With today’s launch of the broadcast-quality Internet television service Joost (www.joost.com) comes news that Turner Broadcasting System and Hasbro will begin to distribute animated content on the new platform. In addition to shows from the [adult swim] lineup and classic Transformers and G.I. Joe cartoons, Joost will feature programming from CNN, the National Hockey League (NHL), Sports Illustrated and Sony Pictures Television later this month.

The deal with Turner will see episodes of the [adult swim] animated favorites Aqua Teen Hunger Force and Robot Chicken debut on Joost this week. Meanwhile, content coming from Sony Pictures Television will include classic episodes of Spiderman, along with various live-action offerings from the ’70s, ’80s and ’90s.

Working with Hasbro, Joost will offer viewers two channels based on the company’s Transformers and G.I. Joe properties. Set to launch later this month, the Transformers channel will feature full-length episodes of the original animated series. The G.I. Joe channel will broadcast full episodes of G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero, which first aired in 1982. These programs will be available exclusively online through Joost in the U.S.

‘From compelling news magazines and cool animation to current and classic sports games, comedy and entertainment, the Joost platform is a destination for audiences looking for great programming, a flexible entertainment experience, and a community with which to share that experience,’ says Yvette Alberdingk Thijm, exec VP of content strategy and acquisition for Joost. ‘By marrying great content from all genres and compelling, interactive features, Joost is a truly unique way for consumers to watch videos online.”

Founded by Janus Friis and Niklas Zennstrom, Joost combines a TV viewing experience with the choice, control and flexibility of Web 2.0. The global online TV distribution platform can be accessed free of charge with a broadband Internet connection. As of Thursday, viewers will be able to watch programming from the new content partners by building a preferred list of channels or by using the channel catalog to find programming by name, channel or genre. Channels and programs available on Joost vary by geographic region, based on copyright ownership.