NBC Offers Video Snippets to Personal Sites

NBC plans to let owners of blogs and personal Web sites use widgets to post snippets of TV programs like "Meet the Press."

Acknowledging the power of Internet video sharing and the momentum that can be achieved via word-of-mouth on personal Web sites and blogs, NBC Universal announced today that it will enable Web site owners to post snippets of some of its television programming using small software widgets.

“We want to create a fun, shared experience for our users and understand their needs as they interact with our content beyond our online properties.” said Sab Kanaujia, NBC Universal VP of Digital Product Strategy and Development, in a release. “Changes in the behavior of online users and innovation in technology has provided us with new opportunities to grow the reach for our content and brands online.”

The widgets system, developed by Clearspring Technologies, will enable fans—or, perhaps, anti-fans—of NBC’s news, sports, and entertainment programming to post video snippets on their blogs, social networking profiles, wikis, start pages, and other sites. Initial widgets available will include content from NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams,Hard Ball with Chris Matthews,Dateline, and the venerable Meet the Press, along with content from NBC Sports, DotComedy.com, and iVillage.com, and users will be able to personalize aspects of the widgets. NBCU plans to offer additional content and personalization options over time.