In a direct challenge to the dominance of YouTube, NBC Universal and News Corp. said they had formed a joint venture to launch a free-distribution video network this summer. AOL, MSN, Yahoo! and News Corp.-owned MySpace will be the site’s initial distribution partners. The site offers free long- and short-form video and full episodes and clips from current hit shows, including “The Simpsons,” “24,” “Heroes,” and “My Name is Earl.” Charter advertisers include General Motors, Cadbury Schweppes, Cisco, Esurance, and Intel. The new site “supercharges” NBC’s distribution of protected, quality content to fans everywhere, said NBC Universal President and CEO Jeff Zucker. “Consumers get a hugely attractive aggregation of a wide range of content, and marketers get a novel way to connect with a large and highly engaged audience,” Zucker said. Feature films like “Borat,” “Little Miss Sunshine,” and “The Bourne Identity” will also be included in the lineup. Post-launch, plans will be considered for acquiring additional content as well as producing and licensing original programming for the new site’s audience. The new company will be located in New York and Los Angeles. In only two years, YouTube managed to corner the market as the Internet’s premiere site for viewing and distributing video. Content at the site ranges from clips of television shows and feature films to short form video from amateurs. The site allows for users to comment on clips and share them with friends.