Joost has become the latest voice to call for the Kangaroo JV to be prevented from going ahead. The Competition Commission has concluded that the UKVOD project, planned by BBC Worldwide, ITV plc and Channel 4, is likely to restrict competition within video on demand services in the UK and is now consulting on possible remedies.
In its response, Joost has echoed the comments of fellow over-the-top TV provider Babelgum, released earlier this week. “To allow the Joint Venture to proceed would likely have a detrimental effect on consumers and other participants in the market, with no tangible benefit to anyone other than the Parties.”
Joost says the Kangaroo partners have sufficient content to be able to each offer an individual service. It believes consumers would be able to easily switch between individual services. Joost describes the Competition Commission’s possible remedies as “a poor substitute for out right prohibition”.
Joost itself has struggled with its business model, last month abandoning its own software in favour of a web-based solution.
