The world’s largest video site and the world’s biggest music company are joining up. Google’s YouTube and Vivendi’s Universal Music Group will be launching a new site, dubbed VEVO, which will highlight UMG’s videos. This is essentially what I’ve been calling “YouTube Music,” and it’s been in the works since last fall; in March I reported that the two sides had basically hammered out a deal. It’s a pretty big deal for YouTube, the music business, and the rest of the media world.

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Why did Blockbuster release some of its fourth-quarter numbers today–two weeks before it was scheduled to do so? Because it wanted to impress investors who freaked out on Tuesday when the company had to swat away rumors that it was headed for Chapter 11. Alas, investors are giving the numbers mixed reviews.

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The movie rental business is supposed to be recession-proof. That was true for Netflix, which posted great results at the end of 2008 and said this year would be even better. But that hasn’t panned out for Blockbuster, which is reportedly mulling a Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection filing. No confirmation from the company yet, but investors aren’t waiting around to find out: BBI shares are now less than a quarter a piece.

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Here’s another company that looks to be resistant to the recession and may even be benefiting from it: Netflix beat high expectations for the final quarter of 2008, and predicts a gangbusters 2009.

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ComScore, the Web analytics company which has been bringing us a weekly installment of grim news about Christmas sales since November, weighs in with its newest update. You may have heard this one before.

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Best Buy’s CEO is warning of a “long-lasting change in consumer behavior” and asking employees to quit before he fires them. But there’s a tiny bit of not-so-bad news buried in this morning’s report.

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Want to watch nerd-favorite “The Fifth Element” via Netflix’s awesome streaming service? OK, but hurry up–the movie will disappear from the service on New Year’s Day. Want to rent the excellent George Clooney corporate thriller “Michael Clayton” via iTunes? Too late! The movie was there, but now it’s not. Wait a minute: Hadn’t big media finally gotten religion and agreed to give us, the demanding consumers, everything we want, whenever we want it? Nope.

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More fuel for the online advertising pessimists among you: Advertising revenues at AOL dropped six percent in the third quarter. Given that those results cover the three-month period that ended Sept. 30, which only included a couple weeks of flat-out economic collapse, there will be worse news in store for the last quarter of the year.

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