The Internet video P2P startup Joost has enlisted the power house of talent agencies to help it generate more stuff. Joost signed on with Creative Artists Agency, which represents, among others, Tom Cruise, Cameron Diaz, Leonardo DeCaprio, George Clooney, Bruce Willis, Merle Streep and Brad Pitt but not Angelina Jolie.
Joost was founded by the creators of Skype and beta launched in January. It continues to expand in beta and has about 150 channels. The venture recently signed content deals with CBS, Viacom and Turner.
The video-delivery model proffered by Joost is an on-demand, online type of service that includes P2P functionality as well as copyright protection. Chat and instant messaging capabilities are available as video overlays, or as Joost puts it, "baked right into the TV experience."
