Cingular Wireless has agreed to sponsor an online battle of the bands on the popular online video-sharing site YouTube, according to a story in The New York Times.

As part the deal, Cingular will provide cash to what has become the Internet's most watched video site. Financial terms weren't disclosed.

Cingular agreed to pay for a competition that will invite bands without recording contracts to submit videos from Oct. 2 through Oct. 18.

This reminds me a little of Cingular's partnership with MySpace.com and InfoSpace in which MySpace would allow artists without recording contracts to submit songs that would be turned into ringtones and sold on MySpace at a profit to the band.

I've heard the MySpace ringtone deal didn't get off to a very good start because of issues with artists providing content that was not original. A screening committee was in place to ensure its originality, but the red tape seemed too much to get the program off to a very big start.

I wonder if YouTube will have the same problem.