YouTube to Make Originals Available for Ad-Supported Free Viewing

Todd Spangler, reporting for Variety:

In a shift in strategy, the Google-owned video platform said that starting next year it 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.

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.

Back to Google’s wheelhouse: free stuff with ads. I don’t mean that disdainfully, either — it’s simply what has made Google so successful. But it’s interesting given that the rest of the industry — CBS, Disney, maybe Apple — is moving toward putting shows and movies behind new subscription services.

★ Wednesday, 28 November 2018