Google set to unveil subscriptions for specialist YouTube videos (Updated)
Posted by: Tim Tibbetts on 05/09/2013 08:03 PM [ Comments ]
Google has gone live with the paid channels. According to their blog:
"Starting today, we’re launching a pilot program for a small group of partners that will offer paid channels on YouTube with subscription fees starting at $0.99 per month. Every channel has a 14-day free trial, and many offer discounted yearly rates. For example, Sesame Street will be offering full episodes on their paid channel when it launches. And UFC fans can see classic fights, like a full version of their first event from UFC’s new channel. You might run into more of these channels across YouTube, or look here for a list of pilot channels. Once you subscribe from a computer, you’ll be able to watch paid channels on your computer, phone, tablet and TV, and soon you’ll be able to subscribe to them from more devices."
Rumor has it Google is on the verge of unveiling an à la carte subscription service for some of YouTube's specialist video channels, to finance a broader range of content and add a second revenue stream to the digital video market leader.
The move, which has been in the works for months, could be announced as early as this week. It will apply to as many as 50 YouTube channels, people familiar with the plan say. Viewers will be able to subscribe to each channel for as little as $1.99 a month.
The subscription service will enable channel operators to produce different content, such as TV shows and films, a person familiar with the plan said.
Advertising on YouTube and rival video sites has risen fast, but remains a fraction of television budgets. Digital video advertising will jump from $2.93bn to $4.14bn in 2013, eMarketer estimates, but will account for just 2.4 per cent of all ad spending.
We say "meh" because it's been free for as long as I can remember. Then again, there are too many subscription based video streaming options out there now. Like everything else in technology, we need to wait as all the players fight it out because not too many of us are going to subscribe to 10 different services. Even if we picked a couple, and many of us have, $2.99 per channel? Meh. At least that's my take on it.
"Starting today, we’re launching a pilot program for a small group of partners that will offer paid channels on YouTube with subscription fees starting at $0.99 per month. Every channel has a 14-day free trial, and many offer discounted yearly rates. For example, Sesame Street will be offering full episodes on their paid channel when it launches. And UFC fans can see classic fights, like a full version of their first event from UFC’s new channel. You might run into more of these channels across YouTube, or look here for a list of pilot channels. Once you subscribe from a computer, you’ll be able to watch paid channels on your computer, phone, tablet and TV, and soon you’ll be able to subscribe to them from more devices."
Rumor has it Google is on the verge of unveiling an à la carte subscription service for some of YouTube's specialist video channels, to finance a broader range of content and add a second revenue stream to the digital video market leader.
The move, which has been in the works for months, could be announced as early as this week. It will apply to as many as 50 YouTube channels, people familiar with the plan say. Viewers will be able to subscribe to each channel for as little as $1.99 a month.
The subscription service will enable channel operators to produce different content, such as TV shows and films, a person familiar with the plan said.
Advertising on YouTube and rival video sites has risen fast, but remains a fraction of television budgets. Digital video advertising will jump from $2.93bn to $4.14bn in 2013, eMarketer estimates, but will account for just 2.4 per cent of all ad spending.
We say "meh" because it's been free for as long as I can remember. Then again, there are too many subscription based video streaming options out there now. Like everything else in technology, we need to wait as all the players fight it out because not too many of us are going to subscribe to 10 different services. Even if we picked a couple, and many of us have, $2.99 per channel? Meh. At least that's my take on it.
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