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MTV, Real and Verizon team up to battle iTunes
Viacom Inc's MTV Networks said on Monday it struck a digital music partnership with online music service RealNetworks Inc and Verizon to compete against Apple Inc's iTunes service.
- Reuters
- Published: 00:13 August 22, 2007
- MTV will merge its joint venture digital music store Urge into a joint venture with RealNetworks' Rhapsody music subscription service.
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New York: Viacom Inc's MTV Networks said on Monday it struck a digital music partnership with online music service RealNetworks Inc and Verizon to compete against Apple Inc's iTunes service.
MTV will merge its joint venture digital music store Urge into a joint venture with RealNetworks' Rhapsody music subscription service, the Wall Street Journal reported. MTV launched Urge last year with Microsoft Corp.
The new pact with RealNetworks likely means the end of MTV's partnership with Microsoft, the Journal said.
Shortly after Urge was launched, Microsoft launched its digital music player and service Zune.
Verizon Wireless, a venture of Verizon Communications Inc and Vodafone Group Plc, is expected to supply mobile distribution for the joint venture's digital content, the Journal said.
The pact with Verizon Wireless could bolster the new venture's battle against the market-leading iTunes. Apple drew criticism from mobile operators and consumers when it made AT&T Inc the sole US provider of its iPhone.
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