Online video platform Vevo has teamed up with MTV to showcase some of the top performances from Sunday's Video Music Awards, although there are glaring exclusions of Beyoncé and Rihanna. The partnership is still surprising, however, in that the Vevo and MTV have been at odds in the past, viewing each other as competitors.
When Vevo debuted as an online music video platform in 2009, MTV owner Viacom viewed it as a threat to MTV's music video dominance, and as an attempt to emulate the basic cable network's format on the web. The relationship between the two became so dicey that at one point, Universal, owner of Vevo, removed all of its artists' music videos from MTV's website for longer than a year.
Vevo seemingly took another shot at MTV in 2012, when it introduced Vevo TV and announced its intention to eventually add VJ's to the mix. The platform never took off, however, and was removed from Vevo's website this year as part of an overall redesign. The company is now looking to launch a subscription service at some point which would function as a video version of top music streamer Spotify.
MTV appears interested in partnering with Vevo now in order to win online eyeballs as its cable channel suffers, particularly with the loss of younger viewers. The network's share of the coveted 18-49 audience is half of what it was 5 years ago, as is the viewership for its signature VMA telecast.
That's apparently the reason the two platforms are suddenly teamed up to bring online viewers video clips of many of the performances from Sunday's VMAs. Vevo's website is featuring the clips, along with its YouTube channel and other affiliate sites. Viewers can catch Britney Spears and G-Eazy duet in their hybrid performance of their respective hits "Make Me" and "Me, Myself & I," heralded by Kim Kardashian who introduced the act, as Spears' "triumphant comeback" to the VMA stage.
Vevo also offers the clip of Nick Jonas and Ty Dolla Sign performing "Bacon" in a New York City Diner, The Chainsmokers featuring Halsey performing their current number one song on the Billboard Hot 100, "Closer," Ariana Grande teaming up with Nicki Minaj for their live rendition of "Side to Side" as well as Future's VMA performance.
That leaves two glaring omissions of both Beyoncé and Rihanna, in what were considered by many to be the standout performances of the night. It looks as if MTV isn't ready to give up all the goods to Vevo just yet, and viewers will have to head over to the MTV's own website to catch both divas epic VMA throwdowns.
