News Networks Pick Their Web Vendors

News video is the largest category of online video, according to multiple studies — 62 percent of web users watched news clips online in the first half of 2007, said a recent report by InsightExpress for Advertising.com.

So when a vendor scores a deal to provide publishing, management, delivery, and advertising services for a major news provider, we completely understand if they break out the bubbly and send out a press release. That’s what Maven Networks is doing, today announcing it has signed Fox News to power all of its online video channels.

Fox had previously used mostly “home-brewed” video solutions, according to Maven founder and CEO Hilmi Ozguc. The news network is the latest in a recent hot streak of Maven deals, with Sony BMG, the Financial Times, Univision (our coverage), and TV Guide coming onto its platform. (FOX television programs are treated separately, and will distributed as part of Hulu, News Corp’s (NWS) joint venture with NBC Universal.)

Also this week, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg announced he was spending $100,000 on creating and operating NYC TV On-Demand, an online video platform for the city’s local information television station. The venture is powered by Maven competitor Brightcove, which has its own impressive list of news video partners, including the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal.