Viacom strikes mobile video ad deal with Intel, Pepsi

New York (NY) - In a bid to earn more money from its mobile video streaming, Viacom has finalized deals with Pepsi and Intel to provide ads for its cell phone videos.

Viacom says that about one million of its videos from services like Sprint TV and Verizon V Cast are streamed every month. Its MTV programming, especially music videos and The Daily Show/Colbert Report, have some of the strongest mobile viewership numbers.

Previously, Viacom received no ad revenue from these videos, but it does get a portion of the subscription and download fees that carriers charge. "We believe advertising can work on the wireless platform. Indeed we view it as a critical medium," said Viacom CEO Pilippe Dauman at a keynote during the CTIA wireless conference this week.

With the new announcement, Viacom also plans to move its Nickeloden, Spike TV, and TV Land brands to a larger mobile scope later this year.