LG is partnering with YOUTUBE to bring full YouTube services to its handsets. Users will be able to record and upload short films directly to the site, as well as view content from YouTube’s vast library of videos. The YouTube-enabled phones will be available by the end of the year.
eMARKETER estimates that ad-spending on user-generated sites will grow to $4.3 billion by 2011. The UGC space is growing at a very rapid rate. Last year, $450 million was spent on UGC content sites. This year, spending is expected to reach $1 billion.
COMCAST has begun publicizing its top-selling VOD data. Most providers keep this data under wraps — but Comcast will start releasing it to the media on a weekly basis in several markets. Comcast has already begun sharing VOD data for Boston, Baltimore, Philadelphia, Washington, D.C., and Pittsburgh.
eBAY has opened a new classified ad service in the United States. The site is called Kijiji, and until now it was only available internationally. Kijiji will enter direct competition with Craigslist — which is 25% owned by eBay.