Youtube continues to spend a fortune while its much anticipated ad revenue remains elusive. Any sensible person could have told Google that pitching ads that would share space with low quality vid capped clips from TV shows intermixed with stupid human tricks and Jackass wannabees is going to be a very tough sell.
This week the tech blogosphere has been abuzz with a new tab on Youtube that offers full length programs including newly added Sony content. In my cursory run through the shows I found a sparse offering and that video quality not quite up to the standards of Hulu or the network sites. Google seems to have learned selling ads is much simpler of this kind of content.
Will Youtube ever gain dominance in the full length format? With the nearly unlimited resources of Google backing it, there’s a chance. One thing is certain. Hulu and even Joost have a heck of a head start. It’s going to be very expensive to catch them if it’s even possible.
American Pols and CEO’s have frequently been guilty of copying failed programs and business models already tried across the pond expecting better results. It appears that the UK’s Performing Rights Society has decided to return the favor. Forcing a take down of music videos on YouTube over, you guessed it, not getting enough royalty money. Never mind music videos help find an audience, sell downloads, CD’s and concert tickets. I’m also willing to bet that the PRS, like our RIAA, consumes just about all of its revenue before it gets around to distributing money to pay any of the artists that is “represents”.
Thousands of videos will be unavailable to YouTube users from later on Monday.
Patrick Walker, YouTube’s director of video partnerships, told BBC News that the move was “regrettable”.
Steve Porter, head of the PRS, said he was “outraged… shocked and disappointed” by YouTube’s decision.
In a statement, Mr Porter said the move “punishes British consumers and the songwriters whose interests we protect and represent”.
The PRS has asked YouTube to reconsider its decision as a “matter of urgency”. (BBC)
We’ve been predicting that sooner or later A list entertainers would discover the direct to web channel. While YouTube has some critical mass from numbers and an early start, it is notably lacking in high production value content like that found on recent upstart Hulu. Even with the seemingly limitless Google resources, the site still suffers from mediocre video quality and a search engine that typically delivers chaotic results. It needs a little more something special to grow…and maybe that something special has been found.
YouTube has taken the first shot at directly recruiting some of Hollywood’s more recognizable names to produce content channels that are sure to bring loads of new viewers.
The video-sharing site is reportedly close to clinching a deal with the William Morris Agency, in which the talent agency’s clients would create videos for YouTube, according to a report Thursday in The New York Times.
The deal apparently would give William Morris Agency clients an ownership stake in videos they create for YouTube, and, in return, YouTube would receive professionally produced videos, according to the Times report.
For YouTube and its owner Google, the question is whether such efforts will eventually generate advertising revenue. (Cnet)
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