Blip.tv Partners With Akimbo to Bring Internet Personalities to TV

Blip.tv, an online video sharing site that hosts and distributes Web-based TV shows and videoblogs, has agreed to make its content available for television viewing through Akimbo's Internet video-on-demand service.

The content will be selected on the basis of its content, popularity, and production quality. The chosen content will be available alongside other Akimbo programming so that users can pick blip.tv shows from the listings in the onscreen Akimbo Guide. All blip.tv show creators have the option to choose whether their content can be considered for distribution through Akimbo, which delivers thousands of programs through set-top boxes to TV via broadband Internet connections.

"Blip.tv makes it easy for anyone to create, produce and distribute video shows through the Web--and beyond," said Mike Hudack, blip.tv co-founder and CEO. "Through this great partnership with Akimbo, user-created videos can now make the leap from the Internet directly to television sets. Together, we are simplifying the process of making a star out of the ordinary person. Just as any other video content, user-generated content is best enjoyed sitting on your couch, watched on a full-screen TV."

Blip.tv said this partnership marks its first step toward bringing its content to television.