only sold in the states. The only exeption is movies, tv shows and music since we download that from the net anyway. Why wait two years before it reaches our local tv stations.
Best regards from an ex blogg comment virgin
12:43 PM PT
I would also really appreciate an invite. Many many thanks, Om!
cpkalled@gmail.com
12:48 PM PT
Has anyone received an invite yet?…I haven’t.
12:52 PM PT
Definitely one for me would be much appreciated. joeshmoeypeter (AT) yahoo. Thanks Om!
1:10 PM PT
I have access to Joost, but the service itself seems to be down. It won’t boot up because of an error. I will also send out invites when the service comes back up.
1:16 PM PT
Hi Amit Chowdhry,
when the service comes back up will you be able to send me an invite, and also, will I be able to send out invites to anyone as soon as I get an account?
Thanks!
1:35 PM PT
Hey, very interested in this service.
I will trade an invite to “iminlikewithyou.com” for a joost invite.
Please send to globevision@gmail.com
1:44 PM PT
It would be great to get an invite. nee (AT) bnee.com
1:53 PM PT
no prob hobo. just drop me an e-mail at amit [[at]]] pulse2 [[dot]]] com with your e-mail and a reminder.
1:57 PM PT
If anyone has an extra invite, please send it to veytsel at gmail dot com.
2:22 PM PT
Hi,
I would like to be invited if you have any left!
Here is my email:
popopenacanofspamandeatit[AT]gmail[DOT]com
Thx!
2:36 PM PT
Hi Amit,
I sent you a “Joost Invite Reminder” email.
Thanks!
2:45 PM PT
could you please send an invitation to me as well?
my address is
tural16 att yahoo dott com
thanks in advance…
2:54 PM PT
I know I’m not the fastest to reply but I’d be very happy about an invitation, too.
toeb /at/ gmx.net
3:05 PM PT
I’d love an invite:
bramhubbell@gmail.com
Thanks.
3:13 PM PT
I just saw (20 - 30 minutes ago?) on Reuters that Joost added 2 more content partners. I think that it may have said Sony and Turner?
3:52 PM PT
Please send me an invite. It would be much appreciated!
4:12 PM PT
I hate to sound like ‘one of the crowd’ but I would be gratefully appreciative of an invite too!
matt.harwood [at] yahoo.co.uk
Thanks in advance to whoever sends one! :)
4:52 PM PT
This is the Topic from the Joost IRC channel on Freenode
“Sorry no unlimited invites till tomorrow”
5:30 PM PT
Would really like an invite. THANKS
alan.777.smith@gmail.com
6:30 PM PT
Joost is about to pwn half the video sites out there. Look out!
The same thing happend to mp3 sites when Napster / P2P went big back in the late 90s.
6:30 PM PT
Sorry to hijack the comment thread, but I think Om’s time is a bit too valuable to waste the day giving out invites. ;)
We’ve set up a self-service invites system at Mashable - feel free to use it:
(link)
6:31 PM PT
I only 5 invites, and I have given them all away. Are more coming? I have tons of requests. Later,
Mark
6:39 PM PT
Would love an invite if you please. Thank anyway no matter what…
7:27 PM PT
I’m an olde guy 67. I would like to be young and cutting edge again. I don’t do much w/ computer except email and google. But I love to explore stuff in the wee hours of the morning. I would love to have a whack at joost if somebody would let me have an invite….tks; dorr
8:06 PM PT
An invite is highly appreciated. Thanks OM.
9:21 PM PT
Guys,
If you are looking for invites, by 11 am I should have something all organized for you - it be relatively simple and we should all have as many invites as we need -
2:46 AM PT
someone please send me an invite:
kupony@yahoo.com
thank you!
3:07 AM PT
Hi Om,
Would appreciate an invite as well.
email: prasingh at gmail dot com
cheers !
5:35 AM PT
May I too have an invitation for Joost please?? Thanks for the initiative OM.
5:47 AM PT
Untill now I was actually pretty satisfied with Dataone’s 256kbps. But now I want 1 mpbs :(
Anyway, if anyone is looking for invites - I am giving them away at my blog.
11:26 AM PT
Hey all,
I found this cool site that gives away unlimited joost invites, just go here:
(link)
And ask the live support.
2:50 PM PT
Could I please have an invite? Thanks so much!
3:06 PM PT
I would love an invite if that’s at all possible.
Many thanks in advance,
DL
david [dot] lerman [at] gmail [dot] com
3:54 PM PT
hey how about it?
junkmail49 [at] gmail.com
8:30 PM PT
Hey,
If you want an invite mail me at
andy (dot) scott12 (at) gmail.com (dot) com
cheers
Andy
8:17 AM PT
please send an invite to klemp123@yahoo.com
5:21 AM PT
hi!
i know i’m late, but if there’s a possibility to get an invitation i really would be very pleased.
michael|dot|brantner|at|gmail|dot|com
michael
4:39 AM PT
Could you please to send me a Joost invite?
Best regards!
1:05 PM PT
Would love to test out the Joost system!! Please? ;D
Geo
7:22 AM PT
Please send over a Joost invite to kapil_jn at yahoo.com
11:50 AM PT
Joost has virtually given us unlimited invites in the new software version. I’ve given out 200 of those.. Do share it..
(link)
7:17 PM PT
I know you’ve gotten so inundated, but could you please send me an invite?
Thanks so much!!! I’m a big fan!!
PS. What happened to your podcast? I dont get updated anymore. did you change the link?
8:38 AM PT
May I have one? Please send me an invite. Thank
reklamy1@inmail.sk
3:07 PM PT
I just saw an article about Joost on (link) , I am curious about how this works. Could you please send me an invite? Thanks
4:32 PM PT
Please may i have an invite thankyou
2:57 PM PT
Please send me an invite …thanks
10:06 PM PT
Could you invite me? Thanks a million.
8:11 AM PT
I would like an invite..thanks
9:08 AM PT
Hi! I’ve love an invite to joost.
lasse180(at)hotmail(dot)com
12:02 PM PT
plz send me invitation on
luckyman0072002@yahoo.co.in
12:13 PM PT
hey, guys! 6 brand new Joost invitations! share and invite others so we can spread the news. download here as a free rapidshare user, the password is rar:
(link)
thanks!
7:01 PM PT
Please send me an invitation !!
Regards from Brazil !!
7:21 PM PT
Hi
Please…!!!
I would like to get a joost invite
3:16 AM PT
I appreciate to an invite. many thanks OM.
MUNYE
3:32 AM PT
Please send me an invitation to JOOST
1:27 AM PT
Hi,
I would be very happy if you could invite me…!
All the best,
Fredrik
4:53 AM PT
i would like an invite to Joost. Thank you
9:49 AM PT
12:24 PM PT
Hi,
Could I get an invite if one is still available?
Thanks!
4:36 PM PT
Love to try Joost. Like an invite please.
6:05 AM PT
Would really appreciate an invite
Thanks
2:21 PM PT
does anyone out there have a joost invite pleeeaaassse I can’t seem to get one to save my life! enderthirteen@yahoo.com please and thank you if you do.
9:21 PM PT
Hey! Please if anyone is feeling gratious, send me a joost invite! :] I will return the favor, scouts honor!
thedoors815@gmail.com
Thanks!!