• by Mark Walsh  @markfwal, October 31, 2007

MLB.com has been notoriously protective when it comes to its content, focusing on paid subscriptions rather than widespread distribution online.

So it was a coup for Internet TV rookie Joost to land a deal with MLB.com to stream 2007 postseason baseball games and highlights on demand for fans outside the United States and Japan. "We're testing the global market and what Joost brings is their international reach," said MLB.com spokesman Matthew Gould.

The site was started last year by Skype and Kazaa founders Niklas Zennstr"m and Janus Friis.

Lately, Major League Baseball's official site has begun opening up more. In March, it partnered with Apple to offer downloads of its 30-minute "Daily Rewind" highlight package and two games weekly via iTunes starting at $1.99. In September, MLB.com also struck a distribution deal with syndicated sports programming site CineSport.

Joost, which began public beta testing in October, is running brief "introstitials," mid-rolls and branded overlays during Daily Rewind shows and games. Ad revenue is being shared with MLB.com on an undisclosed basis. MLB.com plans to discuss with Joost during the off-season whether to extend its partnership to the 2008 season.

MW