Dailymotion and Skype Launch Mood Channels

Today, Dailymotion and Skype have launched Mood Channels using MotionMaker Creative Content. Essentially, If I understand the release correctly, Dailymotion is a YouTube-like video website that has "hooked" into Skype to allow you to set your favorite video as your Skype mood. Then your Skype mood can be shared with your Skype buddies. Sounds like the video is played directly within the Skype window, but I'm not sure. I'd be more impressed if this deal was with YouTube, that gargantuan video-sharing beast, but who am I to complain?

Release follows...

New York, NY- (July 31, 2007) - Dailymotion, the world's largest independent video sharing site, and Skype, today announced a partnership that will establish a Dailymotion channel on Skype and grant access to exclusive video content from the popular site. The new agreement provides Skype users with the ability to share creative video content from Dailymotion's new video Mood Channels. The Dailymotion channel will also facilitate viewing and discussing all of the latest user-generated content as well as professional video entertainment and other shared video files. Video clips can easily be included in a Skype mood message or any user's online profile.

The collaboration between Dailymotion (www.dailymotion.com) and Skype 3.5 for Windows provides users with a special selection of content chosen by Dailymotion's creative programming team. This content is divided according to the different moods reflected by Dailymotion's Mood Channels. The creative content for these channels is selected from submissions received via Dailymotion's innovative MotionMaker program, which identifies and rewards outstanding contributors to the Dailymotion creative community.

Following Dailymotion's global strategy, Dailymotion's Mood Channels will be localized for its key markets around the world including the US, Germany, France and the UK. Same as with its website, Dailymotion will be offering market specific channels. The user of the Dailymotion service will be directed to his/her local version.

The mood channels will feature creative content from Dailymotion's MotionMaker program. The newly launched MotionMaker program provides mentoring and tools to the most creative video creators and is running in France, Germany, and the US.

"With this partnership, two of the largest online global communities have come together to create a new experience in video sharing," said Benjamin Bejbaum, CEO and cofounder of Dailymotion. "From now on, Skype users will have access to more than 3 million videos, including premium content and exclusive artwork from our MotionMakers. Skype users will discover that creativity is one of our core values."

"Dailymotion is pleased to partner with Skype. Through this agreement, MotionMaker creators will have access to the entire Skype community of 200 million users," said Dailymotion's US General Manager, Joy Marcus. "This agreement increases the reach of our original creative content and also allows our programming partners to provide their content to a whole new audience."

Recent Dailymotion initiatives augmenting original programming on the site include a recently- announced first-look original content deal with RDF, a now-completed sketch comedy competition in conjunction with renowned comedy producer Jim Biederman and a current contest with The Weinstein Company to promote the upcoming movie FANBOYS.