YouTube is getting ready to add a ton of fresh content to its already vast collection of uploaded videos, but this new bulk of videos will only be available to paid subscribers. Pay-to-view videos will soon turn up on YouTube, and the video streaming site will start to offer $10 monthly subscriptions.
In 2014, YouTube intended to support its top creators for content, and this paid subscription is an idea that stemmed from that. However, this upcoming change is not all bad, as subscribers will get to watch ad-free premium videos. Also, there's no need to worry about being compelled to subscribe, as YouTube will continue on with its free website.
Some of the content that YouTube is funding are still in the works and will go live sometime in 2016. Rather than concentrating on celebrities or other people who didn't become famous on YouTube, the Alphabet-owned company is focusing more on funding video stars who can reach YouTube's young audience.
This change of pace was brought on because of YouTube's failed attempts to get celebrities such as Jay-Z and Ashton Kutcher to produce content for its site in 2011, spending over $100 million dollars in the process.
Some media companies such as Time Warner's Turner cable unit, 21st Century Fox's Fox Sports, A+E Networks Inc. and Comcast's NBCUniversal have signed up to make content for YouTube. Plus, Disney is one of the companies that is said to be undergoing negotiations.
No definite date has been given about when this new setup will roll out, not to mention that in September, industry sources expected the subscription service to launch at end of that month. A YouTube rep declined to comment about the matter.
YouTube is going to unveil more details about this overhaul at an event in Los Angeles on Oct. 21, Wednesday. It seems that we can expect a lot of new videos to watch and an upgrade to boot on the popular streaming site.
Photo: Andrew Perry | Flickr
