Joost, the fledgling internet TV platform created by the team behind Skype and Kazaa, will announce today a deal that brings on board JumpTV, an international video network that carries more than 250 channels from 70 countries.

The idea behind Joost is that it puts broadcast-quality video from existing television stations on the web, with advertising intact. Broadcasters therefore protect their revenue and users have access to an archive of programmes that they can watch at a time that suits them.

The company has already signed a deal with the media company Viacom that will allow it to show programmes from MTV, Nickelodeon, Paramount and Comedy Central.

Joost is available to a limited number of people as a beta trial version, but, following the success of YouTube, is attracting a lot of attention. It is due to be launched towards the middle of this year.

Its deal with JumpTV is unusual because Jump already has its own online network for transmitting video. Jump buys the rights to shows from TV networks and broadcasts the material over the internet, supported by adverts and subscriptions. The target audience is expatriates and ethnic audiences interested in watching TV from their homelands.

Kaleil Isaza Tuzman, the company’s chief executive, said his company would continue to show streaming video on its own web network, but use Joost as well to get its channels to a broader audience.