YouTube Considers UK-Specific TV Shows, Movies

imageimage YouTube could soon be adding entire UK movies and TV shows to the video sharing site, in an extension of its roll-out of long-form entertainment content in the US in April. NMA reports today that the Google-owned site is in talks with partners including Sony (NYSE: SNE) Pictures, Channel 4 and ITV (LSE: ITV) to host long-form TV shows and films. Without confirming or denying that story, a YouTube spokesman told paidContent:UK: “We are always interested in bringing that (long-form) content to other territories — we always like to make content available as widely as possible.” The US shows section is clearly visible to European users, but the content is inaccessible (see picture).

Given the collapse of Project Kangaroo, Channel4 and ITV are both looking for ways to commercialise their back catalogue of TV shows, but YouTube’s spokesman wouldn’t confirm any long-form ontent agreements, adding that any change would be “subject to what partners want to do”. YouTube points out it’s always been possible for partners to upload long-form content, but talks will be needed to sort out the very different advertising strategy that comes with longer clips and the specific revenue-sharing agreements between Google (NSDQ: GOOG), content owners and distributors. In the States YouTube added “thousands of TV shows” and movies as part of a bid to reach the monetisation it has so far lacked and partners there include Sony Pictures, MGM, Discovery (NSDQ: DISAB) and CBS (NYSE: CBS). US VOD platform Hulu is in talks on a possible UK launch.

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