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YouTube To Make New Originals Available For Free, Ad-Supported Viewing (variety.com)
YouTube is removing the paywall for its original programming. Starting next year, the company will move to make all of its new original programming available for free for anyone to watch. "With the change, YouTube is moving toward more mainstream celebrity-driven and creator-based reality fare, while it will continue to greenlight scripted productions," reports Variety. From the report: Until now, YouTube Originals have mainly been available on its YouTube Premium subscription service, although YouTube also has expanded the shows and movies it makes available on an ad-supported basis. The company calls the new YouTube Originals strategy its "Single Slate," which will combine ad-supported and subscription VOD programming initiatives that by 2020 will provide free windows for all YouTube users. Some original productions will remain behind the paywall, including season 2 of "Cobra Kai," an offshoot of the "Karate Kid" movies. Moving forward, YouTube Premium will include early access to original, exclusive content as a reason to pay for the service. YouTube has faced stiff competition in trying to lure paying customers with original content against the likes of Netflix, Hulu and Amazon, which spend far more on content. "As we look to 2019, we will continue to invest in scripted programming and shift to make our YouTube Originals ad supported to meet the growing demand of a more global fanbase," a YouTube rep said in a statement. "This next phase of our originals strategy will expand the audience of our YouTube Original creators, and provide advertisers with incredible content that reaches the YouTube generation."
Youtube inserts commercials right in the middle of a person talking and it always pisses me the hell off... The commercials are short, but it's still effing annoying.
If they can't find a decent place to put their commercials, and they insist on monetizing it, then they should reject the video, and ask the uploader to insert blackouts where commercials can be put before reuploading it before it will be allowed to remain up.
File under 'M' for 'Manic ranting'
This should be a good change. One good show from YouTube is a SciFi called Origin. On any other network or Netflix is would probably be reasonably popular but no know even knows it exists because its on YouTube Premium.
How is advertising-supported TV going in the US?
In Australia, the TV networks are circling the plug hole (anticlockwise, of course).
Quality has gone through the floor - lots of "reality TV" and re-runs of imports.
15 minutes of advertising per hour, not including the product placement and travel, home improvement, etc shows that look more like infomercials.
Cable was super-expensive here (and still has adverts), so we were mostly moving to piracy and a bit of TIVO-ing until Netflix and the like arrived.
So you-tube heading in that direction does not sound like a good thing.