YouTube May Expand Into TV Show Biz
December 2, 2009
It's no secret that YouTube's trying to catch up to Hulu in terms of offering premium content; the site's administrators often make a big deal out of movie and TV show additions. What is under wraps - or at least hasn't been publicized in press releases and blog posts - is that YouTube might also be interested in charging for access.
According to Peter Kafka, "[I]t envisions something similar to what Apple and Amazon already offer: First-run shows, without commercials, for $1.99 an episode, available the day after they air on broadcast or cable."
And although negotiations between YouTube and content owners are preliminary, according to Kafka's sources, "both sides seem optimistic, since models for such deals already exist."
Plus, since Hulu is also likely to place some content behind a pay wall, YouTube wouldn't be putting itself at too much of a disadvantage.
Of course, there's no guarantee that this experiment would be successful. YouTube became so popular by virtue of being free, and the introduction of fees could just turn more people onto less-than-legal alternatives like the Pirate Bay. Still, Kafka said that YouTube will probably be "one of several outlets trying to get consumers to pay for TV on the Web in 2010."
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> YouTube Scopes Out Concept Of Movie Rentals
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Google Makes Improvements to Movie Showtime Searches
November 12, 2009
Google has launched some new improvements to its movie showtimes search feature. These include more movie pages, genre filters, and a new map view.
If you search for a movie and click the "more theaters" link in the showtimes listing, you will be taken to a more thorough page about that movie, including more showtimes, reviews, trailers, photos, etc. You can also see a list of new genre filters to search by on the left-hand side of the screen.
If you go to google.com/movies, you can find a list of all the theaters and showtimes in your area. The map view feature lets you see nearby theaters playing specific films.
It is worth noting that Microsoft's Bing search engine already has very similar features when you search for movies on there. It utilizes MSN movies, and has movie pages with trailers, reviews, photos, etc. It also has a map view feature. Google appears to have it beat on the genre listings feature, however.
Do you use Google (or Bing) to find movie showtimes when you go out? Do you find the new features helpful? Comment here.
Have You Read This?
> YouTube Scopes Out Concept Of Movie Rentals
> Bing Gets a Bunch of New Search Features
YouTube Scopes Out Concept Of Movie Rentals
September 3, 2009
According to a fresh report, YouTube is in talks with some of Hollywood's biggest movie studios to make more new releases available through the site. What might be problematic in many users' eyes is that YouTube and the movie studios are also weighing the idea of charging a rental fee for access.
The idea makes sense to some degree; studios can't be expected to give away their content available for free at the same time they're trying to sell it on $20 discs. Furthermore, almost three years after acquiring it, Google can't be blamed for trying to squeeze a profit out of YouTube.
Still, the Wall Street Journal reported, "People familiar with the matter say that new movie rentals are likely to be around $3.99," and that's a sizable payment towards what Netflix charges on a monthly basis. Plus, the idea of paying for anything on YouTube would require some attitude adjustments.
Anyway, YouTube's said to be discussing the concept with Lions Gate, Sony, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, and Warner Brothers, and any decisive move remains a long ways off. A three-month test involving 10,000 Google employees is at least one thing that would occur before rental options come to the average user.
If you either love or hate the thought of paying to see new movies on YouTube, speak up, because public opinion is likely to have a big influence on what happens.
