Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

YouTube To Launch 'Unplugged' Online TV Service In 2017 (bloomberg.com)

Posted by BeauHD on from the everybody's-doing-it dept.

An anonymous reader quotes a report from Bloomberg: YouTube is working on a paid subscription service called Unplugged that would offer customers a bundle of cable TV channels streamed over the Internet, people familiar with the plan said. The project, for which YouTube has already overhauled its technical architecture, is one of the online video giant's biggest priorities and is slated to debut as soon as 2017, one of the people said. YouTube executives have discussed these plans with most major media companies, including Comcast Corp.'s NBCUniversal, Viacom Inc., Twenty-First Century Fox Inc. and CBS Corp., but have yet to secure any rights, said the people, who asked not to be identified because the talks are private. There are reportedly several different ways YouTube could package TV channels in the service. "In one scenario, it would build a bundle of channels with the four U.S. broadcast networks and a smattering of popular cable channels, a concept known in the industry as a skinny bundle," reports Bloomberg. "YouTube has also discussed offering a collection of less-watched TV channels and creating smaller groups of channels around themes. A YouTube Unplugged comedy bundle might include three or four TV channels such as Comedy Central, while a lifestyle bundle might include the Style Network." Apparently, sources familiar with the matter said YouTube would charge one subscription for the main bundle, and extra, smaller monthly fees for said theme-based groups.

5 of 67 comments (clear)

  1. Ummm... by erp_consultant · · Score: 4, Insightful

    "but have yet to secure any rights" - In other words, it's just a bunch of hot air. On to the next story...

    1. Re:Ummm... by kaiser423 · · Score: 2

      My guess is the threat being that if they don't secure the rights, they'll start making their own content like Netflix, Amazon, and others. This might be an olive branch to give these channels a fighting change and collaborating rather than competing.

  2. Sounds great... by kuzb · · Score: 4, Insightful

    ...but if it's full of ads like regular network television the answer will be no. I don't understand why it's acceptable to pump something full of ads when I'm already paying for it.

    --
    BeauHD. Worst editor since kdawson.
  3. Why the sudden interest? by mattyj · · Score: 3, Insightful

    What with this announcement and a similar announcement from Hulu, I'm wondering if Apple is actually about to announce something and these also-rans (ha ha) are trying to preemptively FUD them ...? One can only hope.

    I'm already on the Hulu bandwagon, paying the extra for no ads. If they can put something together with the live TV I want to watch, at a decent price, and retain the ability to cut the commercials on non-live stuff... that would be pretty compelling for a lot of people.

  4. We don't want channels anymore; maybe playlists by BlueCoder · · Score: 4, Insightful

    What is the point of channels in this day and age? Better if you just have a library of content and let customers pull from it.