Veoh.com Strikes Web Video Deal With ABC, ESPN

Veoh.com, the online video site that features short, user-submitted video clips like YouTube, has signed distribution agreements with Walt Disney Co.'s ABC television network and ESPN cable sports network to run aforementioned companies’ television shows and clips on its Web video service.

Veoh, one of the most popular video hosting services on the Internet, will index ABC’s full episodes of prime time shows like "Lost," "Desperate Housewives," "Grey's Anatomy," "Jimmy Kimmel Live" and "Ugly Betty," along with short clips and game highlights from ESPN.

Veoh will use the ABC media player- with its unparalleled online video quality through Move Networks- to stream ABC and ESPN programming on its site.

This is the second such deal from the Disney-owned ABC network after it struck a deal last year in September to distribute its primetime shows for free on AOL.

“These types of partnerships allow us to reach our fans and viewers in a much deeper and more meaningful way,” said Matt Murphy, the senior vice president for digital media distribution at Disney and ESPN Media Networks.

Although, financial terms of the ABC/Veoh deal are not yet known, but words are that ABC will pay Veoh based on the traffic it sends to the ABC.com site.

Veoh, which recently received a big $30 million round of funding, hopes its recent deal with ABC will help position it as an online portal for all full-length TV shows.

“You are practically seeing a mad rush of networks clearing rights and digitizing their shows and getting partners to showcase their shows,” said Dmitry Shapiro, Veoh’s founder and chief innovation officer. “They now realize that most of their viewership happens outside their own sites.”

Backed by former Disney chief Michael Eisner and others, Veoh currently attracts more than 28 million unique users per month. Veoh has described itself on its Website as an innovative Internet Television company that delivers broadcast-quality video programming via the Internet. The San Diego, California-based company’s portfolio includes Veoh.com, one of the most popular video hosting services on the Internet, and VeohTV, a free downloadable application that turns online video into Internet Television.

Veoh claims its online video service has more than 100,000 content publishers ranging from CBS, Viacom’s MTV Networks, FEARNet, Lions Gate, PBS, National Lampoon, Road and Track and Us Magazine to thousands of independent filmmakers and content producers.