• CNet, Friday, April 24, 2009 11:45 AM

Joost, the online video startup powered by P2P technology, is putting itself on the block, and Time Warner Cable is among the interested buyers, CNet reports.

Sources claim that Joost has been actively seeking a buyer, telling cable and satellite companies that it could be their online video solution. They also claim that Time Warner Cable is one of the companies that has expressed interest, although neither TWC nor Joost would comment.

As CNet's Greg Sandoval notes, "Joost is a story of missed opportunities, bad luck, and the folly of thinking whiz-bang technology alone is enough to forge a winning entertainment site." The video site/app launched in 2007 with a great deal of fanfare, thanks to its tech celebrity co-founders Niklas Zennstrom and Janus Friis (of Skype and KaZaa fame). Many thought the P2P technology that made their other efforts so successful couldn't lose, but two years later, the company has struggled with changing personnel and a failure to partner with top content providers. "Joost's traffic and content library are mediocre at best," says Sandoval, noting that the twin powers in the online video business today are YouTube and Hulu.

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