After some small rumblings from media companies like NBC and CBS (where they asked YouTube to take off unauthorized clips off the service), YouTube has struck its first formal partnership to obtain copyrighted content with MTV2, a division of MTV/Viacom.

MTV2 is seeding the site with multiminute clips from a pair of series promoting new seasons and DVD releases this month: “The Andy Milonakis Show” and “Wonder Showzen. MTV2 is listed atop the rankings of “today’s featured videos” on the YouTube homepage along with a network logo identifying MTV2 as an “official partner.”

YouTube has made some changes in its upload policy language, following concerns from media companies. In addition, the upload process is now embedded with a “premium content provider program” that offers to co-brand any “professional” material.

Staci adds: Especially interesting given that Viacom is one of the media companies that has been holding back on deals with sites that don’t take down illegally uploaded material without an official complaint from the copyright holder. The new YouTube includes the warning language we suggested earlier this week but still relies on the company to complain.

It’s a smart move from YouTube when it comes to the content providers; remains to be seen how the “official partner concept will go over in a user-gen environment. The clip from “The Andy Milonakis Show” pinned to the top of the video list had 63,000+ views as of this posting. My favorite viewer comment so far: “And so the answer to the question ‘How the hell does youtube make money” is finally answered.’”

Update:A MTVN exec tells me that “formal agreement” is too strong a term, saying this is a marketing test MTV2 is trying with YouTube and other viral sites, including Viacom’s iFilm; nothing official or contractural.

Related:

—Networks Grapple With YouTube; CBS’s Turn

—NBC’s C&D To YouTube For SNL Video Clips; YouTube Complies