The BBC has struck a deal with YouTube which will allow its content to be shown on the popular video-sharing Web site owned by Google.
The companies let the cat out of the bag at an international press conference this Friday lunchtime, announcing the creation of three BBC branded "channels" on YouTube. Starting immediately, fans of the British broadcaster around the world will able to enjoy clips of their favorite comedies, nature documentaries and news programs.
Like all of the clips on YouTube the BBC content will be in short-form. So it won't be possible to view an entire comedy episode, just a clip or a sketch from that show. Much of the content is intended to promote BBC programs, David Moody BBC Worldwide's director of strategy explains. But the other purpose of the deal is to attract a new audience to the BBC's own Online presence.
A core part of this new media strategy is the BBC's so-called iPlayer, which will carry the public broadcaster's Video-on-Demand services. But, as Moody told SPIEGEL ONLINE, this is subject to the approval of the governing body.
The BBC -- which is a public service broadcaster funded by a license fee -- has come in for some criticism in Britian because its online business is impacting on private competitors. However, Ashley Highfield, the BBC's director of Future Media and Technology, says it is clear that consumers no longer want scheduled programing, but prefer view-on-demand content.
The BBC channels on YouTube will serve to advertise such content. Eventually, the BBC wants to provide its content internationally via the higher quality iPlayer -- financed either by advertising or by users paying for content.
As for the BBC-YouTube deal, it is unclear whether or how much money changed hands. The BBC has emphasized that the deal is "non-exclusive" and the BBC Worldwide channel will carry advertising "to a limited extent," Moody says.
The Beeb, as the broadcaster is fondly known, has completely rejuvenated itself with its online presence and sees YouTube primarily as a promotional platform. For YouTube/Google the deal is welcome after a string of negative headlines recently. Ever since YouTube was bought by Google, the video-sharing Web site has had to deal with big media companies aggressively pursuing it for copyright infringement.
Today YouTube is an important media player -- it is an informal station with the potential reach that TV networks can only dream of. The way forward would seem to be to strike deals for attractive content. It has already succeeded in making small deals, such as showing highlights from the National Basketball Association, America's professional league. There is also a Chelsea Football Club channel and one that shows the Sundance Film Festival. According to YouTube, it has added some 200 new partners in this quarter.
The founding idea of YouTube was "Broadcast Yourself." While some users took that as an invitation to produce something original, many others took it to mean "put it online yourself" -- regardless of where it came from. Content such as films, TV programs and concerts, have been recorded, taped, copied and published -- no content is safe.
Which is why partnerships with name-brand media are so vital to YouTube. The deal with the BBC media giant comes just in the nick of time.
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